Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War

Tae Guk Gi (2004)

Tae Guk Gi (2004) was an epic Korean War film, directed by South Korean Director, Je-gyu Kang. Also known under the British Title: Brotherhood and under the US DVD title: Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War But it gained fame under the original Korean Title all around the world prior to it's English language release. The story follows two brothers who survived World War 2, only to be plunged into the madness and chaos of the Korean War (1950-1953). Two brothers are tricked into 'enlisting' by boarding the wrong railroad car and are not allowed to return home to take care of their family. The older brother Jin-tae Lee (Dong-Kun Jang) takes all of the dangerous missions he can get, committed to win the Korean equivalent of the Medal of Honor, due to a loophole in Korean Military rules, that a Medal winner can send his siblings home. However, upon winning the Medal, the younger brother Jin-seok Lee (Bin Won) refuses to go, seeing that Jin-tae has taken to liking combat a bit 'too much'. He resents the fact that his brother no longer fights to help their family, but fights because he enjoys killing. In Asian cinema, this was widely seen as South Korea's own Saving Private Ryan reflecting the pain and anguish of the Korean people, but also showcasing epic Korean War battle sequences.

The following guns were used in Tae Guk Gi:

Remington M1903A4 Sniper Rifle

A soldier riding on a tank has a Remington M1903A4 sniper rifle without a scope.

M1903A4 Springfield .30-06 without scope

A soldier riding on the tank has a Remington M1903A4 rifle without a scope

M1 Garand

M1 Garand semiautomatic Rifle with leather M1917 sling - .30-06

Closeup of a R.O.K. Garand - .30-06

South Korean Soldier responds to a North Korean ambush with his M1 Garand - .30-06

Sgt. Jin-tae Lee (Dong-Kun Jang) carries his M1 Garand while clearing a building during the battle of Pyong Yang - .30-06

Lee's rifle squad fire their Garands back at North Korean Snipers during the street fighting in Pyong Yang - .30-06

Sgt. Jin-tae Lee (Dong-Kun Jang) runs with his M1 Garand during the mass retreat - .30-06

M1 Garand Blank Adapters

Uniformed irregulars hold their M1 Garands at the head of Pvt. Jin-seok Lee (Bin Won). A Closeup shot of the particular blank adapters for the M1 Garand used in the movie. They are external attachable BFAs that extend the end of the rifle by a 0.5 inch

M1 Carbine

Korean War Era M1 Carbine - .30 carbine

Jin-tae Lees' squad plants landmines on a road, some of the squad carries M1 Carbines - .30 Carbine

South Korean troops celebrate at the news of the Marine Corp landing at Inchon, as F-86 Sabres fly overhead. Visible are many M1 Carbines - .30 carbine

Vigilante Irregulars use M1 Carbines to Execute suspected collaborators in Seoul - .30 Carbine. These rifles have the 30 round magazines issued after WWII, but these are M1 Carbines, not M2s since they lack the selector switch.

M3A1 Grease Gun

M3 "Grease Gun", the later M3A1 would eliminate the charging handle for a simpler design - .45 ACP

ROK Soldier fires his M3A1 "Grease Gun" during the street fighting in Pyong Yang - .45 ACP

Browning Automatic Rifle

Browning Automatic Rifle - .30-06

ROK Soldiers respond to a North Korean ambush with a B.A.R. - .30-06

During the mass retreat, we see many B.A.R.s = .30-06

Browning M1919A6

M1919A6 An attempt to make an infantry portable "light" machine gun of the 1919

South Korean troops ready an M1919A6 for a night time ambush.

South Korean troops ready an M1919A6 for a night time ambush.

South Korean troops use a M1919A6 during the night assault.

Closeup of the M1919A6 firing.

South Korean Soldier aims his M1919A6 Machine gun during the street fighting in Pyong Yang - .30-06

M1917 Watercooled Machine Gun

M1917 Watercooled Machine Gun

A muddy, bloody and soot covered Sgt. Jin-tae Lee (Dong-Kun Jang) after his mental breakdown, looking all scraggly with a beard, more like a monster than a soldier, turns an M1917 Water Cooled Machine gun against the North Koreans - .30-06

Jin-tae Lee (Dong-Kun Jang comes to his senses when he realizes his brother is not dead and prepares the M1917 Water Cooled Machine gun for battle - .30-06

Browning M2HB .50 Cal Machine Gun

Browning M2HB Machine Gun

On the allied side, the Browning M2 Heavy Barrel machine guns are most commonly seen mounted to Sherman Tanks.

