Set mostly amid the 1953 Korean War ceasefire negotiations, The Front Line (고지전) stars Shin Ha-kyun as
First Lieutenant Kang from Military Intelligence. Kang is sent to the Front
Line to investigate the suspicious death of a Captain and to intercept any
North Korean mail that is being sent through the Southern Postal Service. When
Kang arrives at the front he discovers a comrade he though was long dead is in
fact alive and well. Lieutenant Kim (Go Soo) is found serving in the same
regiment as Kang is forced to investigate and finds life on the Front Line even
harsher than he imagined. In the midst of his investigation the war is still
raging on as both sides attempt to capture an important hilltop.
South
Korea has produced many excellent War Movies
over the last decade or so but despite some great scenes and cinematography I
wasn’t able to fully get on board with this one. That being said there is a lot
to like about the film and it won four Grand Bell Awards in 2011 including Best
Film. I found that throughout the film I was interested in the story but not
the characters.
