Tae Guk Ki
MOVIE REVIEW
KOREAN WAR EPIC – KANG JE-GYU’s
TAE GUK GI: THE BROTHERHOOD OF WAR
KOREA’S ALL-TIME BOX OFFICE LEADER
TAE GUK GI: THE BROTHERHOOD OF WAR, directed by South Korea’s leading filmmaker Kang Je-gyu (Shiri, The Gingko Bed) and starring Korean superstars Jang Dong-Gun (Chingu, Nowhere to Hide) and Won Bin (Guns and Talks).
Released earlier this year in its homeland, TAE GUK GI has become Korea’s highest-grossing film of all time and a blockbuster across Asia. With a budget of $15 million, it is also the most expensive Korean film ever produced. Destination Films and Samuel Goldwyn Films will release TAE GUK GI: THE BROTHERHOOD OF WAR in the United States beginning on September 3, 2004 in eight cities.
Kang Je-gyu’s sweeping wartime epic , TAE GUK GI , tells the story of two brothers forced to join troops at the onset of the Korean War in 1950. The older, stronger Lee Jin-Tae (played by Jang Dong-Gun), and the family’s pride, Lee Jin Seok (played by Won Bin), begin a long journey through the battlefields over ideologies in search of a way home. Realizing the family’s survival lies in Jin Seok’s education, Jin Tae sets upon his passionate crusade to win favor with his superiors, by fighting bravely and recklessly in order to request his brother’s return home. However, JinTae’s ascension into power divides the two brothers between hope and glory, and a loss of their common love and their former life at home.
Acclaimed director Kang Je-gyu brings together two of Korea’s leading actors, Jang Dong-gun and Won Bin, in a story of brotherhood, loyalty, love, honor and family. TAE GUK GI has touched the hearts of thousands, becoming one of the highest grossing films in South Korea’s history.
While smashing Korean box-office records, TAE GUK GI also became a huge breakout hit in numerous Asian countries, particularly Japan, where its success has surprised many industry experts.
Born in South Korea Director Kang Je-gyu is the country’s leading filmmaker and often cited as the pioneer in today’s booming Korean film industry. His previous films, the action thriller “Shiri” and the supernatural love story “The Gingko Bed,” are regarded as seminal works in modern Korean cinema. With influences ranging from Steven Spielberg to John Woo, Mr. Kang has established a reputation for creating socially relevant films within the confines of a Hollywood-style blockbuster.
TAE GUK GI: THE BROTHERHOOD OF WAR is rated R. Running time is 140 minutes in Korean with English Subtitles
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