Joint Security Area Blu-ray

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "JSA" or "Gongdong gyeongbi guyeok")

directed by Park Chan-Wook
South Korea 2000

At 2:16am, October 28, in a recent year, a South Korean soldier is attempting to cross the bridge from the North. After an exchange of fire, the wounded soldier is rescued. In the military investigation that follows, three dead soldiers are found in the North Korea border post: One South Korean, Two North Korean. North Korea accuses him of being a spy, having attacking the post with a fellow soldier, South Korea accuses the North of having kidnapped the two soldiers and “interrogated” them. As if the political climate wasn’t tense enough, this incident puts both sides on alert.

Two military investigators, a Swede and a Korean born Swiss, arrive at the border to investigate the incident. This is the set-up for “JSA”, one of the best Korean films to date, directed by Park Chan-wook, who also made “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance” and the critical acclaimed “OldBoy”.

Park is a philosophy major, who during collage got fascinated with film and who went on to be assistant director on Gwak Jae-young’ “A Sketch of a Rainy Day” (1988). He got his breakthrough with “JSA”, after two poorly received films, which went on to be the highest grossing Korean film to date.

At the centre of Park’s films are ordinary humans, who are driven to extremes, but also a social aware motif, of ordinary humans fighting against an irrational force. In “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance” its need for 10 million won, in “Old Boy” it’s the prisoner and in “JSA” it’s the division of Korea.

But while “JSA” is very political, the characters are not. Where it begins as a politic thriller, it soon, by the investigation, turns into a story about four friends, caught up in the conflict between North and South Korea. None were spies, none were kidnapped and when we, towards the end of the film, are shown the actual events, its basically anticlimactic in its simplicity.

Throughout the film, Park underlines the two faces of the conflict: On one side, we have the political, military apparatus, on the other side, we have ordinary human beings, who can reason and who have a heart. This is beautifully stressed in the sequences, where two border patrols meet each other and the captains walk towards each other and have a cigarette together.

Henrik Sylow

Posters

Theatrical Release: September 9, 2000

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Comparison:

Modern Audio - Region 3 - NTSC vs. Tartan Asia Extreme - Region 2 - PAL vs. Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Henrik Sylow for all the DVD Screen Caps!

Box Covers
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Distribution	Modern Audio Region 3 - NTSC	Tartan Asia Extreme Region 2 - PAL	Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:48:57	1:49:06	1:49:03.703
Video	2.06:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.53 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 8.72 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	2.39:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 49,165,291,640 bytes Feature: 31,805,620,608 bytes Video Bitrate: 28.91 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Modern Audio
Bitrate: Tartan Asia Extreme
Bitrate: Blu-ray
Audio	2.0 Dolby Digital Korean, 5.1 Dolby Digital Korean, DTS Korean	2.0 Dolby Digital Korean, 5.1 Dolby Digital Korean, DTS Korean	DTS-HD Master Audio Korean 3779 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3779 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) LPCM Audio Korean 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 320 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 320 kbps / DN -31dB Isolated Score: DTS-HD Master Audio Korean 1404 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1404 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 512 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles	Traditional, Simplified, English, None	English, None	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Modern Audio Aspect Ratio: Widescreen letterboxed - 2.06:1 Edition Details: • Trailer (2:31 / 4:3) • Music Video 'Song for a Private' (4:54 / 4:3) DVD Release Date: March 26, 2002 Keep Case Chapters 12	Release Information: Studio: Tartan Asia Extreme Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • The JSA Story (36:47 / 4:3) • Making the film (14:38 / 4:3) • Behind the Scenes montage (3:59 / 4:3) • A Letter from a private - music video (4:52 / 4:3) • Profile Clips (6:39 / Text) • Theatrical Trailer (2:13 / 4:3) • Japanese Trailer (2:31 / 4:3) • TV Spot (0:32 / 4:3) • 4-page booklet with notes by Erika Franklin DVD Release Date: May 23, 2005 Keep Case Chapters 16	Release Information: Studio: Arrow 2.39:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 49,165,291,640 bytes Feature: 31,805,620,608 bytes Video Bitrate: 28.91 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • New audio commentary by writer and critic Simon Ward • Isolated music and effects track • Newly recorded video interview with Asian cinema expert Jasper Sharp (35:13) • The JSA Story (36:47) and Making the Film (14:01), two archival featurettes on the film s production • About JSA, a series of archival introductions to the film by members of the cast (2:19) • Behind the scenes montage (14:35) • Opening ceremony footage (3:04) • Two music videos: Letter from a Private and Take the Power Back (4:50 / 4:01) • Theatrical trailer (2:14) • TV spot (0:33) • Image gallery Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by Kieran Fisher Blu-ray Release Date: January 19th, 2021 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 13

