The Front Line Go-ji-jeon is not as good as Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War, which is one of the best war films from any country. What it does give you is a good example of the futility of war and how events in war can made little sense to a sane person.
One of the interesting points in the movie was the signing of the peace documents during the ongoing peace negotiations and see General Mark Wayne Clark’s signature focused on.
General Mark Wayne Clark was considered by many to be one of the worst examples of the leadership chain in the US Army during World War II, do a little research on Clark and it will help you understand that there were a few very inept Generals in the US military just as there are poor CEO’s in the corporate world today.
Again very good war flick and another good movie from South Korea.
Although the review below does not contain any specific spoilers, the gist of it could allow the reader to guess the movies final outcome, especially the penultimate paragraph.
Miss Baha is a film that is almost great but not quite there hence my 7/10 rating. It’s the story of Laura, a 23 year old working class Mexican girl who with her friend is trying to get a rung up the ladder by entering a beauty contest. Miss Congeniality this is not. Through a series of unlucky breaks and circumstances, Laura falls into a spiral of ever more perilous situations. Every decision she makes pushes her further away from her previous normal existence as she becomes ever more entwined in Mexico’s de facto civil war between the US backed authorities and the Mexican drug cartels.
The film despite being almost 2 hours long never loses your attention as the plot unfolds at quite a pace. The lead actress Stephanie Sigman gives an excellent performance as a normal person having to cope with ever more dangerous circumstances.
Noe Hernandez playing the besieged leader of the drugs cartel portrays a man who seems to know that even though things are looking bleak for him, he somehow instinctively knows that he’ll probably survive. He portrays the characters evil and violent deeds in a very matter of fact way as though he is so used to the violence that it’s just another day in the office for him. A very good performance.
The film has scenes of real menace when you just don’t know how Laura is going to escape her latest predicament and has very well handled action scenes. There’s a good sense of realism and a big pat on the back should go to the sound crew who have created an excellent sound mix with very realistic and naturalistic sound effects punctuated by ear shattering gun shots and explosions. The desaturated photography adds to the gritty realism and use of mostly close up and medium shots add to the claustrophobic situation that Laura finds her self in.
Now for the problem. Having thought about the movie over night, it ends up being a procession of ever more dangerous episodes for Laura rather than being what was probably intended as an expose of the chaotic Mexican drug war. For Laura to be in the situations she is in. she must have bought a number 13 raffle ticket, walked under a ladder while tripping over a black cat and breaking her fall by smashing into a mirror. However as the film progresses it does clearly show the corruption in Mexican society and the futility in trying to do the right thing.
Recommended to see in a cinema because of the 2.35:1 wide screen photography and the excellent sound or just rent the Blu-ray if you’ve got a big TV and good surround sound.
Crowd Report: Watched this movie on Christmas day. The crowd is a mix of seniors and Chinese speaking audience of various ages. Theater is about 60% full for a 2pm show. And adults please don’t bring young kids to this movie. Some scenes are so brutal I have to cover my eyes.
The critics reviews are terrible and I was on the fence about seeing this movie. Zhang Yimou’s films from the last ten years had been disappointing starting with “Hero”. I felt he caved in too much to commercial interests and government interference. But make no mistake, the critics are overly harsh on this film. Flowers of War is a solid film that worth seeing. It’s Zhang’s best in ten years.
1. About the “white man saving the native” angle – this is unfair criticism. Bale did have a lot of screen time but the movie’s heart really lies in the heroic act of 13 courtesans. Chinese audience totally get the reference when Yu Mo says prostitutes in China have a reputation – they are oblivious of their country’s troubles and have no national conscience – and they decide to change that with their actions. Bale’s character and transformation are really inspired by the 13 women and is the backdrop, not the center of the story, hence the title “Flowers of the War”.
2. About criticism of excessive sentimentality and far-fetched plot – Zhang used the reluctant hero archetype on Miller and the arc of story is relatively conventional. Zhang might have also used too many slow-mo shots and prolonged some sequences, but I feel the sentimental parts of the story are effective and consistent with his style. The characters are layered enough for me to believe their actions. For example, not all the courtesans are on board to replace students. Many of the courtesans think they are lying to the students to get them off the tower, but they decide to actually do it. Part of that decision is the desire to do what is courageous, and another part the motherly nature to protect the young and vulnerable. This aspect is probably a bit understated in the film, but it’s clearly there.
3. About the portrayal of Japanese soldiers – many critics accused this movie of one dimensional in portraying Japanese soldiers, I disagree. The most memorable Japanese character, played by Kobayashi, is obviously very cultured and very conflicted as well. The decision to take the student to the “party” seems to come from higher up in the military and not Kato’s decision to make. There are some stories there in the Japanese military I would liked to see explored. The actions of regular Japanese soldiers portrayed in this movie, however, is supported by historical testimonials and photographic evidence.
I found them accurate at the least and even watered-down. It’s pure hypocrisy to criticize this movie for giving an honest portrayal of brutality during Japanese Occupation of Nanjing and giving praises to movies that portray equally ghastly holocaust in Germany. And accusations that this movie is propaganda against Japan is simply unfounded – this is a war movie about courage, sacrifice and human compassion during very extreme circumstances. It simply make us reflect and appreciate the peace we are enjoying right now.
Some highlight worth mentioning: The boy who played George delivered a wonderful and nuanced performance. He even overshadows Bale in some scenes; The Nanjing dialect in this movie is great and adds considerable authenticity to the characters; the music is wonderfully low-key and appropriately Chinese.
The Front Line Go-ji-jeon is not as good as Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War, which is one of the best war films from any country. What it does give you is a good example of the futility of war and how events in war can made little sense to a sane person.
