When it comes to war movies, what many people think of is the brutal battlefield filled with gunpowder smoke.
But what I want to introduce today is a comedy that is both funny and warm.
And the war in this movie is also a piece of history we know well: the Korean Civil War.
Reflecting on war in a comic way often has unexpected results.
The Korean movie "Welcome to Dongmo Village" is such a laughing and moving movie.
The film was South Korea's 2005 box office champion and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film (now Best International Film).
It also won the Best Film Award, Best Newcomer Director Award, Best Supporting Actress Award, and Best Music Award at the 4th Korea Film Awards in 2005 . Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress at the Blue Dragon Awards in Korea .
The pictures like ink landscape paintings are rated as "the most romantic war film" . It is hard to imagine that the Korean Civil War can still be romantic?
This movie is so special.
About this movie, I can use four words to describe it: the enemy's road is narrow.
Several North Korean soldiers, South Korean soldiers, and a U.S. Air Force soldier, by accident, ended up in Dongmo Village, a paradise that was not affected by the war.
The story of a three-way encounter in Dongmo Village, far away from the war.
Hisaishi's soundtrack makes the whole movie poetic and beautiful.
After watching a war movie that is not depressing but also thought-provoking, it is definitely worthy of a five-star recommendation.
The background of the story takes place in September 1950, when the Korean Civil War was in full swing.
The Dongmo Village in the title is a paradise-like existence. The villagers are self-sufficient and isolated from the world.
People wear traditional Korean clothes and live an idyllic life of "men farming and women weaving", and they don't even know the country is at war.
Piao Hyun-chul of the Korean National Army and Wen Sang -sang, a hygienist , simply deserted after falling behind and came to Dongmo Village by accident.
At the same time, the surviving Korean People's Army Li Xiuhua, veteran Zhang Rongxi and young soldier Xu Zeji also came to Dongmo Village under the leadership of crazy girl Yuyi.
Before that, the American pilot Captain Smith was rescued by the villagers after the plane crashed.
The three parties met unexpectedly in Dongmo Village, and immediately drew their guns to confront each other.
No one was willing to put down their guns. The confrontation lasted all night, and the villagers of Dongmo Village were also held hostage to sleep in the open space for the night.
The villagers of Dongmo Village have never seen guns, but they are not afraid. They cooperate with the soldiers only out of their kind and gentle nature.
And suddenly there was a heavy rain, and everyone went back to the eaves to hide from the rain.
Only the soldiers from North and South Korea were left to confront each other foolishly in the rain, while the villagers watched with interest.
At this time, a grenade was accidentally pulled off the safety ring by the silly girl.
When everyone was in a hurry, the grenade fell into the granary of Dongmo Village.
A dramatic scene happened: the corn in the granary turned into a rain of popcorn with an explosion.
At this moment, with the soundtrack of Joe Hisaishi,
The sky-filled popcorn rain was like a baptism of innocence and romance, which made the soldiers who had been highly nervous before suddenly relax.
That night, the soldiers of North and South Korea finally fell asleep together.
After the village chief's persuasion, the soldiers of North and South Korea finally put down their weapons and temporarily stopped the fighting.
The previously bombed granary was Dongmo Village's one-year storage of grain. In order to make up for the destroyed grain, five sergeants were forced to stay in Dongmo Village to help the villagers harvest crops in the green fields.
The soldiers of North and South Korea gradually put aside their positions and turned into ordinary farmers in this peaceful and natural world.
At this time, the lush natural scenery in the film is in stark contrast to the war raging at the beginning of the film.
Those who put down their weapons, the North and South Korean soldiers started a mode of mutual complaints, and the South Korean soldiers felt that the North Korean soldiers were invading the south.
And the North Korean soldier believed that South Korea brought the Americans into the country to invade them, and he angrily complained to the North Korean officers about their slander.
However, Li Shaohua, an officer of the People's Army, interrupted the soldiers' argument and said meaningfully: It is true that we invaded the south.
Soon this slightly awkward atmosphere was broken by a wild boar that suddenly appeared, and the funniest scene in the whole film happened.
What follows is a series of dramatic slow motion, North Koreans, South Koreans, Americans, Dongmo villagers, men, women, children...
Everyone worked together to hunt down the wild boar, and finally brought the behemoth down.
In the middle of the night, South Korean soldiers quietly went to the place where the villagers buried pigs, wanting to eat meat.
Unexpectedly, North Korean soldiers were one step ahead of them and had already made wild boars into barbecue.
The two sides sat down with a little embarrassment to enjoy the roasted wild boar together.
Then, the US military pilots also joined the "barbecue party" looking for the fragrance of meat.
