TIFF Mini-Reviews - Harbin

Harbin is a Korean historical spy thriller, based on a true story, that tells the tale of a band of Korean soldiers and activists who set out to kill the Japanese Resident-General during Japan’s occupation of Korea in the early 1900s. It stars Hyun Bin as Ahn Jung-guen, who is remembered as a hero in Korea. The movie contained some fantastic imagery, and genuinely tense scenes of espionage, however, not knowing much about the movie going in, I wasn’t prepared for the relentless earnest nationalism that seems out of place in film today. 

Hyun Bin as Ahn Jung-guen fighting through a brutal battle in the early part of the movie.

I don’t know enough about the actual historical events to be able to have an informed opinion on what took place (although my natural inclination would definitely be to side with the defenders against the invaders), but even in a case where there is a clear “right” and “wrong” I would expect a film to give a more interesting take with a least some nuance. This movie had none of that. There wasn’t even so much as a clichéd “are we in danger of becoming like the enemy we hate?” discussion. The entire movie was about whether or not they could assassinate the Japanese Resident-General, without any thought to whether or not they should. It’s just surprising in 2024 to see a film so lacking in nuance.

This kind of nationalistic fervor led to some unfortunately clunky dialogue, full of paeans to heroism and fallen comrades. None of this is to say that the film wasn’t enjoyable, though. The historical settings were well done, and the action was fairly well-paced throughout. It’s an entertaining movie. But if you’re someone who doesn’t have a dog in the fight of cultural and historical conflict between Japan and Korea, just know that you’re in for a jingoistic tribute to Korean heroes.