Synopsis

During the Korean War, a squad of marines led by Kang Dae-sik takes part in the Incheon Landing Operation. Unlike the North Korean soldiers who were massacring civilians and shooting the helpless, the marines try to maintain a sense of humanity amongst the horrors of war whether it was secretly helping an orphaned girl, Young-hee or encouraging comrades not to lose their sanity. Dae-sik’s squad defeats the Chinese army’s massive attack, but only two survive in the fierce battle and 40 men forever become‘marines that never came home’. Directed by Lee Man-hee in 1963, The Marines Who Didn’t Come Home is one of the most famous films based on the Korean War. Interesting to note that Lee Man-hee as well the film’s music director Jeon Jeong-keun participated in the Korean War. In the Incheon Landing Operation scene at the opening of the film, Jeon combines a powerful male chorus to the march-like theme music while he plays a somber melancholy tune in contrast when the soldiers discover the bodies of civilians murdered by the North Korean soldiers and in the film’s ending when the platoon is wiped out except for two members. (Chun Jin-su) ​

감독

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  • 이만희
  • 1931년 서울에서 태어난 이만희 감독은 한국전쟁에 참전한 후, 1956년부터 안종화 감독 등의 조감독을 거쳐 1961년 <주마등>으로 데뷔했고 이듬해 <다이알 112를 돌려라>(1962)로 주목 받았다. <돌아오지 않는 해병>(1963)과 <군번 없는 용사>, <마의 계단>(1964)과 같은 전쟁, 스릴러 등의 장르영화와 <만추>(1966)와 <귀로>(1967) 같은 드라마를 통해 대중성과 예술성을 동시에 성취했다. 1975년 4월 3일 <삼포 가는 길>(1975)의 편집실에서 쓰러져 열흘간 병마와 싸우다 4월 13일 45세라는 젊은 나이로 세상을 떠났다.