A South Korean tanker fires a mounted Browning M2HB.

Browning AN-M2 Anti Aircraft Gun

Browning ANM2 Machine Gun

The rusted decaying remnants of a Browning ANM2 heavy machine gun are excavated by archeologists and South Korean Soldiers in the present day battle site.

A Rusted and disintegrating ANM2 machine gun is removed by South Korean Soldiers at the site of a present day archeological dig, at the beginning of the movie.

M20 Super Bazooka

M20 "Super Bazooka" - 3.5" Rocket

South Korean Soldier blasts an enemy rooftop position during the savage street fighting in Pyong Yang with an M20 Super Bazooka - 3.5" Rocket

South Korean Soldier fires his M20 Super Bazooka just before being blown apart by a recoiless rifle round himself - 3.5" Rocket

M1911A1

World War II issued Colt M1911A1 Pistol - .45 ACP

Sergeant Huh (Kil-Kang Ahn) fires his M1911 from the Allied trenches - .45 ACP

During the chaos of an enemy artillery attack, a North Korean Prisoner manages to grab an M1911A1 pistol from a guard and holds it against him - .45 ACP

MK II Hand Grenade

MK II Hand Grenade

A MK II Hand Grenade hangs off of Sgt. Jin-tae Lee's jacket

Closeup of a MK II Hand Grenade

Committed to winning a medal, even if he has to break his teeth to do it, Jin-Tae Lee pulls the pin from his Mk II hand grenade in the most ill advised way possible, with his front teeth.

M2 Flamethrower

M2 Flamethrower

South Korean soldier clears a tunnel with his M2 Flamethrower

South Korean Soldier fires his M2 Flamethrower into the tunnel

M20 Recoilless Rifle

M20 Recoilless Rifle - 75mm Rocket

A South Korean soldier carries an M20 Recoilless Rifle over his shoulder

M101 Howitzer - 105mm

South Korean soldiers fire an M101 Howitzer

An artillery battery of M101 Howitzer's firing

A South Korean artillery crew in action

Molotov Cocktail

South Korean commandos use Molotov cocktails to set North Korean ammo depots ablaze during a night time attack.

Mosin Nagant M91/30

Full-length, Mosin Nagant M91/30 - 7.62x54R

A squad of North Korean Soldiers fire their Mosin Nagant M91/30 Rifles - 7.62x54R

North Korean Soldier fires a Mosin Nagant M91/30 Rifle from a trench - 7.62x54R

Mosin Nagant M38 Carbine

Mosin Nagant M38 Carbine, chambered in 7.62x54R

When Sgt. Lee breaks into the North Korean enemy Field HQ, there is a lineup of M44 and M38 Carbines against the wall - 7.62x54R

The Chinese Army storms the Allied lines at the Yalu River. Though hard to see in any particular shot, most of the troops in the front of the packs are carrying M38 and M44 Carbines - 7.62x54R

Mosin Nagant M44 Carbine

Mosin Nagant M44 Carbine, chambered in 7.62x54R, with attached side-folding bayonet

North Korean Soldier fires a Mosin Nagant M44 Carbine - 7.62x54R

A whole lot of M44 Carbines in the hands of Thousands of Chinese Troops - 7.62x54R

PPsH-41

Soviet PPSh-41 Submachine Gun - 7.62x25mm Tokarev

A North Korean soldier fires his PPSh-41 during an ambush - 7.62x25mm Tokarev

A North Korean soldier firing the PPSh-41 from a trench in Pyong Yang - 7.62x25mm Tokarev

A North Korean army Lieutenant with his PPSh-41 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev

Degtyaryov DP

• North Korean Soldiers use the Soviet DP Light Machine gun, also known as the DP-27. They differ from the more common DPM with the lack of a pistol grip, differently shaped stock and a bipod that mounts below, not above, the heat jacket of the barrel.

