Before 'Oldboy,' Park Chan-wook Directed a Quiet, Devastating Military Drama You Probably Missed

South Korean director Park Chan-wook brought shock cinema to a new audience with his gnarly, grizzly tales of revenge like Oldboy and Lady Vengeance, but a few years before, Park was introduced to a large audience with his first hit feature, Joint Security Area. Joint Security Area was Park's breakout hit after his first two features, The Moon Is... The Sun's Dream and Trio, quickly fell into obscurity. Even Park himself has largely disowned those two films, and prefers to consider Joint Security Area as his true debut as a director. A military mystery-drama, the film centers on a high-tension conflict at the Korean border that claimed the lives of two North Korean soldiers.