| | |  | KOREA | Home » » J.S.A. - Joint Security Area | | | | | | | Description: | | Two North Korean soldiers, stationed along the heavily guarded border dividing North and South Korea, are found shot to death, allegedly by a South Korean soldier. A Swiss officer of Korean descent is assigned to investigate the shootings, but her probe reveals a cover-up where revealing the truth could escalate the tension between the nations. Intense and politically provocative military drama from director Chan-wook Park stars Lee Yeong-ae, Lee Byung-hun. 109 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English, Chinese; "making of" documentary; featurettes; music video. In Korean with English subtitles/Dubbed in English. | | | Features: | |
• In the DMZ separating the Koreas, peace is as fragile as the wooden bridge linking North and South. When two North Korean soldiers are killed, supposedly by one South Korean soldier, it threatens to ignite a full-scale conflict. An impartial Swiss intelligence team is sent to investigate and they quickly find flaws in the official version of events. Why were 16 bullets found at the crime scene whe
| | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Lee Yeong-ae, Shin Ha-kyun, Kim Tae-woo | | Director:
| Park Chan-wook | | Format:
| AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC | | Language:
| Korean | | Subtitle:
| Chinese, Korean | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| Palm Pictures / Umvd | | Run Time:
| 109 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| July 12, 2005 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 19 reviews |
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| $15.48+ $4.99 *Shipping | New | | | $15.52+ $4.99 *Shipping | New | | | $15.53+ $4.99 *Shipping | New | | | $15.60+ $4.99 *Shipping | New | | | $16.36+ $4.99 *Shipping | New | | | $16.60+ $4.12 *Shipping | New | | | $16.71+ $3.99 *Shipping | New | | | $16.74+ $4.62 *Shipping | New | | | $16.89+ $4.62 *Shipping | New | | | $17.33+ $4.99 *Shipping | New | | | $17.56+ $4.99 *Shipping | New | | | $17.95+ $4.62 *Shipping | New | | | $19.09+ $8.13 *Shipping | New | | | $19.11+ $4.99 *Shipping | New | | | $19.86+ $4.62 *Shipping | New | | | $20.71+ $4.99 *Shipping | New | | | $22.28+ $4.99 *Shipping | New | | | $22.48+ $2.98 *Shipping This item is eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. | New | | | $23.12+ $4.99 *Shipping | New | | | $28.72+ $3.99 *Shipping | New | |
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| $9.99+ $4.99 *Shipping | Used
- Acceptable | | | $9.99+ $4.74 *Shipping | Used
- Acceptable | | | $11.99+ $4.99 *Shipping | Used
- VeryGood | | | $14.00+ $4.99 *Shipping | Used
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20 of 22 found the following review helpful:
 "JSA" stands for "Just Simply Awesome!" (Believe the Hype!)Sep 11, 2005
By Ace-of-Stars
*
[[NOTE: This is an unedited reproduction of my original Amazon review of the "Import" edition of this DVD, post dated June 15, 2002; hence some of the information presented herein may be in need of a few minor 'update' tweaks]]
>>>
Spotlighted as one of the most expensive & highest grossing domestic Korean films to date (ranking third in overall audience attendance in Korea for a domestic film, just behind "Chingu" ["Friend"] and "Shiri" [or "Swiri"], and just ahead of the quirky romantic comedy "Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo" [aka "My Sassy Girl"], "JOINT SECURITY AREA" -- (Korean title: "Gongdong Kyeongbi Kuyeok - JSA") -- is one of those stories which starts off confusingly, but by the end ties everything together neatly and beautifully with some of the most sincere and genuine raw emotion ever experienced in a feature film.
"JSA" begins with a couple of contradictory flashbacks of an assassination-type event which takes place in a guardshack North of the DMZ (demilitarized zone) in the Joint Security Area, each based on the 'official version' of the story as propogated by North and South. As the film progresses, we are pulled along by a third and equally contradictory flashback, this one apparently revealing the truth not only of that fateful night's event which nearly ignited a small war between the two Koreas, but also giving us insight as to what led up to that point, and does so very tenderly and emotionally.
The story revolves around an 'illegal' friendship forged between two pairs of soldiers stationed on opposite sides of the DMZ in the Joint Security Area, which began as a result of a nighttime border patrol team in the South getting disoriented and venturing too far north, accidently venturing into Kim Jung-Il's Communist state where one of the soldiers gets separated from the rest of the group and becomes stranded under frightening and dire circumstances in what is one of the most tense and dramatic moments of the film.
A secret correspondence is later initiated by the prodigal Southern soldier with the two Northern soldiers he encountered on that harrowing night. Before long, he receives an invitation to 'cross over the bridge which divides the two Koreas'-- literally and figuratively --and almost without hesitation accepts the offer to drop in for an "unauthorized (to say the least) visit."
