non omnis moriar; or, don't wanna say goodbye
So, it took watching 71: Into the Fire a third time for me to actually collect my thoughts and manage to organize a coherent and un-biased response. (The first time, I was too busy crying through most of it and even more well after the closing credits; the second time, I was crying even before the sad parts came up because I knew when they were.) I still cried like a baby the third time. Just saying.
Casting/Acting
The four main actors/characters are incredible. The funny thing is three of the four are part of the KBS2 Iris universe: Choi Seunghyun in Iris, Iris: The Last (feature film); Kim Seungwoo in Iris, Iris: The Last, Athena: Goddess of War (Iris spinoff); Cha Seungwon in Athena: Goddess of War. (Kwon Sangwoo is perhaps best known for his role in the SBS drama Stairway to Heaven.) Choi and Cha especially blew me away.
Choi as student soldier/impromptu commander Oh Jungbeom was the perfect reluctant leader. Soft-spoken, his eyes speak like sonic booms through the soot, blood and dirt always on his face. And more than a pretty face, Choi showcases the untimely maturation associated with war. Lost on and off the field, then suddenly thrown into the role of commander, he and his development as a man and soldier are the focus of the film. His acting is intense and realistic from the get-go: whimpering while taking cover, having been protected by his superior Kim Junseop, hands shaking violently to load just the one round, adamantly clinging to a fatally wounded Junseop. Tears are unexpected in a hardcore war film (the first ten minutes alone are a single, losing battle), but at Junseop's makeshift bedside, still holding onto the bullet he couldn't load quickly enough, Choi's tears highlight his tender age and inexperience without being overdramatic or out of place. Choi also masterfully portrays Jungbeom's uncertainty as a soldier in two similar scenes. In the first, the 71 student soldiers engage in their first real battle, a complete accident at night. Standing over the last living North Korean soldier, Jungbeom hesitates due to the soldier's repeated cries for his mother. In the second, the student soldiers' subsequent meeting with the North Koreans, this time in broad daylight, the last soldier turns out to be a mere child. Despite the boy's fervently shouted propaganda, Jungbeom orders Koo Kapjo (Kwon) to hold his fire in vain.
Surprisingly, this constant butting of heads between Jungbeom and Kapjo doesn't detract from the greater reality of the war. The tension between the two young men serves as a reminder that they are indeed just that: young men. Their rivalry reaches its climax shortly before the student soldiers' last stand, the two finally coming to blows-Jungbeom finally losing his cool, Kapjo finally revealing the fear he masks with megalomania. And yet it is a fear they share when, at the end of the film, they exchange pleasantries and tears which, in spite of their acknowledging themselves and each other as soldiers, again highlights their robbed youth.
Cha as the main North Korean villain Commander Park Murang is breathtakingly dynamic. Sinister and domineering, he nevertheless adds a different dimension to the baddie role by disobeying orders, turning on his own comrades, and even showing mercy to one of the POW student soldiers. Like Jungbeom, Murang eventually drops his stoic facade when faced with live rounds, taking the student soldiers' preemptive attacks as a personal insult and showing no regard for his own troops by charging ahead even when they've been flanked by the tragically late South Korean reinforcements. His and Jungbeom's last confrontation on the school roof is of a different calibre of good v. bad showdowns. Though initially he seems patronizing, Murang expresses genuine regret at their having to meet on such terms. And though he doesn't consider Jungbeom a real soldier, Murang commends his and the other students' effort and chooses a handgun over an assault rifle to kill the younger man, a much more personal method which is perhaps the sign of at least a small amount of respect. Reflecting the opening scenes, Jungbeom fumbles with a single round of ammo with Murang towering over him and Kapjo's recently slain body just feet away. They simultaneously shoot each other, and Murang again seems to feel betrayed by Jungbeom, another novelty in war films.
Cinematography
At times, the film is so vivid the action on screen is hyper-real/surreal. What's more, the film does not skimp in the bloodwork department. But aside from the brief scene in which a corpse's arm falls off due to maggots eating away connective tissue, the gore isn't theatrical (that is, exaggerated, showy or slapstick) nor is it for shock value.
