Watch Crossing the Line

Crossing the Line is a 2006 documentary film that delves into the life of James Joseph Dresnok, one of the very few Americans who, after joining the army, decided to defect to North Korea at the end of the Korean War in 1953, and lived there in isolation for over 50 years. The film opens with the footage of one of Dresnok's brutal outbursts, where he is seen shouting incoherently and berating the producer of the documentary. This sets the tone for the film, as it portrays Dresnok as an eccentric, complex and troubled character. Dresnok's story takes up most of the film, but it is powerfully interspersed with interviews with experts on North Korea and snippets of footage taken inside North Korea.

Dresnok, who was born in Richmond, Virginia, moves around a lot as a child, his father having abandoned the family early on. His mother gets married multiple times, which results in Dresnok's being shuffled from home to home, never quite finding a stable environment. He eventually joins the army in his teens and ends up serving in Korea. It is during his service that he decides to cross over into North Korea after being lured by promises of food, women, and fame.

The film reveals that this decision would forever change the course of his life. Dresnok cuts all ties with his family and his past, and becomes a propaganda tool for the North Korean government. He is documented delivering speeches and performing in movies and newsreels, in which he is depicted as a heroic American defector who chose North Korea over the capitalist system. Dresnok's skills as an orator are used to encourage other American soldiers to follow in his footsteps and defect to North Korea.

Through several interviews with experts on North Korea, we learn of the despotic regime of the country, the extreme measures taken to keep the population isolated from the rest of the world and the brutal consequences of defying the authoritarian government. According to the experts, Dresnok's well-being lies solely in the hands of the North Korean government, which uses him as a propaganda tool to prove that the communist system works and that Americans have turned their back on their capitalist values due to the promise of a better life.

The documentary goes a long way in humanizing Dresnok, showcasing how he has struggled with depression and bouts of violent behavior over the years, even being accused of assaulting a coworker within North Korea. However, the audience is never afforded the opportunity to know exactly what happened. Nevertheless, the film suggests that life has been hard on Dresnok, and that he has been disillusioned many times over the decades.

The filmmakers cleverly use archival footage of Dresnok from the '60s and juxtapose it with present-day footage of him, a man who is now deeply regretful and repentant. Through interviews with him, we hear how much he misses his family in America, a sense of longing that he had long suppressed, and he comes to terms with the fact that he will most likely never leave North Korea again.

Another fascinating aspect of Crossing the Line is the portrayal of the culture shock Dresnok faced upon being thrown into a completely foreign country. The limited resources, the food rations, and even the language barrier all took a dramatic toll on Dresnok's well-being. The filmmakers ask the question of how someone could thrive in such a hostile environment, and the only conclusion they come to is that it would take someone with an absolute belief in the cause.

As a whole, the film humanizes Dresnok, perhaps too much so for some viewers who might habitually categorize him as a traitor, a communist or an unapologetic zealot. But Crossing the Line succeeds due to its engaging re-telling of Dresnok's story, his thoughts and emotions, and his experiences inside one of the most secretive regimes of our times. Ultimately, it poses the question of whether there is any hope for him, whether he is truly better off inside North Korea or outside of it. And even though the documentary offers no concrete answers, it is a fascinating and deeply moving narrative that will leave you reflecting.

Crossing the Line is a 2006 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 36 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.4 and a MetaScore of 71.