Swing Kids

In 1951 at the Geoje prison camp the American administration decides to form a dance troupe from the prisoners for propaganda. Among those who join is Ro Ki-su, a North Korean soldier whose brother became famous in the war; he sees tap dancing once and cannot let it go. Kang Hyoung-chul keeps the war in the background and puts the dancing forward, while leaving no place where the two can stand apart: in the camp every step carries political meaning and every member of the troupe must belong to a side. Do Kyung-soo leads and performs his own dancing. The music is not period but deliberately anachronistic. The film begins cheerfully and ends by taking the cheer back. Who it is for: viewers who want Korean war drama and dance film at once. Who it is not for: anyone expecting a happy ending.