[Yoon Sung Eun's movie story] The movie we want is "Harbin".

The movie "HARBIN" │ 2024

Director: Woo Minho │ Starring: Hyun Bin and Park Jung-min

* The contents of the movie are included.

▲ Poster of the movie "Harbin".

At the end of last year, which was more chaotic than any other year, "Harbin" (director Woo Min-ho) was finally released. With most Korean blockbusters struggling not only in box office but also critically, "Harbin" is a work that made people expect to see Ahn Jung-geun's film that he made properly this time. Although Ahn Jung-geun is one of the most loved great men by Koreans, the films of his achievements have not been well received. Director Seo Se-won's "Doma Ahn Jung-geun" (2004) did not go beyond the limits of the so-called "gukppong movie," and the overall making was so crude that even the patriotism that the movie raised to the end ran out. Of course, the box office performance was disastrous, with about 20,000 people. "Hero" (2022), which covers Ahn Jung-geun's alliance in the complex, the Ito Hirobumi shooting case, and the trial process, is a film that transferred the musical "Hero" to the screen, and has been in the theater for a long time to match the reputation of director Yoon Je-kyun, who is in the ranks of 10 million directors. However, the lack of experience in directing musical films was revealed, and critically, he had no choice but to get a poor score. The curiosity and expectation of Harbin are closely related to this dark history.

▲ A still cut from the movie "Harbin".

I expected "Harbin" to be a bit different because it's a new movie directed by Woo Min-ho, who directed "The Insiders" (2015) and "The Bosses of Namsan" (2020). About 30 billion won was spent on production, and there were even attractive cast members such as Hyun Bin, Cho Woo-jin, Park Jung-min and Lee Dong-wook. In conclusion, this work shows as good completeness in all cinematic elements, including mise-en-scène, filming, editing, and music as expected. The movie's focus is on revealing Ahn Jung-geun's human aspect, emotional pain, and inner conflict rather than a large-scale action scene. In the first scene, the Bugam shot, in which Ahn Jung-geun lies crouching on a frozen river, shows his lonely and shrinking mental and physical state after defending the universal law at the Battle of Shin-Asan and losing his colleagues due to the Japanese counterattack. Geometric lines across the ice, though somewhat contrived, can also be seen as visual images of his confused mind. As the narrative progresses, this extraordinary mise-en-scène also connects to the images of the doubts lurking among colleagues and the resulting cracks.

▲ A still cut from the movie "Harbin".

In Russia's dark-blue scenery and minimal-set indoor gods, you can feel not only the atmosphere inside the independence army at the time, but also the nature of their stern and secret missions. The camera, which catches the subject as calmly as possible without any appearance, and the expressionist lighting with strong contrast between light and shade are noble and solemn like a Russian classic movie. Director Kim Ji-woon's "Secret" (2016) set in Japanese colonial era is also seen. The scenes of searching for action scenes and traffickers on the train are very different in style from those in "The Prisoner," but draw a similar sense of urgency. It is a work that has a strong suction power that makes you hold your breath until the end even though it is a story that knows the ending.

▲ A still cut from the movie "Harbin".

However, apart from the nature of the work, it seems necessary to ask whether it is a movie that the public has longed for. Harbin, who chose a contemplative style, had a concluding part, and even Ahn Jung-geun's Ito Hirobumi shooting scene with a direct image. It is a scene where evil people are punished, but there was a sense of distance for the audience to feel thrilling. The scene where Ahn Jung-geun is executed is also quiet. It didn't drag on or hesitate like any other movie. The scene where the Korean people should be sad and angry is directed so that they can hardly even afford to heat up their hearts. By excluding such possible emotions, it is true that "Harbin" has a different distinction from the majority of great movies. However, it is regrettable that it did not break this era and the Korean people's more universal sentiment toward Ahn Jung-geun. Wouldn't it be remembered as a pretty cold or somewhat disappointing movie for audiences who wanted to excrete emotions (catharsis) while watching the movie?

▲ A still cut from the movie "Harbin".

■ Writing: Yoon Sung is a film critic (Dr. Young Chemistry / Director of Jeonju International Film Festival)