Tag Archives: War

A House of Dynamite (2025) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4): Nobody can possibly be prepared for this

Posted on October 10, 2025 by kaist455

Kathryn Bigelow’s new film “A House of Dynamite”, which is being shown in South Korean theaters before being released on Netflix two weeks later, is quite tense and disturbing to say the least. Closely and vividly following how its many … Continue reading →

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Princess Mononoke (1997) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): An epic fantasy drama by Hayao Miyazaki

Posted on September 10, 2025 by kaist455

Hayao Miyazaki’s 1997 animation feature film “Princess Mononoke”, which happens to be re-released in South Korean theaters today, is an epic fantasy historical drama to behold and admire. While its story engages us as a complex drama of ideas, intrigues, … Continue reading →

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Saving Private Ryan (1998) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Just for one private

Posted on June 26, 2025 by kaist455

Steven Spielberg’s 1998 film “Saving Private Ryan”, which happens to be re-released in South Korean on this Wednesday, definitely earns its own place in the pantheon of war movies via its stupefyingly stunning opening battle sequence, but it is much … Continue reading →

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Porcelain War (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): Artists in the middle of the ongoing war in Ukraine

Posted on March 10, 2025 by kaist455

Documentary film “Porcelain War”, which won the U.S. Documentary Competition Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival early in last year and then was recently nominated for Best Documentary Oscar, looks at the activities of several Ukrainian artists in … Continue reading →

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Occupied City (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): The past and present of one European city

Posted on November 20, 2024 by kaist455

Steve McQueen’s documentary film “Occupied City” is an ambitious piece of work alternatively interesting and demanding. For more than 4 hours, the documentary simply shows and tells the old past of a heap of different spots in Amsterdam of the … Continue reading →

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Uprising (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): A bitter and brutal period drama

Posted on October 28, 2024 by kaist455

South Korean Netflix film “Uprising”, which was released a few weeks ago, is a bitter and brutal period drama about an intense class conflict in the background of a big historical war in Korea during the 16th century. While it … Continue reading →

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Civil War (2024) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): America Under Fire

Posted on May 27, 2024 by kaist455

Alex Garland’s latest film “Civil War” is a chillingly powerful dystopian war drama. Starting with a grim story promise which may not be that implausible considering the ongoing polarization inside the American society, the movie takes its time for immersing … Continue reading →

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Noryang: Deadly Sea (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Driven into the last battle

Posted on December 21, 2023 by kaist455

South Korean film “Noryang: Deadly Sea”, the third and (definitely) final film of the trilogy after “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” (2014) and “Hansan: Rising Dragon” (2022), is often relentlessly epic and loud in what it is expected to present on … Continue reading →

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Napoleon (2023) ☆☆(2/4): Napoleon dully in love and war

Posted on December 9, 2023 by kaist455

Ridley Scott’s new film “Napoleon” is surprisingly flat and bland despite its ambitious intentions. While it tries to be an epic historical drama revolving around one of the most prominent figures in the 19th century Europe, the movie curiously lacks … Continue reading →

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20 Days in Mariupol (2023) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A close look into one Ukrainian city under siege

Posted on December 6, 2023 by kaist455

Ukrainian documentary “20 Days in Mariupol”, which received the Audience Award at the World Cinema Documentary Competition of the Sundance Film Festival early in this year, is a vivid and disturbing presentation of the first 20 days of one Ukrainian … Continue reading →

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