#joint security area

[jeon6yeon]

Joint Security Area (2000) Dir. Park Chan-wook

[sloshed-cinema]

Joint Security Area [공동경비구역 JSA] (2000)

A picture really does say a thousand words. The final image of Park Chan-wook’s DMZ character study perfectly sums up the relationship between its four central characters as well as the overall tone that it sets in examining the human consequences of such a specific and thoroughly enforced piece of diplomatic work. The monochrome photograph captures Sgt Oh’s wry expression, Pvt Jeong grinning as he marches in the background, Pvt Nam against the wall and Sgt Lee moving to block the lens. There’s an irreverence hiding in plain sight here, a secret pact which Park teases out over the course of this military thriller. But even more brilliantly, the taking of the image itself served as a character beat earlier in the film. While it’s not the first time we meet Sgt Oh, this is his first true reveal, making the choice to hand a tourist’s hat which has blown over into the DPRK back over to the ROK. He’s stiff and militaristic, but capable of making humanistic gestures, we see here. Throughout the rest of the film, he is perhaps the levelest mind in the room. Though fervent in his dedication to the DPRK in his words, Oh seems to value the lives of those he cares about more when things get tense. He uses this zealotry to purposefully, perhaps, sabotage a cross-examination when Lee looks about to break and perhaps damage his future, and as we come to learn about the confrontation which sparked the investigation and film, Oh works to protect his brethren on the southern side of the border even after his comrade is shot. He’s a good man. They’re all good men, on some level. The central idyll is like a warm blanket were it not for the knowledge that this is doomed to fail violently, nightly gatherings of camaraderie. But we come as an audience to enjoy their time together goofing off and swapping cigarettes and stories. It’s a connection not seen anywhere else in this world of strict and arbitrary ceremony and custom. Even the woman investigating the incident, Swiss negotiator Maj Jean, is separated from her intimate connections, her father’s past as a North Korean general weaponized and herself distant from him. Everything is defined by this line in the sand, and yet four men found a way to step across it. If only for a moment. Neither Lee nor Nam escape the fallout, and Oh can only find the release of discharge. It’s a moment in time, a snapshot.

Director Park uses flashbacks and perspective to spool out the different potential truths at hand before revealing the full facts of the matter. It’s well-executed, but not exactly anything novel. What is more interesting is his effortless as usual command of visual storytelling through editing and motifs. Borders are at once very important and completely frivolous, as exemplified by the concrete band defining the split between the two territories. ROK soldiers line up in drills to shoot moving targets from a model version of this setup, but those same soldiers from both sides will in other instances line up to swap cigarettes and hunt rabbit in a whole different kind of war-game. Our secret friends become increasingly juvenile during their duties, early on making threats about shadows crossing the border, which escalates to a spitting contest. They can’t even maintain a straight face when on duty facing off against one another, which makes their later face-to-face encounter at deposition, when there can be no falsehood, all the more heartbreaking. Later, mulling her options, Jean walks back and forth on that line like it’s a tightrope, balancing geopolitical consequences. Park is never twee or kumbahyah, we should all just get along about it: klaxons warn of imminent invasion and the ROK border defense react, our central quartet mull the consequences of invasion and how they would have to shoot each other in such a scenario. He's not naive, but Park does arch his brow at the theatrics of it all.

Underneath all of this is a heavy layer of queer subtext. It’s almost full-on text, just have an orgy! The one thing holding this film back. Nothing’s perfect. But there’s a definite longing between these four, especially Nam and Jeong. The secrecy of night can hide these normal interactions which the outer world condemns. Further overtures are made and blissfully received as Nam witnesses a mirror being flashed from across the border and practically exits this plane of existence. Jeong enjoys the arts and receives his birthday gift rhapsodically. Coded messages—the passing of a Yankee lighter, whistling—take the place of conventional conversation. The memento of the landmine fuse intertwines intimacy of that first meeting with danger, a Very Queer Thing. Nam paints a dark line under his eye akin to Oh’s scar in homage to him. That’s right, I’m going full tinfoil here, this will DEFINITELY fit into my Grand Unified Gay Theory come hell or high water.

THE RULES

SIP

Someone says 'Commie' or 'bullet'.

A car with a diplomat flag on its hood appears in a scene.

Someone names a nation.

BIG DRINK

A flashback begins.

CGI(?) birds? Are birds real?

Song Kang-ho whistles.

[joyland2022]

it's strange that we're not constantly talking about how park chan-wook's big international breakout movie was (by his own admission) a subtextually queer murder mystery about the human injustice of the north-south korea divide set in the DMZ. we NEED to be talking about that movie.

[littlefalls]

Tegnap néztük Park Chan-wook Joint Security Area c. filmjét és szuper volt. A vetítéssorozatban a következő a Passages lesz. Menjetek moziba!

[jasper-rolls]

Joint Security Area / 2000 / dir. Park Chan-wook

"You haven't learned much about Panmunjom yet. Here, the peace is preserved, by hiding the truth."

