THE STORY – In 1909, Korean independence activist Ahn Jung-geun leads an attack on Japanese forces in Harbin, China, despite the looming concern that one of his accomplices may be a Japanese informant.
THE CAST – Hyan Bin, Park Jeong-min, Jo Woo-jin, Jeon Yeo-been, Yoo Jae-myung, Park Hoon & Lee Dong-wook
THE TEAM – Woo Min-ho (Director/Writer) & Kim Kyoung-chan (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 120 Minutes
During the early 20th century, the Japanese occupation of Korea led to continuous bloodshed on both sides. As Korea fought against the imperialist forces of Japan, many felt that there would never be an end in sight. In “Harbin,” Korean resistance fighter An Jung-geun (Hyun Bin) is pushed to his limit after a costly decision leads to the death of many of his fellow resistance fighters. Now, Jung-guen is more committed to the cause than ever – alongside a small crew – to come up with a plan to assassinate Itō Hirobumi, the first Japanese Resident-General of Korea. If Jung-guen is successful, he can make a large impact on the war, but it may prove difficult, as he suspects a spy for the Japanese has infiltrated the covert mission. Woo Min-ho’s historical spy-thriller doesn’t hold much beneath the surface, but its somewhat stylish exterior does plenty to help overlook some of its significant flaws.
“Harbin” works better when the nitty-gritty is going down – in terms of the action set pieces – compared to the espionage elements of the story, which only feel effective at times. Min-ho’s direction of the action is pretty well-grounded. There’s a variety in terms of how the spectacle itself is constructed. Early on in “Harbin,” a massive battle sequence involves members of the Righteous Army militia squaring off against Japanese soldiers. It almost feels medieval in the way it is depicted, as gunplay is abandoned for close-quarter knife skills, which instills in audiences the sense of risk needed to make this material effective. There are also a variety of shootouts in tightened city landscapes and locomotives that make use of the settings in which our protagonists constantly find themselves trapped.
As for the screenplay, it’s far less polished compared to Min-ho’s direction. “Harbin” is only interested in how these events logistically played out in contrast to the political machinations behind each faction and why this conflict is ensuing. Both the screenplay and direction feel at odds with one another in what they’re really asking, only focusing on what lends itself to a more acceptable cinematic translation. It seems intentional that the politics of “Harbin” are second fiddle to the spectacle, but there is enough talent from everyone involved that they could have easily balanced both.
What hurts “Harbin” even more is that it doesn’t excel at creating consistent intrigue, which is essential for an espionage story. To nail a spy film, audiences must be attentive enough to want to be shrouded with little information and need to mentally stay ahead of what’s happening. It can also be difficult, at times, when the screenplay does little to differentiate the different players involved in this game of deceit and death. It also doesn’t help that the pacing of “Harbin” takes away from the experience, as the film feels needlessly dragged out.
Bin is pretty good in the film as the iconic Korean revolutionary Jung-gue. The rest of the ensemble is sturdy enough to hold up the narrative, bringing what’s needed for their parts – but nothing above that. But no one has as much of a memorable presence as the film’s villain, Tatsuo Mori. While his character is fairly paper thin, Park Hoon brings so much to this character with his appearance alone. It’s impossible not to see Mori as an excellent antagonist by appearance alone. He constantly wears a scowl on his face alongside a massive scar while always dressing incredibly dapper. It’s a shame that the potential showoff between his character and Jung-guen is subverted to another showdown. While neat, it doesn’t have the same impact, considering how integral his motivations are to Jung-gue, leaving you feeling slightly underwhelmed.
Those complaints aside, the score is pretty good, evoking a sense of grandeur to audiences. It plays well as the story spans across various locales, whether it’s intense battle sequences, crossing the desert sands, or the frozen Tumen River. The narrative is also pretty well-constructed, including some flashback sequences that fill in the audience with details they missed. They’re still engaging due to it being well-shot in black and white, something the rest of the film could’ve benefited from had it taken that visual aesthetic throughout. “Harbin” does what it needs in its quest to engage viewers. However, the subject matter is so fascinating, and to only make a semi-entertaining spy film is not enough to pass with flying colors.
