Northern Limit Line combines traditional Korean drama elements with graphic war-time action to honor the soldiers involved in the naval skirmish at Yeongpyeon.
Directed by: Kim Hak-soon
Starring: Kim Mu-yeol, Jin Goo, Lee Hyun-woo, Lee Wan, Lee Chung-ah
The Film: Northern Limit Line (The Battle of Yeongpyeong) is based on the real life deadly naval skirmish that took place when a North Korean patrol boat launched a surprise attack on a South Korean patrol boat, Chamsuri 357, as it entered into South Korean waters one day before the Korea Japan World Cup 2002 final match.
As the film is based on a real event, there should few surprises as far as the outcome of the story. If you are unfamiliar with the event and want to go into the movie fresh, do not worry as I won’t spoil any plot points. That being said, the film was made to honor the soldiers who were involved in the tragic event that fateful day and ultimately proves to be an emotional and worthy tribute.
The bulk of the film establishes the personalities of the men aboard the Chamsuri 357 and gets us to care for them in all the traditional ways. The characters were presented in a sort of “Korean Drama” type fashion and the standard archetypes were all there. Lee Hyun-woo plays the young Dong-hyeok, the newest member assigned to the Chamsuri 357 and acting medic. He is innocent and seen as a bit of a mama’s boy to some. But his nice and charming personality goes a long way as he quickly befriends the other soldiers.
We have the funny guy who takes him under his wing and shows him the ropes; the sickly nerd type who is in need of Dong-hyeok’s medicine and care; the loner and higher-ranking asshole that gives Dong-hyeok a hard time; the stoic older brother figure (Jin Goo); and the new Captain of the vessel who is a very “by-the-book” leader and learns to view his men as brothers instead of numbers.
Having these stereotypical character types was initially hard for me to accept; but as I said it was set up more like a Korean drama, and if you know Korean dramas then you know how well they can pull you in. There is an undeniable sincerity to the cheesiness that ultimately wins you over. From the banter between the soldiers to the backdrop of fervent cheering for the nation during the successful run the Koreans had during the 2002 World cup, The Northern Limit establishes its characters as being very Korean by having them do the little things that people here in Korea find endearing.
The most interesting element of the film for me was the stark contrast between pre-battle and post-battle. Before the main conflict takes place, the film is quite lighthearted and there was a feeling of enjoyment in the audience. But as soon as the battle began, there was a huge shift in tone.
The confrontation between the two patrol boats turned into a surprisingly graphic Saving Private Ryan styled “horrors of war” sequence. The amount of gasps and small cries from the audience around me as each bullet would hit was incredible. There was even a mom who ran out of the theater with her young daughter because the chaos on screen became too much for them.
The story being true and told in such a way created for a predictably emotional ending. The Northern Limit incorporates some of the real media footage of the aftermath including the grieving families which was extremely emotional. In the audience, there were noses sniffling in every direction towards the end. And if that wasn’t enough, there are some comments made by some actual members of the Chamsuri 357 during the credits which deliver an emotional final punch.
For those keen on seeing an emotionally heavy Korean drama with some graphic naval battle sequences that were based on a tragically true event, then The Northern Limit comes Recommended!
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