A “stunning” war film that “puts Saving Private Ryan to shame” is available to rent now. Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War (2004) is set during the Korean War and tells the story of brothers Lee Jin-tae and Lee Jin-seok (played by Jang Dong-gun and Won Bin) respectively, who are forcibly drafted to fight for the south.

Jin-tae is told by the higher ups that if he wins South Korea‘s most coveted medal for bravery, his younger brother can be discharged. Out of love for his brother he embraces violence and danger in the army’s ranks, whilst an inner battle for his own humanity rages. The film was directed by Kang Je-gyu, who co-wrote the screenplay alongside Han Ji-hun, and Kim Sang-don.

Fans have flocked to IMDb to shower the film with praise. One, who gave the Taegukgi a 9/10 said: “South Korea puts Saving Private Ryan to shame with this amazing war movie,” and “probably the best traditional war movie” they’ve seen.

“The battle scenes are intense and brutal, even more so than Spielberg’s classic film (which is a movie I really like, too),” they added.

Another also drew comparisons to the Steven Spielberg war epic, saying: “To me they were worlds apart in situation, meaning and focus but similar in execution and structure. Just as Saving Private Ryan spoke so resounding to its audience, Taegukgi does the same for its own.”

A third gave the film a perfect score, and called it “simply stunning”.

“Never before have I been so moved by a film in my entire life,” the fan added. “It was the only film along with Ikriu (1952) that brought me to tears.

A fourth wrote: “I hadn’t seen a Korean film before, but Brotherhood has proved to be a brilliant, if harrowing, introduction. The plot is epic, and incredibly moving throughout.

“The acting is superb, and one of the most striking things is the realism of the costumes, weapons and pyrotechnics – Kang Je-gyu has an amazing eye for detail which shines throughout the film.”

A fifth added: “There is no real ‘happy’ ending like in many Hollywood films and the violence is not glorified.

“This movie is a testament to Korean War veterans all over the world. It is to South Korea’s credit that they could make such an important film for future generations.”

The film has a 15 certificate and contains strong bloody war violence and horror, and strong language – so viewer discretion is advised.

Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War (2004) is available to rent on YouTube.