There are very distinct visual qualities to the different main settings in the film. It's simple, but the ambient color schemes are as effective as they are appropriate. First, scenes set in base camps of either side (South or North) have a rusty tinge to them, sort of like gore without the actual presence of blood. There is a difference though: while the South Korean scenes are muted with resignation, the North Korean scenes are stifling with ego. Next, scenes set at night become predictably blue. The calm brought by the blues, blacks, and indigos however are as deceptive as darkness itself. In the same night, the action abruptly switches from one of camaraderie (the student soldiers holding a talent show) to one of combat (the aforementioned first run-in with North Korean troops). Next, scenes of large-scale field combat are of the sharpest clarity and nearly monochrome save for the gunfire and explosions, making the pyrotechnics and even the settling dust all the more jarring. Lastly, flashbacks are both bright and hazy (think sunlight just after sunrise, when the light is visible but not yet hot). But instead of being dream- or fantasy-like, flashback scenes unfold like memories as they're slowly recalled by Jungbeom (more on this later).
While the entire film is beautifully shot and edited, there is one series of scenes that is beyond visually stunning: those immediately preceding Jungbeom and Kapjo's meeting with the North Korean boy. A routine trek into the woods in search of more artillery goes awry when a North Korean sharpshooter takes down several of the student soldiers, one of them Kapjo's gang members. The attack is an attempt to lure the students out of the woods, one Kapjo falls for in pursuing the sharpshooter. The student soldiers chase after Kapjo as he chases the North Korean soldier, all of them lost in the silence of the gnarled and bent tree trunks. The chase leads to a small patch of head-high grass and more confusion. But the situation deteriorates further when the grass opens to a sloped field. This sudden change in environment is both breathtaking and disorienting: no more haze, rust, or shadows. Instead, the color palette is one awash with gold. And as it turns out, this serves in the well-camouflaged North Koreans' favor, as they lay in wait, hidden in the grass while the student soldiers' elevated position and dark uniforms make them easy-pickings. The slow motion effects work wonders with the windswept grass and chaos, the smoke from the rifles is indistinguishable from the huge streaks of sunlight, and the bloodwork contrasts strikingly with the otherwise bright and airy scene.
(Responses to) Criticisms
One review on IMDb caught my attention. The net-critic points out several problematic aspects with the film that, according to him, are the reasons 71: Into the Fire hasn't garnered much attention from American (or generally Western) audiences. While this may simply be written off as differences in cultural values and/or aesthetic preferences, I'd like to address them anyway.
Most of the reviewer's displeasure focuses on Choi/Jungbeom's voice-over letter-writing. For the purposes of this film, this cinematic/directorial tact is not, as the reviewer deems it, a cliché. In fact, Jungbeom's letters to his mother are the premise for the entire film: the real Oh Jungbeom's letters are what inspired 71: Into the Fire. Jungbeom's letters are so important, that they are the focus at the young man's death, his hand slipping off and opening the pocket containing them all. And though actually inserting the process of letter-writing was arguably unnecessary, it is again a technique that ultimately solidifies Jungbeom's character. It is when he writes to his mother, using the butt of his rifle as the needed hard surface, that Jungbeom reveals the fears he can't voice as the student soldiers' commander, but also his wishes to become the leader they need.
On a related note, the reviewer also comments on the abovementioned 'talent show,' saying it is a ridiculous waste. On the contrary, the student soldiers' competition over who best knows how to do bumpkin dances provides a necessary outlet both in and out of the film. Within the context of the film, the dancing and merriment emphasizes the amateurism of the student soldiers who are, again, hardly adults now obligated to defend themselves and their country. What's more, Jungbeom meanwhile writes one of his letters, telling his mother of how long it's been since he's heard laughter, even if it's without him and from another room, and he must eventually put an end to it. The talent show in turn offers audiences a reprieve from the firing and shouting. But it is also a plot device, setting the audience up for the jolt of the student soldiers' rookie foray a few minutes later.
Similarly, the reviewer took issue with Jungbeom's flashback scenes. Again, these are possible clichés that, for the purposes of this film, instead become cinematic jewels. Each flashback is evocative and poignant. The very first is in the opening battle scene of Jungbeom sitting in the military truck leaving behind his mother and all the other family members. The placement of this particular flashback is especially powerful, as it is juxtaposed with the present scene, Jungbeom sitting in the military truck leaving behind the losing fight with Kim Junseop held to his chest and his comrades struggling to climb in being picked off by the enemies. Another notable flashback is when Jungbeom writes what turns out to be his final letter in which he tells his mother he only just remembered the personal items she'd bought just for his deployment and that he may be dying that day. The flashback shows his mother packing said items (underwear, socks, eating utensils) and Jungbeom displays filial piety by bowing for her in the most respectful manner possible, on his knees and with his forehead to the floor. The reviewer seemed bothered by the farewell flashbacks, women and older people crying and waving at the departing military truck, but these scenes remind us that war involves more than bullets and dead bodies-there is an overwhelming sense of duty to serve, but there are those left behind to bear the losses.
