Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: THE ASSASSIN(S) [Toronto Internernational Film Festival - Toronto, Ontario]
The aspect of conflicting voices and how they made their point in a crucial point in the last century takes center stages in "The Assassin(s)" (Gala Presentations) which speaks of an assassination attempt of the South Korean president in 1974 during Liberation Day by a Japanese sleeper agent. As the film begins, there are some aspects where the police are being thwarted by state agents with a sense of what is going to happen. The subterfuge is an interesting play especially when the local press is trying to report the truth. Not having full knowledge of the Korean state at that time, it is interesting as the film plays out depicting the higher agents in the country administration and how they come in and beat up their underlings ritualistically. This continues as the press starts to uncover the lapses in security but also a cover story of what could have been misconstrued or simply meant to unbalance the context of power. The lead police detective who just wants to maintain his position as it is watches his protege with a baby on the way slowly being destroyed because of the context of being a scapegoat.
Meanwhile a rookie reporter trying to make his bones, also because a family member is in charge. This rookie sees the assassination attempt first hand and is bent on making sure his story is right even if it brings down the paper. The film does meander back and forth on certain details but does keep the pressure on. Granted a certain cultural tradition/perspective might be lost because the intention of the Japanese state (or at least the dissension forces within it) doesn’t present more to its ambition than the essence of instability. But even in the context of the would-be assassin and what he thinks he stands for reflects in different ways behind the scenes. The film points to a misdirect, not unlike many attributes in the JFK and Bobby Kennedy assignations where the proclivities might happen inside but because of an outside force. The reality is that the imbalance of power from local to state and the aspect of the free press was a significant problem here because certain voices need to ring out which still reflects as a problem even today. "The Assassin(s)" speaks of knowing (or not knowing) where the right force is coming from even when it is right in front of you. The film uses a puzzle and snake mentality that many great South Korean thrillers do but basing it on true life creates both an issue of dramatic license up while maintaining a sense of truth in the proceedings. 83%/B/B-
By Tim Wassberg
