REVIEW Captivating, suspenseful 'Escape'
Actor Koo Kyo-hwan, left, Director Lee Jong-pil, center, and actor Lee Je-hoon stand in front of a photo wall during a press conference in Gangnam District, Seoul, June 17. Yonhap
The South Korean action-drama film "Escape" sets itself apart as an unusual North Korean-set film devoid of the typical ideological confrontations or sentimental bonds between soldiers from both Koreas, common in many films of this kind.
It is, instead, a thoroughly gripping and refreshingly surreal film that portrays a man's rebellion against his predetermined life, reminiscent of a fairy tale spun by a master storyteller.
Actor Lee Je-hoon portrays Gyu-nam, a soldier in a front-line North Korean military unit, who dreams of defecting to South Korea to pursue a life of his own choice, inspired by South Korean radio broadcasts he listens to in secret.
The story kicks off when Gyu-nam, from a lower social class and nearing the end of his 10-year mandatory military service, wakes up on his military bunk at night to prepare for his nightly escape plan. This involves sneaking out alone to map the mine-laden demilitarized zone (DMZ) bisecting the two Koreas and returning before dawn. He diligently repeats this routine every night in pursuit of his dream of escape.
However, life's unpredictability soon catches up with him. Gyu-nam's secretive endeavors are uncovered when his fellow soldier, Dong-hyuk (Hong Sa-bin), whose mother and elder sister have already defected, discovers the plan and pleads with Gyu-nam to take him along, a request he firmly rejects.
When Dong-hyuk's botched solo escape attempt is discovered, Gyu-nam is wrongly implicated as an accomplice.
Dispatched to investigate the case is Hyun-sang (Koo Kyo-hwan), a mysterious and ruthless officer from the North's state security agency.
As Gyu-nam faces unexpected twists and turns in his escape plan, the relentless pursuit by Hyun-sang and his subordinates adds layers of uncertainty about the film's direction.
This deliberate ambiguity is an effective strategy by director Lee Jong-pil. Although "Escape" concludes with a conventional ending, the narrative's clever construction is praiseworthy.
Director Lee Jong-pil, known for "Samjin Company English Class" (2020), a film about three undervalued female employees uncovering corporate corruption, once again showcases his adept storytelling in this drama.
Lee Je-hoon's compelling portrayal of strong-willed Gyu-nam, who navigates the heavily mined DMZ with relentless determination, and Koo Kyo-hwan's enigmatic performance as Hyun-sang enhance the film's tension. The director's use of K-pop artist Zion.T's 2014 hit single "Yanghwa BRDG" for the scene where the protagonist is lost in his childhood memories is quite impressive.
However, compared to Gyu-nam's palpable desperation to flee, Hyun-sang's reasons for risking everything to pursue him through dangerous territories seem underdeveloped.
The movie opens in local theaters on July 3. (Yonap)