Crossing the Line
by Daniel Gordon
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DVD details
Actor: Charles Robert Jenkins, Christian Slater, Daniel Gordon, James Joseph DresnokDirector: Daniel Gordon
Brand: Kino International
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); English (Original Language); Korean (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 91 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-01-08
Audience Rating: Unrated
Model: 5412
Studio: KINO INTERNATIONAL
Product features:
- CROSSING THE LINE (DVD MOVIE)
DVD Reviews of Crossing the Line
DVD Review: Dresnok's Choice
Summary: 4 Stars
At the outset, "Crossing the Line" seems as if it's going to be one of those conventional narratvies that details the reason behind PFC James Dresnok's odd choice of defecting to the DPRK in 1962. We're presented with the standard biographical summary, complete with subdued music, old photographs, and snippets of memories that's been a staple of documentaries since Ken Burns' Civil War.
However, it becomes clear after about 15 minutes that this isn't your run-of-the-mill "Time" Magazine type of story. Instead, "Crossing the Link" quickly becomes less a documentary about why Dresnok decided to walks across the DMZ into North Korea (thus "crossing the line"), and more a voyeuristic examination on the psychology of alienation and the degree to which people can delude themselves in their search for belonging.
Dresnok's story is an almost perfect recipe on how to psychologically screw up a child so that he remains wounded well into adulthood. His childhood and post-adolescence are an almost non-stop series of devastating abandonment and betrayal from everyone important in his development: parents, relatives, and his first wife. This sort of damage is some heavy dope for a child, so it's no wonder that several times in the film Dresnok stated that his main goal in life was to "run away."
It also explains why his defection to the DPRK - something that was an act of opportunity - ended up being such a good fit for him. It's really no surprise. In North Korea Dresnok finally found the perfect family: one that would not abandon him so long as he never abandons it. And, this desire of belonging and craving a simple life in which permanence and security are guaranteed is repeated consistently throughout the movie.
After the defection, Dresnok joined the other three US servicement who "crossed the line" as prized tools for the North Korean propaganda machine, and there isn't much to refute the idea that he's still serving that function. After all, it's hard to believe the North Koreans would allow American film-makers to interview someone who would be critical of them. And Dresnok plays his role well.
However, even though Dresnok justifies and defends the DPRK throughout the movie (he never hints at any regrets or misgivings about his choice; he dismisses any ideas of North Korean misdeeds; and forcefully questions the criticisms leveled on his adopted land by one of his fellow defectors, Sgt. Jennings), one never really gets the feeling that he is a true believer.
And, considering Dresnok's psyche, that makes perfect sense. There is nothing about him, his reminiscences, or his background that would indicate Dresnok is either politically savvy or active. In fact, Dresnok's behavior, values, and priorities all point to a man who was simply looking for someone or somewhere he could go and be a part of something solid and permanent. Dresnok seems to be less involved in rationalizing North Korea's repressive dictatorship from a philosophical point of view, and more a child who defends their parent: "Yeah, daddy may spank me sometimes, but it was because I was bad."
Ultimately, though, one comes away with a sense of melancholy regarding Dresnok. It's hard to dislike the guy. He's affable, humble, and is a dedicated father. But his willingness to ignore the realities of life in the DPRK makes it difficult to really sympathize with him. At some point he had to make a conscious effort to block out the reality of his daily experience and to ignore the common sense that contradicts the wild propaganda spewed from the official channels of the North Korean government. But, like a toddler desperately wanting to gain his father's approval, Dresnok is an accomplice in the tawdry game. Perhaps the most poignant moment was, when emotionally discussing his oldest son's future, he rhetorically asked whether it could ever be possible for the son of a common worker to attend a University in the United States. It was a stark display of willful ignorance and irony, particularly when coming from someone living in a nation where freedom and societal position are so rigidly maintained. And it exposed just how far someone will go to achieve their desire to belong.
Description of Crossing the Line
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