Fresh
Crossing the Line, like its subject, remains a fascinating and frustrating enigma -- a declassified government report still marred by redacted passages.
Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly
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Crossing the Line
Overview
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.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
90%
Tomatometer
Fresh
Crossing The Line lacks the force and power of a strong point of view, but like Gordon's other work about North Korea, it succeeds in revealing what it means for individuals to give themselves over to a collective.
Scott Tobias, AV Club
Fresh
Fascinating.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Fresh
You'll be untangling Dresnok's knotty reality long after you leave the theater.
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
Fresh
[The] compelling story and the plentiful high-definition video images of North Korean daily life prove so fascinating that Crossing the Line is riveting.
Matt Zoller Seitz, New York Times
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