Degtyarev DP-28 machine gun, 7.62x54mm R

North Korean DP Gunner fights the attacking South Korean Army - 7.62x54R

North Korean DP Gunner fights in the battle of Pyong Yang - 7.62x54R

Sgt. Jin-tae Lee (Dong-Kun Jang) captures a DP from a rooftop position and turns it against the fleeing North Korean Soldiers - 7.62x54R

A squad of North Korean Soldiers fire at strafing F4U Corsairs with DPs - 7.62x54R

Maxim M1910-30 Machine Gun

Sokolov's update of the MG08 Maxim machine gun for the Russian 7.62x54R Cartridge. This machine gun was widely used by Russian/Soviet forces in World Wars One and Two and heavily used by their satellite client states.

Maxim M1910-30 Machine Gun

A North Korean soldier fires a Maxim M1910-30 Machine Gun from a bunker

A North Korean Machine Gun crew in action during the fighting in Pyong Yang

A North Korean Machine Gun crew fire at attacking Corsairs

North Korean troops use a Maxim M1910-30 on attacking South Koreans

Fake Soviet KPV Heavy Machine Gun

A Mockup of an Anti Aircraft gun, that resembles a cross between the 14.5mm KPV and the 12.7mm NVS Heavy Machine guns is made out of a Browning M2HB. M2 Machine guns are commonly use to mock up foreign heavy machine guns like in Rambo III and The Beast of War.

A North Korean Anti Aircraft crew fire the Fake Soviet KPV Heavy Machine Gun

Close-up of the gun barrel

Close-up of the chamber

North Korean soldiers flee from a Corsair on a Kamikaze Run

Type 14 Nambu

Nambu Type 14 8x22mm Nambu

The wounded North Korean Captain grabs his Type 14 Nambu Pistol - 8mm Nambu

A wounded North Korean Lieutenant fires his Type 14 Nambu pistol - 8mm Nambu

Jin-tae Lee presses his Type 14 Nambu Pistol in the Captain's throat - 8mm Nambu

Chinese Type II Stick Grenade

Jin-tae Lee arms a Chinese Type II Stick Grenade

Jin-tae Lee prepares to throw a Type II Stick Grenade from a rooftop in Pyong Yang

Gun Platforms

M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo Tank

A post WW2 version of the M4 with a much more squared turret. The guns were elongated 76mm rather than the shorter 75mm guns of WW2.

Shermans spearhead the invasion of Pyong Yang

A Sherman Tank in Pyong Yang

A Sherman Tank fires its 75mm Cannon

Sherman Tanks during the final battle

M8 Greyhound Armored Car

Constantly seen backing up the Shermans during the Armored Attacks.

An M8 Greyhound in the forward right

An M8 Greyhound during the battle of Pyong Yang

An M8 Greyhound can be seen to the right

BA-64 Armored Car

A soviet made Armored Car use during WW2.Post WW2 BA-64 service in North Korean Army

A BA-64 Armored Car behind a sandbagged position

M38 Jeep

A american Jeep.First use in korean war.(center of image)

An M38 Jeep moves by a column of infantry

GMC Truck

A american truck.(in left)

A GMC truck can be seen to the left

F4U Corsair

The close support aircraft in the film. We see dozens of F4Us in close ground support roles, using their 20mm cannons to strafe North Korean lines and entrenched soldiers. A mortally damaged F4U also makes it's own 'kamikaze' run at a North Korean gun emplacement.

F4U Corsairs strafe North Korean positions

An Anti Aircraft gun fires at the Corsairs

F4U Corsairs drop bombs on the North Korean positions

Trivia Specials

Dummy stunt rifles

Since there is so much hand to hand combat in the film, the filmmakers made lightweight dummy Garands and Mosin Nagant Carbines out of wood and metal parts. In closeup they are obvious (also the fact that the actors swing them around like they weigh nothing is also a clue). The Russian carbines are odd looking and looks like a hybrid 91/30 and an M38/44 Carbine.

Continuity Error

When PFC Yong-Man attacks the North Korean troops, he has an M1 Garand, but when we see over his shoulder, the gun is an M1 Carbine.

Anachronisms

When Jin-tae Lee (Dong-Kun Jang) gives his brother Jin-seok Lee (Bin Won) a Hershey's chocolate bar to cheer him up, the candy bar is the "King-sized version" that Hershey introduced in 1980. Also we see the 'nutritional content listings' that were required in the 1990s. Also I didn't know they had bar code readers in 1950.....

Jin-Tae Lee holds a 'futuristic' chocolate bar.

Work in progress.....