No 'sensative secrets' are ever revealed or exchanged during these illegal meetings (as one of the Southern soldiers declares, "We don't know anything, anyway"); What 'secrets' ARE exchanged, though, are those which come from the heart: stories of friends, family, homelife, personal goals, and hopes for a reunified nation of "brothers" fractured by ideological differences. It was also a nice touch that never at any time-- except in a moment of genuine curiousity or as a gesture of offered protection --does anyone of either side try to entice any of the others to defect to the other side.
But as with all beautifully and honestly executed thought-provoking cinematic masterpieces, something goes terribly wrong during one of the illegal visits, which results in "murder" (quote/unquote), cover-up, and threatened outbreak of war. It is left to a neutral investgative board to uncover the truth of what took place on that dark rainy night, and the case is assigned to a Korean native raised in Switzerland who carries with her a secret of her own which could raise questions about her 'objectivity' and very likely jeopardize her investigation even as the truth gradually unfolds .
Why this film never saw nationwide theatrical release in the U.S., apart from a few sporadic "film festival" venues, is completely beyond my comprehension. Perhaps seeing how well made this movie was, and how it held its own in its homeland by practically putting "Titanic's" Korean box office recepts to shame, maybe Hollywood got scared that its ego would get bruised even further if American audiences (already apathetic and dissatisfied with the declining quality of Hollywood films and their self-eroding committment to excellence) had wide access to this "foreign" film and responded favorably, as they surely would have.
Unlike many foreign films, which sometimes require a considerable amount of knowledge of the native culture to be genuinely appreciated and/or enjoyable, "Joint Security Area" is truly an "international" film, one to which anyone anywhere can easily relate. If allowed, this one movie could probably do a much more effective job of moving Korean reunification talks forward than all of the bureaucratic 'diplomacy' of the past decade.
11 of 11 found the following review helpful:
Incredible filmMay 12, 2006
By Lee E.
"idlefingers"
This is an incredible movie that tells a story of friendship against a political backdrop. One night shots break out at the JSA leaving 2 North Korean soldiers dead, one south korean soldier in a catatonic shock, and another southern soldier suicidal. A Korean-Swiss soldier is assigned to the case to find out what happened, all the while maintaining her neutrality.
What unfolds is the story of a complex friendship between a pair of northern soldiers with a pair of southern soldiers. Chan Wook Park is gaining fame for his Revenge Trilogy as well as his part in Three... Extremes, but out of all his work it is JSA that stands out for me.
He handles the friendship between the soldiers masterfully; they form a strong bond, looking at each other as brothers, but at the same time there is a sense that the bond will be easily broken.
At the end, when we see that a throw away scene actually has a meaning, it is enough to bring a person to tears.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
suspenseful...Oct 05, 2006
By Stella Jo
very well made movie...it is amazing how fast the South Korean film industry has propelled themselves onto the world stage. even though this was made quite a few years ago, it is still worth buying for collection.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Outstanding And Unforgettable Film!Dec 16, 2006
By Ernest Jagger
This outstanding film takes place at the DMZ [Demilitarized Zone] separating North and South Korea. One of the worlds most sensitive military and political regions in the world. When two North Korean soldiers are discovered dead, and two South Korean soldiers suspected in their murders, a team of neutral countries are gathered to determine the cause of what has happened: in which the fate of renewed hostilities between the two countries becomes all too real. I don't want to give out any spoilers in this film, therefore, I must leave out important information which will ruin the film for you if I divulge too much.
There is more to the deaths of the two North Korean soldiers, and the two South Korean soldiers being questioned by the neutral investigators that makes this film so different and outstanding. This is one of the better films to tackle a suspenseful subject matter that I have seen in a long, long time. The film moves between the present and the past. Each giving the viewer vignettes of what has transpired that has caused this tragedy. And although the film is tragic, there is also hope in the film: Hope for those who wish to see a better tomorow between this divided nation.
The storyline and cinematography is excellent, and as usual, Park Chan-wook weaves a magical tapestry of a film. He is truly one of the greatest directors in the business today. In fact, he is a directorial artist. [If there is such a term] He has a vision of directing that very few in the business have today: Every subject matter he seems to tackle comes off brilliantly. I look forward to more of his films. [Take notice Hollywood!] I recommend the film highly, you will not be disappointed. Highly, highly recommended. [Stars: 5+]
7 of 8 found the following review helpful:
i have a questionAug 24, 2005
By Robert Butler
"yukoforlove"
Great movie. I have one question. Is this version a edited one? Why is the Tai Seng Entertainme version, also offered here on amazon, Have a running time 10 minutes longer than this version? A total of 120 min. While this version has a running time of only 108 min. Anyone have the answer? I am confused on which version to buy. I don't want so water downed version.
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