Photo by The Thrilling Escape: A South Korean Army Thriller that Falls Short
Image: A South Korean army soldier in action
The high-concept South Korean army thriller “Escape” clocks in at a swift 94 minutes long, but it could have easily gone on longer. There’s simultaneously too much and not enough action in this intriguing, but underdeveloped story about a North Korean defector who, after ten years of military service, flees to South Korea. He’s pursued by an obsessed North Korean National Security officer, who provides some tension.
A Promising Start
The film begins with some promise. We meet hyper-focused North Korean Sergeant Lim Kyu-nam as he sneaks out of his barracks in the dead of night, shimmies past some guards, and plants a few stakes on the way to the Military Demarcation Line. Lim plotted a safe course through a literal mine field, and his path became a little clearer every night. He returns to base, where he’s confronted by a few reminders of why he must take off and soon.
“Tomorrow is my mom’s birthday. I miss her terribly.” - Kim Dong-hyuk
The Pursuit Begins
Deserters get shot, as a scare video reminds Lim and his fellow soldiers, but family and freedom await in South Korea. They soon get caught, and Kim takes the blame. That’s about the same time when Lim’s original plans go out the window, forcing him to improvise his way toward freedom. The implacable Field Officer Li Hyun-sang unexpectedly promotes him for detaining Kim. There’s an award ceremony for Lim, which gives him a perfect opportunity to, well, you know.
Image: A North Korean army award ceremony
Problems Arise
Problems first arise when Li enters Lim’s story. We learn about Li through a handful of scenes that contrast Lim with his vigilant pursuer, a threadbare antagonist whose compulsive need to stop Lim overcompensates for some things. Unfortunately, Lee’s performance as Li doesn’t express much beyond an exaggerated twitchiness, which makes it hard to care when he liberally applies dramatic shorthand to Li’s scenes.
“Deserters do not exist in my book.” - Supreme Leader Kim
A Missed Opportunity
It’s hard to care about superficially interesting characters when it’s unclear if you must know more about what psychologically motivates them. Maybe there’s simply not enough action in “Escape,” which could stand in for whatever else is missing from Lim’s story. Then again, while it’s tempting to say that less could have been more here, it seems just as likely that more melodrama would have made a positive difference.
Image: A North Korean army soldier on patrol