Ironically, the only complaint I have about the film passed under the reviewer's radar. After the opening battle, the South Korean soldiers regroup at the girls' middle school which would become the student soldiers' post. In the infirmary, a nurse is introduced, tending to Jungbeom's injuries as he mourns Kim Junseop's death. At one point, she whispers in his ear to check his hearing (it burst from an earlier explosion), and the camera zooms in impossibly close. Later, as the South Korean troops leave the student soldiers, Jungbeom receives a first aid box from her, and she goes out of her way to nag him about caring for his wounds. This short-lived loveline is the only conceivable waste in the film. The minor interaction between Jungbeom and the unnamed nurse, Jungbeom never once acknowledging her small talk, drags the action to a crawl when it should be one of urgency. Admittedly, it works much like the flashback scenes of the soldiers' families, a reminder that love happens in spite of war. But it comes to nothing, Jungbeom never mentioning it to his comrades or his mother.
Another complaint, this time about production/promotion instead of the actual film, is that Choi is credited by his stage name (T.O.P) as well as his real name. Because of this, the film was largely considered one made to simply attract viewers familiar with him as a musician. In reality, he'd proven himself a more than capable actor in both his debut drama KBS2 I Am Sam, an opinion cemented (if it hadn't been already) by his portrayal of Vick in Iris. It was purely strategic, advertising the film as one containing the Big Bang member, but at the same time, it's a minor blow to his reputation as an actor. Furthermore, though music remains his professional priority, he has on numerous occasions expressed a desire to be recognized as an actor. This recognition, of course, came easy with 71: Into the Fire, Choi having rightfully and unanimously earned positive reviews for his portrayal of Oh Jungbeom.
Summation
71: Into the Fire is a delicate but fierce balance of action, plot, and character development, all of it beautifully displayed and portrayed. Though the end is a predictable one, the two hours to get there are filled with such emotional tension that when it finally does, you’re left weak but nevertheless eased by the film’s obvious pride in and respect for those 71 student soldiers.
Bias Time
Choi Seunghyun. Not an actual scene from the movie (even though I wish it was). Taken at the film site of the outdoor ambush by the North Korean soldiers.
Casting/Acting
The four main actors/characters are incredible. The funny thing is three of the four are part of the KBS2 Iris universe: Choi Seunghyun in Iris, Iris: The Last (feature film); Kim Seungwoo in Iris, Iris: The Last, Athena: Goddess of War (Iris spinoff); Cha Seungwon in Athena: Goddess of War. (Kwon Sangwoo is perhaps best known for his role in the SBS drama Stairway to Heaven.) Choi and Cha especially blew me away.
Choi as student soldier/impromptu commander Oh Jungbeom was the perfect reluctant leader. Soft-spoken, his eyes speak like sonic booms through the soot, blood and dirt always on his face. And more than a pretty face, Choi showcases the untimely maturation associated with war. Lost on and off the field, then suddenly thrown into the role of commander, he and his development as a man and soldier are the focus of the film. His acting is intense and realistic from the get-go: whimpering while taking cover, having been protected by his superior Kim Junseop, hands shaking violently to load just the one round, adamantly clinging to a fatally wounded Junseop. Tears are unexpected in a hardcore war film (the first ten minutes alone are a single, losing battle), but at Junseop's makeshift bedside, still holding onto the bullet he couldn't load quickly enough, Choi's tears highlight his tender age and inexperience without being overdramatic or out of place. Choi also masterfully portrays Jungbeom's uncertainty as a soldier in two similar scenes. In the first, the 71 student soldiers engage in their first real battle, a complete accident at night. Standing over the last living North Korean soldier, Jungbeom hesitates due to the soldier's repeated cries for his mother. In the second, the student soldiers' subsequent meeting with the North Koreans, this time in broad daylight, the last soldier turns out to be a mere child. Despite the boy's fervently shouted propaganda, Jungbeom orders Koo Kapjo (Kwon) to hold his fire in vain.
