Movie ‘Harbin’ released on Christmas eve

“Koreya Ura! Koreya Ura! Koreya Ura!” shouted Ahn Jung-geun (performed by Hyun Bin) on Oct. 26, 1909 at Harbin Station, after shooting Ito Hirobumi (performed by Lily Frankie). “Koreya Ura” means “Long Live Korean Independence” in Russian. But there is no one else who joins his shouting or cheers him on achieving his mission. The Russians, observing the act, stared at him but said nothing. The camera shows An being dragged away by soldiers.

The movie ‘Harbin,’ released on Tuesday, depicts the independence movement of Patriot Ahn Jung-geun, spanning the year from the Battle of Shinasan in North Hamgyong Province led by Ahn in 1908 to the assassination of Ito Hirobumi in 1909. The movie was released on Christmas Eve and attracted approximately 380,000 viewers on the first day.

The movie stands out by not following the traditional box office formula for success. It does not feature spectacular action scenes or loyal friendships that bring tears to your eyes. The scenes from the Battle of Shinasan killing each other with stones and knives illustrate how reality was to the Independence Army. The movie was directed like a documentary. “I did not believe Patriot Ahn had been a Superman. I didn’t want to portray him as a hero who is different from us,” Director Woo Min-ho said in a media interview last Thursday.

Spectacular scenes are also featured, thanks to the production cost of 30 billion won. The scene where Ahn goes through the desert with his comrades to retrieve explosives vividly depicts reality. Views can feel his cold and distress as Ahn wanders in the frozen Duman River. The scene was filmed at minus 40 degrees Celsius at Khovsgol Lake in Mongolia. “It was tough for me mentally rather than physically. I found myself sobbing after filming the last scene where Ahn was executed,” said actor Hyun Bin.

The movie, however, lacks entertaining factors. Despite focusing on Ahn’s emotions, there are not enough elements for viewers to relate to other than his losing heart after losing a comrade. The setting involving a spy in the independence army did not lead to a detailed foreshadowing or structure creating tension. Compared to films with similar themes, such as ‘Assassination’ (2015) and ‘Secret Agent’ (2016), which attracted 12.7 million and 7.5 million viewers, respectively, the movie has clear shortcomings as a commercial film.


이호재 기자 hoho@donga.com