Harbin is a dark and intense story, one among many, of Korea’s fight for independence

Harbin (2024 | South Korea | 113 minutes | Woo Min-ho)

In 1909 a small band of Korean independence fighters including protagonist Ahn Jung-geun (Hyun Bin) plot to assassinate Japan’s first Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi. Their goal was to take a big step toward Korean independence and pull their country out from underneath Japan’s harsh rule. Hirobumi had just rejected Korea’s attempt at annexation, so in response a small group of Korean soldiers hatched a plan to eliminate this new threat. Despite the pursuit of an unrelenting Japanese officer, a mole amongst them, and enemies everywhere, the soldiers persisted no matter the cost.

Even with a rudimentary understanding of Korea’s tragic and complicated political history, it’s easy to follow this intense and brooding thriller from beginning to end. I’ve had moments with espionage films where I’ve completely lost the plot (ahem, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy anyone?) and wondered if I’ve actually understood the story at hand; fortunately Harbin allows the viewers to not only grasp the story but the emotional journey of the characters as well. Director Woo Min-ho didn’t simply want to tell the story of a national hero, but bring to light the terrible circumstances that led up to and informed the military operation at Harbin. It wasn’t simply a black and white story of good and bad. Those involved were brave, scared, angry, distraught and a thousand other emotions all roiling around and used as fuel to drive toward a single goal: be free of the tyrannical rule of the Japanese.

There’s a term in Korean that is very specific to its people derived from its history of suffering: han. It’s a sense of rage, regret and pain that is passed down from generation to generation. This is laid bare in Harbin, even by the target of the film’s assassination plot himself, Prime Minister Itō, (this is the film’s translation into English) “But Korea’s common people are the most troublesome. Their nation gives them nothing, but in times of national crisis they wield a strange power…” referring to the fact that Korea’s citizens will fight for a country that doesn’t necessarily fight for them. They have an intense sense of patriotism and pride in who they are as a people and officer Ahn’s struggle throughout the film embodies that.

Harbin is currently on a limited run at AMC Alderwood and Cinemark Century Federal Way