Surprisingly, this constant butting of heads between Jungbeom and Kapjo doesn't detract from the greater reality of the war. The tension between the two young men serves as a reminder that they are indeed just that: young men. Their rivalry reaches its climax shortly before the student soldiers' last stand, the two finally coming to blows-Jungbeom finally losing his cool, Kapjo finally revealing the fear he masks with megalomania. And yet it is a fear they share when, at the end of the film, they exchange pleasantries and tears which, in spite of their acknowledging themselves and each other as soldiers, again highlights their robbed youth.
Cha as the main North Korean villain Commander Park Murang is breathtakingly dynamic. Sinister and domineering, he nevertheless adds a different dimension to the baddie role by disobeying orders, turning on his own comrades, and even showing mercy to one of the POW student soldiers. Like Jungbeom, Murang eventually drops his stoic facade when faced with live rounds, taking the student soldiers' preemptive attacks as a personal insult and showing no regard for his own troops by charging ahead even when they've been flanked by the tragically late South Korean reinforcements. His and Jungbeom's last confrontation on the school roof is of a different calibre of good v. bad showdowns. Though initially he seems patronizing, Murang expresses genuine regret at their having to meet on such terms. And though he doesn't consider Jungbeom a real soldier, Murang commends his and the other students' effort and chooses a handgun over an assault rifle to kill the younger man, a much more personal method which is perhaps the sign of at least a small amount of respect. Reflecting the opening scenes, Jungbeom fumbles with a single round of ammo with Murang towering over him and Kapjo's recently slain body just feet away. They simultaneously shoot each other, and Murang again seems to feel betrayed by Jungbeom, another novelty in war films.
Cinematography
At times, the film is so vivid the action on screen is hyper-real/surreal. What's more, the film does not skimp in the bloodwork department. But aside from the brief scene in which a corpse's arm falls off due to maggots eating away connective tissue, the gore isn't theatrical (that is, exaggerated, showy or slapstick) nor is it for shock value.
There are very distinct visual qualities to the different main settings in the film. It's simple, but the ambient color schemes are as effective as they are appropriate. First, scenes set in base camps of either side (South or North) have a rusty tinge to them, sort of like gore without the actual presence of blood. There is a difference though: while the South Korean scenes are muted with resignation, the North Korean scenes are stifling with ego. Next, scenes set at night become predictably blue. The calm brought by the blues, blacks, and indigos however are as deceptive as darkness itself. In the same night, the action abruptly switches from one of camaraderie (the student soldiers holding a talent show) to one of combat (the aforementioned first run-in with North Korean troops). Next, scenes of large-scale field combat are of the sharpest clarity and nearly monochrome save for the gunfire and explosions, making the pyrotechnics and even the settling dust all the more jarring. Lastly, flashbacks are both bright and hazy (think sunlight just after sunrise, when the light is visible but not yet hot). But instead of being dream- or fantasy-like, flashback scenes unfold like memories as they're slowly recalled by Jungbeom (more on this later).
While the entire film is beautifully shot and edited, there is one series of scenes that is beyond visually stunning: those immediately preceding Jungbeom and Kapjo's meeting with the North Korean boy. A routine trek into the woods in search of more artillery goes awry when a North Korean sharpshooter takes down several of the student soldiers, one of them Kapjo's gang members. The attack is an attempt to lure the students out of the woods, one Kapjo falls for in pursuing the sharpshooter. The student soldiers chase after Kapjo as he chases the North Korean soldier, all of them lost in the silence of the gnarled and bent tree trunks. The chase leads to a small patch of head-high grass and more confusion. But the situation deteriorates further when the grass opens to a sloped field. This sudden change in environment is both breathtaking and disorienting: no more haze, rust, or shadows. Instead, the color palette is one awash with gold. And as it turns out, this serves in the well-camouflaged North Koreans' favor, as they lay in wait, hidden in the grass while the student soldiers' elevated position and dark uniforms make them easy-pickings. The slow motion effects work wonders with the windswept grass and chaos, the smoke from the rifles is indistinguishable from the huge streaks of sunlight, and the bloodwork contrasts strikingly with the otherwise bright and airy scene.
(Responses to) Criticisms
One review on IMDb caught my attention. The net-critic points out several problematic aspects with the film that, according to him, are the reasons 71: Into the Fire hasn't garnered much attention from American (or generally Western) audiences. While this may simply be written off as differences in cultural values and/or aesthetic preferences, I'd like to address them anyway.
