January 13, 2025
by Carla Hay
Directed by Woo Min-ho
Korean, Japanese and Russian with subtitles
Culture Representation: Taking place in Korea, Japan, China, and Russia, from 1908 to 1910, the dramatic film “Harbin” (based on true events) features a predominantly Asian group of people (with some white people) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.
Culture Clash: Ahn Jung-geun, a leader in a Korean army resisting Japan’s takeover of Korea, vows to assassinate Japanese prime minister Itō Hirobumi at the Russian-controlled Harbin train station, with help from others in Korea’s resistance movement.
Culture Audience: “Harbin” will appeal primarily to people who like to watching well-made historical dramas about war and politics.
“Harbin” gives a suspenseful depiction of the 1909 plot by Korean fighters to assassinate Japanese prime minister Itō Hirobumi during Japan’s takeover of Korea. The movie drags in the middle, but is overall a well-made historical drama. The cast members give skillful performances, while the brutal action scenes are realistic.
Directed by Woo Min-ho (who co-wrote the “Harbin” screenplay with Kim Min-seong), “Harbin” had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Although the movie has scenes taking place in Korea, Japan, China and Russia, “Harbin” was actually filmed in Latvia. “Harbin” takes place from 1908 to 1910.
“Harbin” begins with this caption explaining the political turmoil that led to the chain of events portrayed in the movie: “In 1905, Japan forced Korea to sign the Eulsa Treaty, which abolished its diplomatic rghts and established a Residency-General. This treaty nominally turned Korea into a protectorate, but in fact, it lost its sovereignty and became a Japanese colony. Some Koreans, unable to contain their fury, resisted, killing themselves in protest or taking up armed struggle.”
As shown in the movie, one of the people in the Korean resistance movement is Ahn Jung-geun (played by Hyun Bin), lietenant governor of the Korean Independence Army. In the beginning of the movie, Jung-geun is experiencing an army that is divided: some in th army are loyal to him, while others are suspicious. Jung-geun also has conflicts with army member Lee Chang-Sup (played by Lee Dong-wook), an ambitious and quick-tempered rival who disagrees with Jung-geun on just about everything.
“Harbin” jumps around in the story’s timeline and has several flashbacks. In December 1908, the Korean Independence Army had a vicious battle against the Japanese Imperial Army in Kyonghung, in Korea’s province of North Hamgyong. Korean Independence Army won the battle and took several members of the Japanese Imperial Army as prisoners of war, including Mori Tatsuo (played by Park Hoon), a Japanese army major.
Jung-geun—against the objections of some of his soldiers, including Chang-Sup—decided to follow universal law in not killing these prisoners of war. Jung-geun is partially motivated by this decision after Tatsuo tells him that Tatsuo is married with children. Jung-geun decides to release the prisoners of war but take away their weapons because he assumes that these prisoners of war will act on an honor system and not get revenge.
It turns out to be a wrong assumption. A group of Korean Independence Army soldiers, who broke off from Jung-geun’s command after his controversial decision, are slaughtered by Tatsuo and other Japanese army fighters. Feeling tremendous guilt and despair, Jung-geun wanders around a frozen Tumen River by himself as he contemplates what do next.
An early scene in the movie shows members of the Korean Independence Army in a January 1909 meeting and debating of what could have happened to Jung-geun during this disappearance. Some believe that Jung-geun could have died or could have been captured by the Japanese army. Others believe that even if Jung-geun comes back, he could be spy for the Japanese.
Some of the people in this tension-filled meeting include Chang-Sup, Kim Sang-hyun (played by Jo Woo-jin), Woo Duk-soon (played by Park Jeong-min) and Choi Jae-sung (played by Yoo Jae-myung), who is the army’s chief of staff. Chang-Sup is quick to think the worst of Jung-geun. Duk-soon, who is very loyal to Jung-geun, cautions: “Don’t go framing someone without proof.” Others in the meeting seem to have a “wait and see” attitude.
The people in the meeting don’t have to wait long for Jung-geun. He shows up and is remorseful about the massacre but he tells the people in the meeting: “I didn’t come for forgiveness. I came because there’s still work to do.” To atone for his strategic mistake, Jung-geun vows to assassinate Japanese prime minister Itō Hirobumi.
The rest of “Harbin” shows the elaborate planning of this assassination. On October 17, 1909, Prime Minister Itō is scheduled to go to Russia to meet with government officials about the Korea-Japan “merger.” He is traveling by train and is scheduled to stop at the Russian-controlled Harbin station at the China border.
The Korean Independence Army enlists the help of a an arms smuggler Ms. Gong (played by Jeon Yeo-been), who has a pivotal role in this plot. It should come as no surprise that things don’t go as smoothly in this assassination plan. There’s a power struggle between Jung-geu or Chang-sup over who should lead this operation. And there some unexpected setbacks.
“Harbin” has artful cinematography, especially in the outdoor scenes that show the majestic landscapes where many of these battles and struggles take place. All of the cast members capably handle their roles, although some of the supporting characters are underdeveloped. The pacing gets a little sluggish in the talkative middle of the movie, but the last third of the film gets “Harbin” back on track to being the impactful political thriller that it intended to be.
Well Go USA released “Harbin” in Los Angeles on December 25, 2024, with a wider release to select U.S. cinemas on January 3, 2025. The movie was released in South Korea on December 24, 2024.