[kamsspice]

this movie ripped my heart out, spat on it and all i could say is thank you

[soo-hyuki]

JSA is a cinematic masterpiece, yet not a lot of people talk about it anymore. Strange since it has actually gone down in history as the most successful Korean movies of it's time.

I see a bittersweet irony with it's importance being forgotten and the question of unification between the north and south slowly fading into the background.

Once the war is finally over and the 2 sides have been unified, praise for the movie JSA will circulate again, calling it ahead of its time.

The impactful beauty of cinema will never cease to amaze me.

[moviesinpaint]

Here, the peace is preserved by hiding the truth. What they both really want is that this investigation proves nothing after all. #MSPaint #MSPaintArt #ParkChanWook #SongKangHo #KoreanCinema #JointSecurityArea

[tubbietommo]

“The two sides seem closer to each other than I thought” “Oh yeah. You could even hear them fart.”

is probably the funniest dialogue used as a hint for what is to come later in the movie.

[symereweed]

This is the first time I tried to color my work in digital way so I want to post it

[pablolf]

Film Journal

"Joint Security Area (JSA)" by Park Chan-wook

[touslesfilmsquejaivu]

[kynkyatthemovies]

(via KYNKY's Unwatched Collection: 2000s)

[annadelveys]

every new park chan-wook movie is like the best movie I've ever seen. except for oldboy which is an ok movie but compared to the rest of his filmography its just shit. I'm sorry.

[townpostin]

Security Forces Destroy 4 IEDs in West Singhbhum Anti-Naxal Op

Joint task force neutralizes explosive devices in forest near Tanta-Goilkera In a major anti-Naxal operation, security forces safely destroyed four IEDs in West Singhbhum district’s forested areas. JAMSHEDPUR – Security forces have successfully neutralized four Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) during an ongoing anti-Naxal operation in West Singhbhum district’s forested regions. The operation,…

[shamiamja]

Help Jamal Shamia family

Jamal Shamia, Iam a criminal lawyer, lam suffering of many diseases hypertension and diabetic mellitus and Muscle spasms and always got shocked and coma .

Unfortunately, I was injured in the war and suffered a very serious injury, which was a blood clot in the hip joint area, which caused him many infections and the infection spread in the area. is currently in Gaza, and my home was destroyed at the beginning of the war. We have lost security and peace. We have witnessed how a single rocket can destroy your entire life, both your past and your future. Our dreams have been shattered. Now the future is unknown and dark. There is no home, no basic life essentials, no job. We are now seeking to leave this country for a life abroad and to obtain security. We estimate our loss to be at least $50,000 to rebuild a home and start our lives anew.

My wife, Mufida, is 62 years old. She traveled before the war to have surgery on her eye alone, and now she is stuck on the Egyptian side. She has no breadwinner and needs many medications and medical supplies.

After that, she suffered a broken hand due to the lack of necessary care for her. I want to collect money to go to her and support her.

Rasha Jamal Shamia and her husband, Khalil Abu Samaan, have two children, Mira and Omar. They have been forced to flee their home in Gaza City and are now living in a tent in Rafah, far from everything they once knew. Their home, their children’s education, and their future—everything is gone. Their days are filled with fear, and their nights bring no rest. The constant sound of bombs haunts them, and they have no way to provide their children with the life they deserve

Ahmad Jamal Shamia resides in Gaza and is a third-year student in dental school. He lost his education due to the devastating war in Gaza. He was studying at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, and his home was destroyed in the war. He is currently suffering from moving from one temporary shelter to another. Ahmad was a diligent, ambitious, and creative student who ranked first in his class. He didn't limit himself to what he learned in university. He attended courses and workshops online with Egyptian doctors to learn more and excel in his field. He always sought excellence and worked hard for it, and he loved helping all students.He now needs money to continue his education, which will cost him a lot of money since he will complete his studies in Egypt.

Vetted by:

Gazavetters no.#82

@90-ghost here

My link

PayPal account:

@sylvianritual @ana-bananya

@aristotels @bixlasagna @bonesashesglass @blackprinter @buttercuparry @briarhips @cagandante-communistoide @crimsaph @crispyartdev @determinate-negation @distillatoria @dontbelasagnax @dlxxv-vetted-donations @deepspaceboytoy @distillatoria @evilreceptionist @ehksidian @e @fr0ge @freeshfries98 @feluka @fromjanna @f3l1c1af0x @greenwingspino @group-oc-tournament @gottfried @garden-of-vegan @hojanaranja @ip2lb @jacksonharries @khanger @kibumkim @lishadra @lightning-in-your-teeth @mangocheesecake @mobileleprechaun @oursapphirestars @omegaversereloaded @phantomofthetacobell-blog @primmsfairytale @paper-mario-wiki @pcktknife @sayruq @soullesscoyote @sanleigh @spacefunclubs @tilltshift