I swear, sometimes, I could have watched this film forever. There is something so honest and beautiful about effortless friendships. You just forget where you are, take a hold of the person next to you and embrace them for their humanity and conviction of having ambitions and wanting to stay alive to see the next sunset. More importantly, it's beautiful to just realize that your fellow man is closer to you in blood and bond than you'll ever fully understand. Friendship: what a seemingly flawless word that translates perfectly in all languages.

The first film to ever give me a glimpse of the Korean civil conflict was SHIRI, an actioneer that painted both the South and North Koreans as idealists on different sides of the political coin. There were obvious protagonists and antagonists roles in the film that made the South Koreans kind of like the "good" guys, while the North Koreans fell into a darker, more sinister light representing the "bad" guys of the film. Though there was exposition that explained the conflict between the two countries, I never fully understood the impact that it had on the Korean people until I saw JSA; a complex film about simple camaraderie.

What starts off as a political thriller, turns into a film that relies heavily on the relationship and friendship of four soldiers divided in two by the border posts they share on each side respectively. The film jumps back and forth between the present day and the past, between the Neutral Nations Officer and her investigation on the breakout and the four secret friends. It's an interesting storytelling technique that director Park Chan-wook uses in unfolding the events of JSA and brings us deeper into the psyche of Koreans in general.

It's fascinating to see the overall tensions of a nation affect its people and how the soldiers overcome these hostilities and inspire each other to break down their political differences in order to tighten their bond, not only as friends, but as individuals that represent their people. The hope for reconciliation is what drives this film into the audience's hearts. The antagonist of the film is the overall situation, more like background melody that isn't being heard, but known. There is almost a slight fear of being discovered as well for the four soldiers as they spend their late nights playing cards and testing each other in boyish ways.

In all actuality, JSA's story is a metaphor for the rest of the world, on how ridiculous it is for a nation of people to separate themselves with an imaginary line. The rest of world in many ways, pride themselves on their color and blood; ethnocentricism to the fullest degree. Though JSA does have its share of patriotism, it is almost charming on how each of the soldiers parade themselves for each other in order to break the ice and forget who they are as a people and connect together as friends.

This is another Korean film that can be a real treat, a film that does what art is supposed to do to its admirers: to inspire and to create hope. I went into this believing that JSA was going to be another political thriller, but pleasantly and surprisingly came out reveling in the human spirit. It's a beautiful film in terms of cinematography, direction and most importantly, acting, but the real splendor is in its message.