Crossing the Line (2006)
In 1962, a U.S. soldier sent to guard the peace in South Korea deserted his unit, walked across the most heavily fortified area on earth and defected to the Cold War enemy, the communist state of North Korea. He became a star of the North Korean propaganda machine, but then disappeared from the face of the earth. Now, after 45 years, the story of James Dresnok, the last American defector in North Korea, is being told for the first time. Crossing the Line follows Dresnok as he recalls his childhood, desertion, and life in the DPRK.
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Overrated and overhyped
This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
I rented this to get a glimpse of what life in North Korea was like - anything at all - as with much history, when you start off with one journey, you find another. I did not know 4 US Army soldiers defected to North Korea in 1962-63. That was a huge embarrassment to the US and a propaganda windfall for the DPK, who not surprisingly, exploited these four soldiers. They made speeches denouncing the US, were wined and dined by the North Koreans and even starred in North Korean movies (as the bad guys, of course).This documentary centers on the one of first to cross the border - James "Comrade Joe" Dresnok. The story is told from his perspective. Since 2 of the others died and 1 escaped to Japan, only Joe is left in North Korea. Does he have regrets? Does he wish to return to the west? Has he been brain washed? How did he enjoy his life in a gilded cage? He learned the language, culture and to say the words, but does he mean them? About the only thing you can be sure of is that Joe does not like fellow defector Charles Jenkins who managed to get to Japan in 2004.**Possible spoilers**One suspects that Joe is saying literally, the party line. He knows in order to eat in a land where natives are starving; he must continue to defend his decision and North Korea. Since the four defectors tried to escape North Korea in the late 1960's (by going to the Soviet Embassy - duh!) and spent the next 10 years being're-educated', Joe's statements of loyalty to the North Koreans rings hollow. This is a good documentary, not excellent - it can be slow at times, and one tires of hearing Joe defend himself and his actions. He comes off as disingenuous at best, not someone worthy of hate, but pity. 6.5 stars
'Crossing the Line' is a brilliant documentary of the life of Pfc James Dresnok since he defected as a young US soldier to North Korea in the mid-Sixties. He is said to be the only such living defector left in that country today. The two British men who made this film, it seems, were only given permission to do so as they had previously made a popular film about the North Korean football (i.e. soccer) team who as tremendous underdogs beat the mighty Italian team in the late stages of the 1966 World Cup. This documentary provides a fascinating portrait of James Dresnok's unique life. Whilst doing so, it allows the viewer to see a little of what is life in North Korea. I strongly recommend that others buy this DVD.
I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary, but couldn't come away thinking the protagonist is your typical piece of trailer trash who happened to defect to North Korea. At least he admits he is one and doesn't try to make himself something he isn't.All four of the defectors did not graduate high school yet became heroes and celebs in a totalitarian country. Goes to show you how losers from the West can succeed in Asia (and this ain't a good thing).I do recommend this movie for the wealth of information it provides on North Korea, but well, I'm sorry but I think Dresnok is a loser PERIOD. I'm also sure I'm FAR from alone in my opinion.
In my experience, the best bio-pics are those in which I identify, or at the very least, sympathize with the subject of the film. CROSSING THE LINE is the very opposite of this. James Dresnok is a most reprehensible character. His decision to defect has little or nothing to do with the large moral defects in his character. He comes across as a thug and a bully. I suppose one could overlook some of this due to his unfortunate background, however many have had personal histories such as this, and not sunk to his tragic fate. The excessive smoking and drinking almost seem like a personal vendetta by his 'better' self against the 'evil' that is in him. He is really in the process of self-destruction, and rightly so. In spite of this, however, I think that CROSSING THE LINE is a fine film. After viewing the movie, I could not empathize with Dresnok, or even make a case as to why he took the path that he did. But, Daniel Gordon did a superior job illuminating this disreputable individual. We are allowed to see this man 'warts and all', and the film-maker goes out of his way to be evenhanded. It would have been so easy, and probably tempting, to just cast Dresnok as a two-bit villain.