Brotherhood – Wenn Brüder aufeinander schießen müssen

Technically and formally, it's an absolute blast; the opening battle scene, for instance, almost trumps even the best sequences of Ryan with its authenticity and emotion. The central musical motif also works perfectly despite frequent repetition, the main cast is extremely likeable and talented, and the strong emotional interjections in the middle of the action passages are very tastefully and unobtrusively dosed. Unfortunately, the story is surprisingly so Hollywood cookie-cutter and so unoriginal and unrealistic with all the pathetic flashbacks and family motifs that it knocks down a star of that formal great potential. But I'd probably be happy to overlook all that if it weren't for the final "deserter" twist, which was completely unwarranted. Otherwise, a very proper 4*. (22.02.2014)

Was das Pathos betrifft, so befindet sich der koreanische Streifen Brotherhood – Wenn Brüder aufeinander schießen müssen mit Der Soldat James Ryan oder anderen US-produzierten Filmen quasi auf Augenhöhe - all diese gekünstelten Sätze, naiven Verlangsamungsretrospektiven ... Und dennoch gibt es hier einen grundlegenden Unterschied. Das Pathos nicht darauf ausgerichtet, für die Nationalflagge zu werben, sondern die Beziehung zwischen zwei Brüdern hervorzuheben, deren Beziehung vom Krieg auf brutalste Weise geprägt ist. Das fast sadomasochistisch verzwickte Epos sprudelt man manchmal geradezu vor unnötigen Pastellfarben oder auffälligen Emotionen, jedoch im Wesentlichen ist dies kein Problem. Es geht weder um Ideologie, sondern um eine klare humanistische Botschaft über die Kraft der Liebe und den Preis des Aufopferns. Die einzelnen Seiten des koreanischen Konflikts sehen in Kangs Film nämlich genauso hässlich, propagandistisch stumpf und dunkel aus. Die große Welt schafft eben eine monströse Kulisse für eine kleine menschliche Geschichte, die sehr sympathisch von adrenalingeladenen Kampfsequenzen umwoben ist. Handcam, krampfhafte Rucke, die Irren und Wirren eines Kampfes von Mann gegen Mann und hin und wieder augenscheinliche CGI-Ergänzungen. Ungeachtet dessen, wie es denn ist, hat mich sowohl die menschliche als auch die kriegsbezogene Geschichte gepackt, obwohl ich auf beiden Ebenen etwas weniger berechnerischen Charakter und Effekte erwartet hätte. Dennoch stellt Brotherhood – Wenn Brüder aufeinander schießen müssen im Gegensatz zu amerikanischen Melodramen ein sehr gutes Abbild von Krieg und Mensch dar. (20.04.2007)

Ein überraschend intensiver Kriegsfilm mit interessanten Schlachtszenen und einer beeindruckenden sowie harten Geschichte von zwei Brüdern. Sie werden nicht als Helden oder muskelbepackte Terminators dargestellt, sondern als ganz normale Menschen. Brotherhood – Wenn Brüder aufeinander schießen müssen kam mir wie eine Kombination aus Der Soldat James Ryan, Full Metal Jacket, Platoon und Letters from Iwo Jima (die noch besser sind) vor. Ich hatte aber nicht das Gefühl, dass ich mir einen Film anschaue, der seine berühmteren Brüder kopiert. (11.02.2011)

Since I've only been getting acquainted with war movies for a short time, absolutely every one of them knocks me on my ass. It's just that this story threw me right into the plot due to its believability and realism. The script may sound like a hackneyed cliché, but in this case, the delivery is simply the deciding factor. It is at times gritty, at times touching, but most importantly always close to the viewer. Of course, I have to praise the beautiful music and the above-average performances of both brothers. (03.12.2013)

Brotherhood is among the best things you can see in the war drama genre. Unfortunately, this does not apply to all aspects of the film, but mainly to its formal side, which is absolutely phenomenal. We are treated to a perfect combination of dynamics and speed, as in Black Hawk Down, and strength and intensity, as in Saving Private Ryan. (27.07.2005)

Could this be the best war film of all time? It’s quite possible. Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War offers everything a good war film needs, like the battles themselves, capturing the cruelty and futility of war, death, love, epic music, and here, even brotherly solidarity until the end. At first, I didn’t want to watch the film (because of the unknown actors to me), but since war films are very rare these days, I overcame that urge. The decision to watch this film was wise in every way. In the first few minutes, the main characters are introduced along with their peaceful and happy life before the war. Then it begins. Both main characters, who are brothers, are drafted into the Korean War. I must commend both actors for their amazing and heroic performances, as what they went through to make it look like they were really at war is something you don’t see often. Considering the film had a budget of $13 million, the battles were filmed and executed in a very realistic way, something that many American films can’t boast of. There are also several touching moments where I shed a tear or two. I must also mention the otherworldly music, which was grand and perfectly matched the scenes it accompanied. I have to tip my hat to the composer for creating something so beautiful. It was predictable how it would end, but that didn’t concern me at all. If I had to describe the film in one word, I’d say masterpiece. I give it 93%. (21.08.2016)

The Koreans have decided to make a film à la "Saving Private Ryan." The inspiration from Spielberg is more than apparent. It's not just about the authentic depiction of war scenes, but also about emotions. And so, a story of two brothers who can't live without each other was created, and the older brother tries to prevent the younger one from being drafted, so that they don't both end up in war. They fight side by side, but their relationship changes in war. War changes both of them. It can't be said that it only changes one of them, others are both. From a beautiful brotherly love, a complicated relationship is created, which can only be resolved with time. The war continues and we watch as the brothers fall deeper and try to find an escape from the atrocities that are being committed. In the beginning, we see the younger brother hesitate when killing an enemy soldier and almost die himself. The next time, he hesitates much less. Are they becoming animals? Is it them or the war? I think these themes are developed much better in this film than in the competing "Ryan," but the film is still too similar. Especially when it comes to battle scenes. The war is depicted with almost mechanical precision. When a bullet hits, it hurts. When a mine explodes, damn it hurts. And it hurts badly. Additionally, the film only reminds us that the war didn't only affect Americans, but also other nations. Just like everywhere else, it is incredibly senseless and destroys human lives. No, this actually isn't that groundbreaking, but it is presented in a way that offends you much less than other films. Perhaps it will be difficult for the film to not include pathos, but I have a feeling it's not that nourishing. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/09/navzdy-spolu-marketa-lazarova-pouta.html (28.02.2013)