Most of the reviewer's displeasure focuses on Choi/Jungbeom's voice-over letter-writing. For the purposes of this film, this cinematic/directorial tact is not, as the reviewer deems it, a cliché. In fact, Jungbeom's letters to his mother are the premise for the entire film: the real Oh Jungbeom's letters are what inspired 71: Into the Fire. Jungbeom's letters are so important, that they are the focus at the young man's death, his hand slipping off and opening the pocket containing them all. And though actually inserting the process of letter-writing was arguably unnecessary, it is again a technique that ultimately solidifies Jungbeom's character. It is when he writes to his mother, using the butt of his rifle as the needed hard surface, that Jungbeom reveals the fears he can't voice as the student soldiers' commander, but also his wishes to become the leader they need.
On a related note, the reviewer also comments on the abovementioned 'talent show,' saying it is a ridiculous waste. On the contrary, the student soldiers' competition over who best knows how to do bumpkin dances provides a necessary outlet both in and out of the film. Within the context of the film, the dancing and merriment emphasizes the amateurism of the student soldiers who are, again, hardly adults now obligated to defend themselves and their country. What's more, Jungbeom meanwhile writes one of his letters, telling his mother of how long it's been since he's heard laughter, even if it's without him and from another room, and he must eventually put an end to it. The talent show in turn offers audiences a reprieve from the firing and shouting. But it is also a plot device, setting the audience up for the jolt of the student soldiers' rookie foray a few minutes later.
Similarly, the reviewer took issue with Jungbeom's flashback scenes. Again, these are possible clichés that, for the purposes of this film, instead become cinematic jewels. Each flashback is evocative and poignant. The very first is in the opening battle scene of Jungbeom sitting in the military truck leaving behind his mother and all the other family members. The placement of this particular flashback is especially powerful, as it is juxtaposed with the present scene, Jungbeom sitting in the military truck leaving behind the losing fight with Kim Junseop held to his chest and his comrades struggling to climb in being picked off by the enemies. Another notable flashback is when Jungbeom writes what turns out to be his final letter in which he tells his mother he only just remembered the personal items she'd bought just for his deployment and that he may be dying that day. The flashback shows his mother packing said items (underwear, socks, eating utensils) and Jungbeom displays filial piety by bowing for her in the most respectful manner possible, on his knees and with his forehead to the floor. The reviewer seemed bothered by the farewell flashbacks, women and older people crying and waving at the departing military truck, but these scenes remind us that war involves more than bullets and dead bodies-there is an overwhelming sense of duty to serve, but there are those left behind to bear the losses.
Ironically, the only complaint I have about the film passed under the reviewer's radar. After the opening battle, the South Korean soldiers regroup at the girls' middle school which would become the student soldiers' post. In the infirmary, a nurse is introduced, tending to Jungbeom's injuries as he mourns Kim Junseop's death. At one point, she whispers in his ear to check his hearing (it burst from an earlier explosion), and the camera zooms in impossibly close. Later, as the South Korean troops leave the student soldiers, Jungbeom receives a first aid box from her, and she goes out of her way to nag him about caring for his wounds. This short-lived loveline is the only conceivable waste in the film. The minor interaction between Jungbeom and the unnamed nurse, Jungbeom never once acknowledging her small talk, drags the action to a crawl when it should be one of urgency. Admittedly, it works much like the flashback scenes of the soldiers' families, a reminder that love happens in spite of war. But it comes to nothing, Jungbeom never mentioning it to his comrades or his mother.
Another complaint, this time about production/promotion instead of the actual film, is that Choi is credited by his stage name (T.O.P) as well as his real name. Because of this, the film was largely considered one made to simply attract viewers familiar with him as a musician. In reality, he'd proven himself a more than capable actor in both his debut drama KBS2 I Am Sam, an opinion cemented (if it hadn't been already) by his portrayal of Vick in Iris. It was purely strategic, advertising the film as one containing the Big Bang member, but at the same time, it's a minor blow to his reputation as an actor. Furthermore, though music remains his professional priority, he has on numerous occasions expressed a desire to be recognized as an actor. This recognition, of course, came easy with 71: Into the Fire, Choi having rightfully and unanimously earned positive reviews for his portrayal of Oh Jungbeom.
Summation
71: Into the Fire is a delicate but fierce balance of action, plot, and character development, all of it beautifully displayed and portrayed. Though the end is a predictable one, the two hours to get there are filled with such emotional tension that when it finally does, you’re left weak but nevertheless eased by the film’s obvious pride in and respect for those 71 student soldiers.
Bias Time
Choi Seunghyun. Not an actual scene from the movie (even though I wish it was). Taken at the film site of the outdoor ambush by the North Korean soldiers.