Comments

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Arrow Blu-ray (January 2021): Arrow have transferred Park Chan-Wook's Joint Security Area to Blu-ray. It's a massive upgrade over the DVDs released as long as 15-years ago. Colors normalize and the balance is far more subtle. The SD transfers were very green where the new 1080P has superior contrast - see the last black and white comparison captures. Primary colors in the new BD (notable reds) show greater depth and there is more information show in the 2.39:1 frame on the side and bottom edges with a sliver lost on the top. The HD image tightens up significantly from DVD - it's really 'nolo contendere'.

NOTE: We have added 37 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Arrow offer the options of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track or a linear PCM stereo track (both 24-bit) in the in original Korean with some English and German languages in certain scenes. The film has intense violence with the track handling loud gunfire exporting immense bass via the lossless. There are deft separations throughout and both feature track options are very robust. The score is credited to Yeong-wook Jo (Oldboy) and Jun-seok Bang (The Throne.) It is also offered as an isolated music and effects track option in lossless stereo. Arrow add optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray disc.

Arrow have included a new audio commentary by writer and critic Simon Ward and he is very familiar with the director's work discussing how JSA does or does not fit into director Park Chan-wook's filmography, how his films rarely reference the natural world - they are usually about people, places and human constructs despite the use of the moon and owl at the beginning of Joint Security Area. He references the director's other films that are often loaded with symbolism and meaning - instead Joint Security Area come across as an effective thriller that becomes as character drama - much broader than his other work. He identifies the relentless pacing of JSA, very indicative of a thriller, and makes the link with actor Kang-ho Song, JSA his first feature with Park Chan-wook. He he acts as a regular player working with Jee-woon Kim (The Good the Bad the Weird), Bong Joon Ho (Memories of Murder and Parasite, plus the Chan-wook Park-produced Snowpiercer.) Simon does a great job revealing many under-discussed aspects to the film and the overall production. It's very much worth the indulgence. Arrow also supply a newly recorded 35-minute video interview with Asian cinema expert Jasper Sharp (author of Behind the Pink Curtain: The Complete History of Japanese Sex Cinema) that is excellent. Included are the two archival featurettes on the film's production; The JSA Story and Making the Film that run almost an hour in total. About JSA, is a short a series of archival introductions to the film by members of the cast, there is a behind the scenes montage, opening ceremony footage, two music videos: Letter from a Private and Take the Power Back plus a theatrical trailer, TV spot and an image gallery. The package has a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch and for the first pressing an illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by Kieran Fisher is included.

Chan-wook Park's multi-layered JSA is perhaps his most political film to date. He addresses the distrust and conflict between North and South Korea. There is a 'who-dunnit' angle to Joint Security Area, with exceptional acting, and an intelligent synopsis of Korean geopolitics. It is a harsh, effective and poignant masterpiece. Thank goodness for Arrow who have brought us this exceptional, loaded Blu-ray package of such a worthy film. It is a massive improvement over the DVDs and is stacked with valuable supplements - notably the Ward commentary and the Sharp video piece. Our highest recommendation!

- Gary Tooze

***

ON THE DVDs (2005): JSA is the first Korean film to be shot in Super35. The OAR is 2.35:1, as here presented by Tartan, contra the Modern Video DVD AR of 2.06:1.

There are several noticeable differences. Apart from the AR, Tartan is a non-progressive PAL to NTSC transfer, no PAL Speed-Up and problems with combing and ghosting. Besides this, the Tartan image is stunning. No compression artefacts visible, a very balanced color palette and great details in sharpness.

I really couldn't make out any differences in the sound. One must also take into account, that I had to change DVDs doing so. The DTS is superior to the 5.1 Dolby Digital, but overall very aggressive use of fronts and rears and the sub is sure to get dusted.

The additional material of Tartan is a bit disappointing.

"The JSA Story" takes you behind the story and the production, full of interviews and comments. A very informative and great feature. "Making the film" is however nothing more than your average home video behind the scenes. "Profiles" is basic information about Park and the actors.

Missing of essentials of the Korean SE is the audio commentary by Park and Cast&Crew interviews, and some few additional featurettes. Considering the additional material on the two other Tartan real eases of Park (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Old Boy), 35 minutes of good material is not only a waste of a second disc, but also a huge letdown for fans.