Taegukgi provides an interesting look into the zeitgeist of South Korea. The film portrays two brothers who are less than voluntarily drafted into the Korean war. The older brother joins and undertakes increasingly risky missions ostensibly to have his brother sent back home. However when he has increasing success on near suicidal missions, the fame and recognition that he gains go to his head and he soon develops insatiable blood lust and ambition that cause him to change, creating a rift between the two brothers. From an American perspective it is interesting to view a production of this scale concerning the Korean War. This war was largely forgotten by American popular culture, so my level of exposure to media on this conflict is limited. In South Korean history, the Korean conflict is undoubtedly the nation’s defining moment, whereas for Americans the Second World War and Vietnam captured more of the nation’s attention.

While some American Word War Two films typically capture the sacrifice that Americans underwent in order to save the world from dictatorial ambition, Taegukgi focuses more on the brutality and futility of war, more like many American Vietnam war films. While the Korean war was smaller than World War Two, and less protracted than the Vietnam war, the intensity of the conflict and the massive loss of life rivals both of these conflicts. Additionally, South Korea and the NATO forces very nearly lost the war before China even entered North Korea. After recouping most of these losses and pushing far into North Korea, Chinese intervention forced NATO and the South Koreans back to the 38th parallel where the demarcation zone exists today. The horrific portrayal of war in Taegukgi seems to function as a deterrent to further conflict with North Korea. The film questions the validity of violence and conflict in general, pointing to its futility and destructiveness. This film seems to tap into a South Korean fear of further conflict with North Korea. Although North Korea has lost its Russian and Chinese allies support in the last few decades, Taegukgi seems to discourage further violence against North Korea and rather seek a peaceful solution to the North Korean crisis, or to let the regime collapse it its own time.