HARBIN – Review

The Korean epic HARBIN is billed as historical and biographical, but I don’t know enough to vouch for the accuracy of either. It chronicles a specific plan by Korean resistance fighters against the occupying Japanese forces in late 1909. The focus is on General Ahn (Hyun Bin), who led a successful raid, but made a decision that proved costly to his band of rebels. Most of the running time concerns his next big plan of offense to revitalize the willing patriots.

That first encounter earned him the vicious enmity of defeated Japanese Major Mori (Park Hoon), who then made it his life’s mission to kill Ahn, as an even higher priority than protecting and advancing his country’s goals of annexation and dominance over their neighbor. As in every action film from China or Korea covering any period of Japanese invasions and occupations, the outsiders are depicted as ruthless and brutal. I don’t think they plan on selling many tickets in Tokyo theaters.

The producers spared no expense in providing exceptional sets, scenery, props and costumes. That includes some locations in Latvia, since part of the heroes’ plot unfolds in wintry Russia. Several action sequences are also riveting in scope and detail. The first major clash is not for the faint of heart. Same for some of the torture methods deployed against captured resistors. There’s an extra element of suspense provided by reasons to believe there’s a mole among the Koreans’ inner circle. There’s no use of martial arts or f/x-enhanced fighting to detract from the sense of historical realism.

For Koreans, or those who identify with them, the story should feel inspirational, as the resistance fighters are shown as noble and determined despite overwhelming odds against them. Even when they disagree over tactics, their commitment to regaining freedom is unwavering. For others, the intrigue may grow a bit tedious, as quiet machinations and discussions in dark, secretive locations take up a huge chunk of the nearly two-hour running time. For the amount of dialog, we learn relatively little about the main characters’ backstories and natures compared to most such offerings. That limits the degree of empathy one might develop with any of them. Even so, there’s much to admire – especially for those who connect viscerally with the period and events.

HARBIN, in Korean and Japanese with English subtitles, opens in theaters on Friday, Jan. 4.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars