The Front Line
Towards the end of the Korean War an uneasy ceasefire is ordered, but out on the Eastern front line of the Aerok Hills fierce fighting continues. A race to capture a strategic point to determine a new border between the two Koreas is the ultimate prize. A bullet is then found in the body of dead company commander of the South Korean army. The bullet that killed the company commander belongs to the South Korean army. Lieutenant of the Defense Security Command Kang Eun-Pyo is ordered to go out into the Eastern front line and investigate the murder. When Kang Eun-Pyo arrives in the Aerok Hills he is surprised to find his old friend Kim Soo-Hyeok commanding troops in the Aerok Hills. Kang Eun-Pyo believed Kim Soo-Hyeok was dead. In their younger years, Kim Soo-Hyeok was a meek student, but he eventually became the leader of Aerok company as a lieutenant. The situation in the Aerok company raises many flags in the eyes of Kang Eun-Pyo. Soldiers wear North Korean uniforms inside due to the cold weather, a 20-year-old leads troops as a captain and the reappearance of his old friend Kim Soo-Hyeok. The countdown to the ceasefire begins as the lives of countless soldiers fall to the wayside ...
Working with a small-scale budget of $10.0M, the film achieved a respectable showing with $15.8M in global revenue (+58% profit margin).
18 wins & 23 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Front Line (2011) exhibits meticulously timed narrative architecture, characteristic of Jang Hoon's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 13 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.3, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (2% through the runtime) establishes Kang Eun-pyo works as a military investigator in Seoul, removed from frontline combat. He represents order and procedure in contrast to the chaos he'll soon face.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when Eun-pyo is ordered to the front lines at Aerok Hills (called "Alligator Company") to investigate the death. This forces him out of his safe bureaucratic role into the brutal reality of combat.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 34 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 26% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Eun-pyo experiences his first combat at Aerok Hills and chooses to stay with the unit rather than retreat. He crosses from observer/investigator into participant in the madness of the hill's endless cycle of capture and loss., moving from reaction to action.
At 67 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat A major North Korean assault temporarily overwhelms the position. The hill is lost then retaken in brutal combat. Eun-pyo discovers evidence that the death he's investigating was murder, not combat casualty—raising the stakes of his mission., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 100 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Soo-hyuk is revealed as the killer—he's been executing soldiers (both sides) who can't handle the madness. A massive final assault begins. Several key characters die in the brutal fighting, including those Eun-pyo had befriended., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 107 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Eun-pyo understands that Soo-hyuk's actions, while horrific, came from the same dehumanization affecting everyone. He chooses not to report the complete truth, recognizing that the system—the war itself—is the real killer., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Front Line's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping The Front Line against these established plot points, we can identify how Jang Hoon utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Front Line within the action genre.
Jang Hoon's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Jang Hoon films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Front Line represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Jang Hoon filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Jang Hoon analyses, see A Taxi Driver.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Kang Eun-pyo works as a military investigator in Seoul, removed from frontline combat. He represents order and procedure in contrast to the chaos he'll soon face.
Theme
A superior officer mentions how the hills keep changing hands: "What's the point when the armistice is days away?" This establishes the film's central theme about the futility of war fought for symbolic territory.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to the political situation: armistice negotiations are underway, territory gained before the ceasefire will determine final borders. Eun-pyo receives his assignment to investigate the suspicious death of Captain Shin at Aerok Hills.
Disruption
Eun-pyo is ordered to the front lines at Aerok Hills (called "Alligator Company") to investigate the death. This forces him out of his safe bureaucratic role into the brutal reality of combat.
Resistance
Journey to the front and initial arrival at Aerok Hills. Eun-pyo witnesses the constant artillery bombardment and meets the battle-hardened soldiers. He resists accepting the reality of what war has done to these men.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Eun-pyo experiences his first combat at Aerok Hills and chooses to stay with the unit rather than retreat. He crosses from observer/investigator into participant in the madness of the hill's endless cycle of capture and loss.
Mirror World
Eun-pyo reunites with Kim Soo-hyuk, his former friend from officer training, now the hardened lieutenant commanding the position. Soo-hyuk embodies what war does to idealistic soldiers—he represents Eun-pyo's potential fate.
Premise
Eun-pyo experiences the daily hell of Aerok Hills: the constant shelling, the absurd back-and-forth battles for the same ground, soldiers trading items with the enemy, and the erosion of humanity. He investigates while fighting.
Midpoint
A major North Korean assault temporarily overwhelms the position. The hill is lost then retaken in brutal combat. Eun-pyo discovers evidence that the death he's investigating was murder, not combat casualty—raising the stakes of his mission.
Opposition
As the armistice deadline approaches, fighting intensifies—both sides want the hill for the final border. Eun-pyo uncovers the tragic truth: soldiers on both sides are killing their own men who've been driven mad by the endless cycle. Trust disintegrates.
Collapse
Soo-hyuk is revealed as the killer—he's been executing soldiers (both sides) who can't handle the madness. A massive final assault begins. Several key characters die in the brutal fighting, including those Eun-pyo had befriended.
Crisis
The darkest battle: soldiers fight desperately for yards of ground that will mean nothing in hours. Eun-pyo confronts the complete futility—his investigation, the battles, the deaths, all meaningless as the armistice approaches.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Eun-pyo understands that Soo-hyuk's actions, while horrific, came from the same dehumanization affecting everyone. He chooses not to report the complete truth, recognizing that the system—the war itself—is the real killer.
Synthesis
The final battle for Aerok Hills reaches its climax as the ceasefire hour approaches. In the last minutes before the armistice takes effect, both sides fight with desperate fury. The hill changes hands one final time at tremendous cost.
Transformation
The ceasefire takes effect. Eun-pyo stands amid the carnage of Aerok Hills, transformed from bureaucrat to survivor, witness to the ultimate futility. The hill—soaked in blood—sits exactly on the border, all the deaths achieving nothing.