Despite being about a North Korean soldier who strives to defect across the DMZ, Escape feels more like a veiled commentary on South Korean society, with moments of existential melancholy weaved throughout what otherwise would get classified as an action-thriller. The pithiest way to capture this 2024 movie’s wistful undertones is to note how it both begins and ends with the stirring melody of Zion.T’s “Yanghwa Bridge”. With lyrics centering on a man who reminisces about how Seoul’s Yanghwa Bridge came to evoke his family’s strivings for happiness amidst the vicissitudes of life, “Yanghwa Bridge” has become popular especially among younger South Koreans who resonate with its bittersweet narrative.
It would appear, then, that Escape wants to situate its protagonist alongside such South Korean youths, making them see their struggles in his. This isn’t to say that Escape wants its audiences to empathize more with North Koreans in some attempt at subliminal inter-Korean peace propaganda though. The movie eschews high politics and would feel odd to anyone analyzing it from the perspective of inter-Korean relations; instead, its deployment of South Korean media intertextuality and tropes, whether intentionally or not, advance its existentialist appeals
Escape’s protagonist is Sergeant Lim Gyu-nam (played by Lee Je-hoon of Taxi Driver, Move to Heaven, and Architecture 101), a North Korean soldier who’s about to be discharged from his 10 year mandatory military service. Lim serves in a frontline unit within the DMZ, close enough to South Korea that he can hear songs like “Yanghwa Bridge” broadcasted onto his radio. This puts Lim in a prime position to attempt a rare defection directly across the inter-Korean border.
With both parents deceased and his “third rank” family background preventing him from choosing any meaningful future after the military, Lim has nothing to lose by defecting. However, Lim’s escape doesn’t go as planned. Soon, Lee Hyeon-sang (played by Koo Kyo-hwan of D.P.), an unhinged state security officer who happens to be Lim’s childhood acquaintance, is hot on Lim’s heels, trying to capture him at any cost. Gun battles, tense minefield navigation, car chases, and other standard action film fare ensue.
However, those well-versed in South Korean media may notice certain elements which make Escape feel less like a commentary on inter-Korean politics. and more like another reflection on South Korean society.
For one, as previously noted, the film’s antagonist is played by Koo Kyo-hwan, an actor who’s known for portraying an eccentric soldier responsible for chasing down deserters in the 2021 show D.P.. Koo’s character of Lee Hyeon-sang in Escape is basically the evil North Korean twin of his D.P. character. It’s a mirroring that may tie audiences’ reactions to Escape with their impressions of D.P.; the latter show’s depictions of the abuse and inequality that make South Korean soldiers want to escape their military units sparked heated societal discourse and even drew comments from South Korea’s top military and political leaders.
Furthermore, while day-to-day issues like food security do come up in Escape, Lim Gyu-nam’s primary motivation for defecting appears to be existential and philosophical, as opposed to practical. Besides one exchange about fried chicken, Lim almost never references the material benefits of living in South Korea (contrary to other K-movie or K-drama depictions of Northerners—think Choco Pies in JSA) when discussing defection. Instead, he constantly states how he wants the “freedom to fail”, and doesn’t want to live a life proscribed by societal boundaries. To drive the point home, Escape shows Lim consulting a book about Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen, as if to evoke his sense of exploration and wonder. These are pronouncements that feel more at home in South Korean music, movies, and drama which comment on South Korea’s own woes around lack of social mobility and self-actualization; one wonders to what extent South Koreans actually have the “freedom to fail” or explore their own passions.
Indeed, anyone trying to use Escape as a way to learn about North Korea may be disappointed. While the film does authentically depict the existence of social inequalities in North Korea, it does so in a way that doesn’t build upon what other media (ex. Crash Landing on You) has pioneered, and seems to twist plot elements to fit better with South Korean social commentaries than rigorous reflections of the North. For instance, the movie reveals that Koo Kyo-hwan is a closeted gay man by showing him calling a contact listed as “the man I used to love” on his smartphone. Given tight digital surveillance and conservative attitudes towards gay people, this happenstance would be highly unrealistic in North Korea, but feel plausible in the South. In other moments though, Escape has utterly unrealistic portrayals of North Korea, most notably in the appearance of a nomadic rebel group who somehow has managed to acquire weapons and roams about the DMZ despite the North Korean military’s massive presence in the area.
In general—if you go into Escape expecting some thoughtful examination about North-South Korean relations, you will leave disappointed. However, if you’re looking for a relatively short (the movie is 1 hour 34 minutes) and action-packed way to get a feel of South Korea’s existential woes, Escape is worth a look.
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Escape (Korean: 탈주)—South Korea. Dialog in Korean. Directed by Lee Jong-pil. First released July 3, 2024. Running time 1hr 34min. Starring Lee Je-hoon, Koo Kyo-hwan.
Escape has a North American theatrical release starting July 5, 2024. The film will also screen at the 2024 New York Asian Film Festival on July 14 and 18, 2024.
This article is part of Cinema Escapist’s dedicated coverage of the 2024 New York Asian Film Festival.