Sure enough, in the eyes of foodies, there is nothing more important than eating, and no matter how deep the contradiction is, it is not enough to be hungry.
The three parties quickly ate the roast pork with a laugh, and the irreconcilable contradiction was simply resolved by a roast pig.
In the early morning of the next day, 6 different military uniforms swayed in the wind under the blue sky.
Like the banner of peace, it has a profound meaning.
The soldiers also changed into the clothes of the villagers and gradually integrated into the peaceful and happy life of Dongmo Village.
As the days together increase day by day, subtle feelings develop between the three parties.
They can neither completely forget their position, but they cannot help but sympathize with each other.
Gradually, they had a dialogue, an exchange, and a friendship that transcended war.
Against the backdrop of the idyllic scenery, the whole film conveys a Taoist-like spirit of indisputable worldliness.
Li Xiuhua, an officer of the People's Army, asked the old man in the village how to manage the village peacefully. The old man answered simply: let them eat enough.
Just as the gap between the North and South Korean soldiers was gradually disappearing and turning enemies into friends, the specter of war came unexpectedly.
The U.S. military searched for the missing air force lieutenant and the news of the transport plane, and finally sent airborne troops to break into Dongmo Village.
The paratroopers beat and kicked the villagers as soon as they arrived, and pressed them about the whereabouts of the U.S. pilots and South Korean soldiers.
If no one comes forward, kill everyone.
The old village chief persuaded them to calm down, but they were severely injured and nearly died.
Biao Hyun-chul, a South Korean soldier on the side, couldn't bear it any longer, and rushed forward to fight back.
Several other soldiers and American airborne troops also rushed up to grab their guns and wiped out all the airborne troops.
Crazy girl Yuyi was unfortunately shot and killed. Yuyi was undoubtedly the most innocent and innocent character, but she died because of the atrocities of the war.
Even more frightening, one of the paratroopers said that Dongmo Village would be attacked by air.
At that time, what happened to the innocent villagers in this paradise can be imagined.
In order to protect this Dongmo Village and the innocent villagers here, the six soldiers took up arms again, and they planned to use artillery fire to divert the US military who attacked Dongmo Village.
Everyone knew in their hearts that this was tantamount to suicide.
Although there was not enough ammunition, several soldiers decided to make a concerted effort to fight to the death.
Killing people on the battlefield is like a thorn, and now dying to protect the villagers can be regarded as atonement.
"We all have sins, and now is the time to pay them back," said North Korean officer Lee Soo-hwa calmly.
After saying goodbye reluctantly to the villagers in Dongmo Village, this temporary "death squad" launched a final counterattack against the US Air Force bombing team.
Smith, the American pilot, went back to the camp to dissuade the American army, but it turned out that he could not stop the air strike.
What follows is also the climax and the most tragic scene of the whole film. Several people confront the US Air Force with the little ammunition left.
The U.S. military has more and more aircraft, and the ammunition is gradually running out.
In the sky of artillery fire, their faces showed deathly smiles.
Finally, a hail of bombs fell from the sky, illuminating the cold night sky like fireworks...
"If we don't meet in such a time and space of war, I think we should be very good friends!"
It is such a war movie that ends with a smile and touched 8 million Koreans.
It is one of the characteristics of Korean movies to convey the deep core in a seemingly playful way.
After watching this film, the choice between war and peace, between killing and fraternity, has become clear.
"When the forest runs out of water, there is a mountain, and the mountain has a small mouth, as if there is light. I leave the boat and enter through the mouth. It was very narrow at first, and then it was easy for people. After walking a few dozen steps, it suddenly became clear. It seems that there is a genus of mulberry and bamboo in a good field and a beautiful pond. There is traffic in Qian and Mo, chickens and dogs hear each other. Among them, men and women dress like outsiders. Yellow hair and beards, and they are happy."
This is Tao Yuanming's Peach Blossom Spring, and it is also Pu Guangxian's Dongmo Village.
Tao Yuanming's "Peach Blossom Spring" created a utopia opposite to the dark reality, in order to pin his yearning for an ideal world.
Dongmo Village, on the other hand, represents the opposite of the Korean War.
Dongmo Village is a magical place. It is independent of war. People who come here will suddenly realize how pointless war is.
As the North Korean military officer Li Xiuhua said: If there is no war, we may really be friends.
Wouldn't it be better to turn an enemy into a friend than a life-and-death killing?
Such a pure land may not exist in reality, but as long as everyone has a Dongmo Village in their hearts, the beautiful vision of world peace will be more possible.
May the world be at peace and there will be no more wars.
*The author of this article: RAMA
View more about Welcome to Dongmakgol reviews
