elsinefilo Dongmakgol is an amazingly verdant,pristine village where a US navy pilot Neil Smith(Steve Taschler) crash-lands when his plane gets caught in a surreal butterfly storm.The village which is totally incognizant of the Korean conflict warmly welcomes the foreigner. Since no villager except the village teacher can speak any English they just try to communicate with him in their own language. At one moment the teacher asks hims "How are you?" but when Smith answers him "How do you think I am? I feel like sh*t?" so the teacher gets disillusioned with the answer because the normal correct American answer should "I am fine, and you?" :) The village looks like a calm and serene place where time stands still. The villagers have no knowledge of all the fancy trappings of modern life,technology or merely guns and weapons. Their life goes on simply and placidly till two groups of Korean soldiers (North Korean and South Korean)ends way up there. The North Korean soldiers, Rhee Soo-hwa (Jeong Jae-yeong), Chang Young-hee (Lim Ha-ryong)and the two South Korean soldiers Pyo Hyun-chul (Shin Ha-kyun) and Moon Sang-sang (Seo Jae-kyung)destroy the storage of the village in their armed clash.Apparently one of them just throws the hand grenade assuming that it's been just a "dud". The two groups of soldiers are now bound to work together in the fields to fill the storage of the village and they will actually rub off on each other somehow. The movie sounds like a surreal piece of flick sometimes. For instance, at one moment they kill one of the wild boars in a transcendent work-together. At another moment the corns blown out of the stockpile of the village falls down on the village like a pop-corn. There are some interesting characters in the movie too even if they may sound and look stereotyped sometimes they are sweet and rich characters--like the village chief and the crazy girl Yeo-il (Kang Hye-jeong.) Welcome to Dongmakgol may sound like a "platitudinous" movie for some. It may even sound "cheesy" at some points but it's indeed one sweet anti-war movie!

Drifteral99 I first saw this DVD about three weeks ago - nestling in the bargain bin in Morrison's supermarket.It was cheap t £2.99...though the packaging looked anything but: and the striking image on the front of the box interested me. Two Korean Soldiers...with different uniforms, stood in front of the massive turbo-prop of an American fighter. I didn't buy it at the time but it registered within my weary , troubled mind.The word 'Dongmakgol' stayed with me and I remembered to check it out on the internet movie database - a brilliant resource for film fans.I took the plunge a fortnight later & added it to my collection... ... I've now watched this movie twice in the space of four days. What can I say? Well, it has a most marvellous musical score...which I thought I'd heard before. As time went by I realised it's the same music used in Spielberg's 'Saving Private Ryan'....which I think was shot before 'Dong' but I'm, not sure...we might have a chicken and egg situation here because the films are, in my opinion of equal merit...and I loved 'Ryan' and its message with a similar evangelical zeal.If you're the type of person who does not mind subtitling and are prepared to invest a couple of hours and more into the cinematic experience then I'd urge you to buy this little masterpiece. I say 'little' but it isn't really...everything about this production says big-time to me. I do not know how vibrant or productive the Korean film industry is but if this example is anything to go by I need to find out more.Set during the Korean war it tells the tale of some disaffected troops from either side. The Communist north, and the 'puppet' army (according to the commies) from the south who are being aided and abetted by western forces. It's September 1950.By chance the stragglers find themselves ensconced in a small village, both isolated and remote. It's people are hitherto untouched by war , or indeed much of the outside world. Some of the English used in the captions is quite comical, and there are several smile out loud moments - if that makes any sense. There is also violence, and graphic death by gunfire. All of which is essential to the telling of the story. The contrasting nature of the worlds in collision here...from peaceful serenity and unconditional humanity, to brute force and ignorance.The innocence and naivety of the villagers is captured by the film's female lead. A delightful teenager who wafts in and out of scenes with flowers in her hair and wide eyed with a simple outlook on life. She's not quite 'the full shilling' yet somehow has a soothing, calming effect on almost everyone she meets. Her sweet, innocent face is a picture of all you'd want to celebrate in this often worrying world.Also taking refuge in the village is the downed pilot of a UN recconaisance aircraft....brilliant 'crash' scenes incidentally...gut wrenchingly terrifying.The hostility between the groups is tangible for a while, and an incident with a hand grenade results in the total destruction of the villagers food store. The film constantly surprised the unwary. They all pledge to helping the locals replenish stocks...as winter is fast approaching.The six who form the warring factions form an uneasy alliance as the story moves on. The simple life of the villagers, and the life they lead soon starts to lull the protagonists into believing they've been there for years! They are welcomed to Dongmakgol.Smiles abound, friendships are forged and the incomers weave their way into the tapestry of village life. Especially after helping overcome a quite terrifying wild boar...this sequence was stunning, yet simplistic and I realised I was watching a master film maker open mouthed in near wonderment. How I enjoyed watching my wife view the same scenes a day or two later...she too was captivated.The good times cannot last of course and soon paratroops are invading the area ahead of a bombing raid which threatens to annihilate the village and everyone in it. Sacrifice is called for , and the recent arrivals are not found wanting in what amounts to a fitting, poignant climax to a memorable movie. What now emerges is a band of brothers newly united in a common cause.This is the first Korean film I've seen , it perhaps will not be the last. I loved almost every moment of it & have elevated it toward the near top of my league...yes! it really is that good.

