TV-14 | 2h 1m | Action, Drama, Thriller | 2021
After its Japanese overlords were defeated after World War II, South Korea went quite a few growing pains. Fortunately, South Korean cinema has been able to convey much of its tumultuous history to worldwide audiences, particularly in the past couple of decades.
Four decades after the Korean War, a lesser-known series of perilous events unraveled in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. Set in 1991, South Korean director Seung-wan Ryu’s 2021 film “Escape from Mogadishu” dramatically recounts these events. Instead of North and South Koreans fighting each other over territory, they’re competing in matters of diplomacy, at least initially.
The opening scenes are incredibly shot, with sweeping vistas of the gorgeous Somali coastline and the ancient, bustling metropolis of Mogadishu. Kang Dae-jin (Zo In-sung) lands at the Mogadishu International Airport and is eventually met by the South Korean Ambassador to Somalia, Han Shin-sung (Kim Yoon-seok), and his secretary.
Dae-jin is posing as a “councilor,” but is actually a South Korean intelligence agent sent to Mogadishu to deliver some gifts to the president (read: dictator) of Somalia, Mohammed Siad Barre. Since Africa had the largest number of member states in the United Nations, and Somalia was one of its most influential players, both Koreas were trying to impress the Barre regime to gain its recommendation for their own individual UN memberships.
On the way back to the South Korean Embassy, the diplomats’ car is ambushed by Somali rebels, who manage to steal the valuable gifts. Before they leave, the brigands disable the car, which makes Shin-sung late for his meeting with President Barre.
While leaving the presidential palace, Shin-sung spots his rival Rim Yong-su (Joon-ho Huh), the North Korean Ambassador to Somalia. From this, Shin-sung assumes that Yong-su staged the ambush to diplomatically outmaneuver him, and thus curry favor with the Somali president. However, it is revealed that Yong-su’s intelligence officer, Tae Joon-ki (Koo Kyo-hwan), is the one who actually paid the rebels to carry out the ambush.
North Korea isn’t the only faction with an out-of-control intelligence officer, as we see Dae-jin swaggering through a colorful bazaar to meet up with a mysterious Westerner. For a box of exclusive Korean cigarettes, Dae-jin acquires pictures that show North Korean-made weapons being utilized by Somali rebels, which he later shows to his boss, Shin-sung. Shin-sung sees the pictures as a way to favorably sway the Barre government’s opinion of South Korea, should the pictures be published.
Soon after the photos are indeed published, just outside of a swanky embassy hotel, Shin-sung and Dae-jin get into a public altercation with their North Korean counterparts, Yong-su and Joon-ki. However, as the two sides bicker back and forth, chaos erupts and government soldiers are besieged by a sudden influx of rebels. Seeing that a full-on rebellion has sparked, the two sides flee to their respective quarters.
A Good Message Packed Into the Thriller
This movie skillfully uses its two-hour running time to gradually build up suspense, from the long-simmering tensions between the two Korean sides to the subtle hints of Somali rebellion here and there.The stunning African backdrops and impeccable acting by both the South Korean and African actors really add credibility to this real-life story of desperation, hope, sympathy, and understanding. We’ve got everything from scheming politicians and sketchy diplomats to corrupt and murderous police officials, whose palms have been greased with many a “gratuity.”
The film also gleans positive messages about unity and compassion. For example, in one dramatic martial arts fight scene, two of the main Korean characters from opposing sides duke it out. One of them begins to get the upper hand, but just as he’s about to cause grievous injury to his former countryman, he holds back his death blow and questions his own motives for harming his opponent. It’s a powerful statement that I believe the director wanted to impart, not only to North and South Koreans, but to all people.
Many exciting action sequences get the blood pumping, including running gun battles in the Somali streets that harken back to 2001’s “Black Hawk Down.” In the third act, a tension-filled chase scene sees a Korean convoy desperately trying to make it to the relative safety of the Italian embassy as a last-ditch effort to make it out of the embattled country.
Although “Escape from Mogadishu” is a thrill ride that any action fan will appreciate, it’s also a substantive movie that delves into deeper issues, such as our shared sense of humanity and goodwill.
