JSA: Joint Security Area

Summary

“Your shadow is over the line. Watch it!”

Last year I watched the Academy Awards (like I do every year) so that I could grumble (like I do every year) at the decisions that I disagree with. This last year was no exception, as I watched Parasite win the Academy Award for Best Picture. In 2019, in my opinion, Once Upon a Time.. in Hollywood was hands down the best picture. While I was happy to see Bong Joon-Ho take home an Oscar, and happy to see a Korean film recognized as Best Picture, I kept thinking to myself: why now? I immediately started grumbling that the Academy had not even nominated a single film by Park Chan-wook for the slot of Best Foreign Film which is a much less desired spot than Best Picture. Why had Parasite been the film that led the Academy towards appreciating Korean cinema, whereas Oldboy had been unjustly ignored despite winning the Palme D’or at the Cannes Film Festival?

I have been following Park Chan-wook’s career since about six months before Oldboy made him an international sensation. I remember that a friend of mine showed me the trailer for Oldboy which was set to a Starsailor song, and then we watched his copy of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. That movie really struck a chord with me. I ordered a Korean DVD of Oldboy on eBay months before the film debuted stateside theatrically. When Oldboy arrived at my home, it absolutely blew me away. It was my favorite film that year and remains one of my favorite films of all time. After that film, Park Chan-wook continued to impress with his features Sympathy for Lady Vengeance and Thirst. He has continued to be a prominent filmmaker with The Handmaiden and his United States debut Stoker. In college, I tracked down a DVD copy of his first blockbuster film JSA: Joint Security Area. I remember that I felt the film was good, but paled in comparison to his later material. When I saw that Arrow Video had acquired the rights to the film, I was happy to revisit it in high definition and see how it had aged.

At the DMZ meeting point between North and South Korea, two North Korean guards are killed at a border house. South Korean Sergeant Lee Soo-hyeok (Lee Byung-hun) struggles across the border bridge while bullets fly overhead between the South Korean troops and North Korean troops. To deal with the conflict and investigate the circumstances that led to the violent outburst, the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commision appoints Swiss Army Major Sophie E. Jean (Lee Young-ae.) Major Jean was raised in Switzerland, but her father was Korean. She speaks Korean fluently. Sergeant Lee Soo-hyeok has given a written statement that states he was kidnapped and had escaped after shooting the two guards. The North Korean guard that survived the incident, Sergeant Oh Kyeong-pil (Song Kang-ho,) provides a written statement which says that Lee Soo-hyeok had attacked the border house unprovoked, killed two guards, and had wounded him before retreating across the border. Major Jean begins to look through the story and find inconsistencies in the physical evidence that need to be explained. The story of what actually happened is slowly revealed. The truth that unfolds is a story of unlikely friendship that causes tragic consequences.

JSA: Joint Security Area was the first film to really show the cinematic qualities of director Park Chan-wook, despite being the third film by the director. He had gained the required confidence to start putting his own stamp on his films. The film was a big commercial success in South Korea and helped Park easily secure funding for his next film, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. There is a lot to like about JSA, even if I don’t feel the film is quite on the same level as anything in the Vengeance Trilogy. 

JSA’s writing features a story-flow that is reminiscent of Rashomon. It is an effective way to tell the story and structurally sound. The script is well written by Park alongside Jeong Seong-san, Kim Hyun-seok, and Lee Mu-yeong. The screenplay was adapted from a novel named DMZ by Park Sang-yeon. The film has an uncommon focus on friendship across conflict lines that makes the film stand out from other military thrillers. It definitely has its heart in the right place and has aged well because of this.

The acting in the film for the most part is superb. Song Kang-ho, who is the most prominent face in popular Korean cinema (and someone you will recognize from Parasite, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, or The Host,) is my favorite actor in the film. He gives a great performance as Sergeant Oh Kyeong-pil. Song is excellent at emoting effectively through the use of his facial expressions. He is never anything less than believable. Lee Byung-Hun is well cast as the traumatized Lee Soo-Hyeok. Lee Young-ae is typically great in Park Chan-work’s films (especially Lady Vengeance,) but in this film it is hard to get past her obvious lack of command of the English language. The first language for the character is meant to be English, so the moments where Lee butchered the language pulled me out of the film. This is a minor issue, but it can not help but weigh on the film when viewed by English speakers.

The biggest issue with the film is that within the confines of the military thriller JSA, Park Chan-wook is only able to experiment with cinematic form occasionally. His later entries feel far more exuberant because they take place in larger spaces allowing him to compose more interesting sequences more frequently. I feel like the film is a very well made picture with some really beautiful sequences, but in comparison to the other films by the director, it feels a bit forgettable and a little bit too normal. That said, the thematic elements of the film that speak to larger issues like the division of North and South Korea and the similarities between people on both sides of the conflict are well established and portrayed well. 

Overall – I was pleased to revisit JSA. While it is not my favorite Park Chan-wook film, it is a well made military thriller with a well thought emotional core. This film helped Park to continue to hone his craft as he became one of the greatest directors of the twenty-first century. I am very pleased that Arrow Video has chosen to release the film on Blu-ray stateside.

Video

Arrow Video says in the booklet: “Joint Security Area / Gongdong gyeongbi guyeok JSA is presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio [sic] with original 5.1 surround and stereo audio. The High Definition master was provided by Little Big Pictures.“ This is a good looking transfer of the film. It seems to be sourced from a recent scan of the film and my guess would be that it was a 2K scan, but I can not confirm that. Fine detail is solid. The cinematography by Kim Sung-bok is appealing and looks nice on Blu-ray. There are some very stylish and interesting sequences – especially the sequences featuring snow and rain – that look great. Fans will be pleased.

Audio

Arrow Video have provided a very well done DTS-HD MA 5.1 track and a stereo track for the film. The score by Bang Jun-seok and Jo Yeong-wook is well produced and highlights the numerous dramatic elements in the film. The surround are employed well in the few sequences that feature gunfire, and provide solid immersion in the more dialogue based sequences. 

Supplements

• Audio Commentary by Simon Ward
• Isolated Music and Effects Track 
• Stepping Over Boundaries – I like Jasper Sharp’s comments on film typically, but this feature didn’t strike me as one of his better efforts. It didn’t seem like it had been as enthusiastically researched as usual. I also noted that his dismissal of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance did not quite jive with me. Don’t let that dissuade you from checking out that awesome movie!
• Archival Special Features
• The JSA Story 
• Making the Film
• About JSA
• Behind the Scenes Montage 
• Opening Ceremony 
• Music Videos: “Letter from a Private” and “Take the Power Back” 
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot
• Image Gallery

Overall Scores:

Video – 4.5/5 

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 4/5

Overall – 4/5

JSA: Joint Security Area is a well made military thriller from Korean master filmmaker Park Chan-wook. The film finds the director coming into his own and just on the edge of creating his brilliant Vengeance trilogy. The film features some great performances and a well-written script that employs a Rashomon style plot device effectively. The only downside to the film is that it is certainly the most conventional film from that period in the director’s career. It is also worth noting that the film does a capable job of exploring the conflict between North and South Korea in a constructive way. Arrow Video has provided a good looking transfer with great audio. The supplemental features are enjoyable, although the piece with Jasper Sharp felt like a rare misfire for the critic and did not appeal to my sensibilities. I am pleased that Arrow chose to bring the film to Blu-ray so that I can finally retire my old imported DVD!