jooyoonchung As another review put it, this movie takes no sides. Uniforms link soldiers to a nation, but each uniform is worn by an individual. In the film, we first see the main characters, as they fight each other for some abstract ideal, something they come to realize (or already realized) that they don't really believe in. During their stay at Dongmakgol, however, they come to realize what is truly worth fighting for, and ultimately trade their lives to preserve it.To me, it seems that the movie yearns for the innocence that Korea lost during the Korean War. Dongmakgol, the village - exemplified by the young, exceedingly naive, and perhaps a bit crazy, but cute, woman - is sort of Korea's Eden. The villagers know nothing of guns, grenades, or even that there's a war going on. When one villager asks one of the soldiers who has attacked Korea, the soldier has trouble getting the villager to understand that it is Korea that has attacked itself. For the villager, it just doesn't compute.There's a somewhat non-so-subtle theme of the hope of reunification (but, definitely a bias toward South Korea), which reminds me of Taegukgi.This is the director Kwang-hyun Park's first film, I believe. For being so young, he is an adept director. I anticipate his next film with hope.

dbborroughs Charming gem of a film has been unfairly lost to the world a mere year after its release, which is a real shame. This is a powerful statement about people and life.The plot of this film has a crashed American flier, two South Korean soldiers and three North Korean soldiers all ending up in a small remote village that seems untouched by the civil war that raging in the rest of the country. At first there is tension between the two waring sides, but the slowly the two sides begin to see eye to eye. Unfortunately beast of war takes no sides and it isn't long before the violence threatens the peaceful village.Yes its clichéd, and yes you'll probably know where its going, but this is still a charming little film that touches both the heart and the head. There is magic in this tale, both on screen and off as the simple story wins over the audience like the village wins over the sworn enemies. The film makers seem to feel that there is a magical quality to living and they have infused their film with some truly magical moments, how else do you describe a hostage situation that falls apart because the hostages wander off to do other things? This is a movie for the head and the heart. You will be touched by some wonderful characters and the world they live in. As some people say there is magic all around you and in a film like this you'll believe it. It begins with the crashing pilot noticing a moth and it ends with the final image that is both heartfelt and bittersweet. For the head there is another meditation on the stupidity of war and the pointlessness of it all. And while it may seem to be yet another warning that war will destroy all that we love, its a warning we can not hear often enough.If the film has any real flaw its that its probably too long at two and a quarter hours. I don't know what you'd cut, but it just seemed a bit long to me.Still, I can't recommend this film enough. Its a charming off the beaten track sort of film that deserves a bigger audience. Those looking for a change from the stereotypical Asian horror or action films should look here. The same should be said to anyone simply looking for a good film to see.8 out of 10