Review of Silmido

Silmido (2003)
9/10
Loyalty
28 June 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Silmido was better acted, edited and directed than most Hollywood movies, telling the true story of a group of conscripts sent to a remote Korean Island (Silmido of the title) to train as elite troops to assassinate the leader of North Korea. The men form strong bonds with each other and their guards (read: captors) Their bonds are not based on friendship as in most Hollywood movies, but on loyalty, which is also the salute mantra of all the soldiers on the island. It is the theme of loyalty that pervades the movie....loyalty to each other, to your country, and what you get in return for that loyalty. There are some truly incredible moments in this film , including an extended action sequence that instead of going for gymnastic pyrotechnics, focuses on the human interaction between the characters, who have been forced to act in certain ways based on where their loyalties lie. Look out for Sergeant Jo, my favourite character from the film, who for most of the movie plays the typical hard-assed drill Sergeant. His performance alone would be enough to make this movie great, but all acting in the movie is excellent. See it.
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