Welcome to Dongmakgol

I haven't had such beautifully bittersweet feelings while watching and especially after a film ended for a long, long time. And I believe that says everything about this gem. (24/12/2007)

I don't know if there is a word that accurately describes the colorfulness of this film. If so, it must be adorable, crazy, and funny. It is definitely the most original military film I’ve ever seen. Yes, like someone else said, you feel like you are in heaven watching it. Yeo-il is magical, the most magical! Without thinking, 5 stars. (10/09/2012)

It's clear how it's going to turn out pretty much from the first steps towards the village, because these movies can't possibly turn out any other way in Korea, so nothing happened that I didn't expect. Once the soldiers reach the village, the film becomes as carefree as the village itself. The film treats the soldiers like villagers themselves – it doesn't judge them, it doesn't say which side is better, it just accepts them. I found that pretty appealing. Towards the end, it reminded me of The Magnificent Seven. You laugh with the film, remembering scenes with wild boars you’ve seen elsewhere (though none as epic as the one here). Unfortunately, the running time was too long for my taste, so at times my attention wandered and I was overcome with the feeling that I just wanted to see "that" ending already. I had fun, I liked the village, the acting was decent. A weaker 4 stars. (25/07/2014)

A slightly different view of war. On one hand, incredibly realistic, as the opening passage fully convinces you of that, but at the same time, it's so magical, lightly poetic, sometimes even absurd, yet executed with immense professionalism at all costs. This is a must-see film because it's just so specific. (22/06/2017)