The
Coast Guard
Picture: B+
Sound: B+ Extras: B+ Film: B+
Tartan Video continues to make a very reputable name for
themselves in the DVD marketplace.
Their commitment to doing high quality work, despite not having a huge
catalog of popular films, does not keep them down one bit. What is keeping this company strong is first
and foremost their choices in titles, despite being more artsy and Foreign, but
their dedication to doing DTS audio in addition to Dolby Digital is a huge flag
letting us know that they mean business.
The Coast Guard is part of their Asia Extreme titles series that
hits many high notes and is going to probably make a few more consumers happy
in DVD land.
For starters the DVD is packed with a great assortment of
extras, the quality for the DVD is quite good and this is one of the rare cases
where not only is the DVD great, but the title is also equally great. The Coast Guard is an unusual title
for an Asian film, but bear with it, as you will soon be intrigued by the story
that unfolds. The film is directed by
Ki-duk Kim, who has been making a strong name for himself in the world of
cinema. This site is not unfamiliar
with his work in the least and the review for his 2000 film The Isle can
be found elsewhere on this site. His
2004 film 3-Iron is also getting great reviews across the board, but
2002’s The Coast Guard is a sure winner for those that enjoy realistic
military films, they are rare these days, at least those that are
realistic.
I doubt that most people will thoroughly enjoy this film
as much as I did, probably because your expectations were way off the
chart. However, if you go in with an
open mind and let the film pull you in, then you are in for a real treat. The film’s main objective is to let you see
what it’s like living in a country (namely Korea in this case) where the coast
guard is monitoring the shores for any signs of threat. However, a love/hate relationship develops
between the local villagers and the military that inhabits that particular area. We also see what happens when certain things
go wrong and get an upfront view of a slightly more political/militant ideology
than what most American films put forth.
Certainly a interesting film that makes you ponder some serious issues,
especially from a American perspective about ‘security’ and what it means to be
on the ‘defensive’ and when that line is stepped over into a more ‘offensive’
mindset.
It’s difficult to go into much detail about this film
without ruining much, but it’s a good conversation starter for those that enjoy
politics. As mentioned this DVD
contains some really good technical merits in both picture and audio. The 1.85 X 1 anamorphically enhanced
transfer exhibits a really superb look that keeps true to the incredibly stylized
and saturated look of the film. Darks
are really deep and true, while whites are never overdone. Greens are incredibly lush with various hues
being recreated very well. I personally
enjoy a deeply enhanced color palette that is displayed here and the DVD does
not take away the films incredible cinematography. Also, the three audio options (Dolby 2.0, Dolby 5.1, and DTS 5.1)
are also well recorded and executed here.
The choice of champions in this case is the DTS 5.1 mix that is very
articulate and active, which perfectly captures the atmosphere of the film and
assists in bringing the viewer into the scope of the film.
This is a definite pleaser already, but the extras are the
whip cream on the top of a delicious cake in this case. The supplements are geared around the
director and that includes a commentary track, an intro to the film, and also
an interview. By the time you are done
with this you pretty much get all the insight you could possibly want about
this filmmaker and his passion for this film.
Also included is a Music Video, which is interesting to say the
least. All in all this is a sweet
package making a highlight in the Tartan catalog. Recommended with little caution!
- Nate Goss
