Ransomed

On the 31st of January 1986, Do Chae-sung, second secretary at the South Korean Embassy in Lebanon, was taken captive in Beirut. Several foreign hostages were known to be held there at the time, as gangs controlled much of the city following massively destructive wars with Syria and Israel. Getting them out was an arduous business and not everyone survived – nor did those who went looking for them. Kim Seong-hun’s latest thriller is a fictionalised take on the recovery of Do.

In this take, it’s an ambassador, Oh Jae-seok, who is abducted, causing shock in a country unused to being caught up in events of this sort. A year later, diplomat Lee Min-joon (Ha Jung-woo) is working late one night in the Department of Foreign Affairs when he receives a telephone call with a secret code: it means that Oh is likely still alive. Departmental distrust in intelligence agency the KCIA, which was known for blaming everything on Communists at the time, means that his bosses decide to try to negotiate Oh’s release themselves, and Lee, who hopes for a cushy job in the US if he can please his bosses, volunteers to manage the handover.

He is, of course, completely out of his depth, entering the conflict zone looking like he’s dressed for a business meeting and getting on the wrong side of the local police within minutes of arrival. Fortunately, he manages to stumble into a taxi driven by a Korean ex-pat, Kim Pan-su (Ju Ji-hoon) – a completely fictional character, but it’s a rare Korean thriller these days which doesn’t make room for a comedy sidekick. With his fabulously outré wardrobe and his dubious history, Kim is the perfect foil to the earnest diplomat. As Lee wises up and finds his courage, Kim faces a moral test and discovers – in the long tradition of scruffy cinematic heroes – that he’s not really the uncaring individualist he pretends to be.

Their adventures together in Beirut – where they are supported by a local gang led by the charismatic Karim (Fehd Benchemsi)m, but only for as long as Korea keeps paying him – pack in all the thrills you could want: splendidly choreographed car chases, explosions, daring escapes, an attack by a pack of wild dogs, and all the gun battles you can eat. Kim Seong-hun makes marvellous use of the tightly packed, rubble strewn city streets and the spectacular mountain scenery beyond. Lee’s inexperience makes him more vulnerable than the average hero and allows the audience to feel vulnerable too. Without stretching the bounds of credibility, the film delivers one action set piece after another, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.

It’s formulaic in places, but Kim proves adept at breathing new life into classic stunts. The two leads (who have worked together before) have great chemistry and really make us feel for their characters whilst delivering on entertainment. Meanwhile, the action is balanced by quieter but equally important events back home, where disputes between the FA and KCIA could expose our heroes to further danger, and where Lee’s colleagues are anxious to help if they can. Lee may make appeals to patriotism in the course of the story, but the film is not afraid to criticise aspects of Korean politics; in the end, its focus is not on institutions but on people.

A thrilling ride which still manages to merge closely with known real events (government papers on the Do case have yet to be declassified), Ransomed is the sort of blockbuster which Hollywood used to make before most of its big studios forgot how to have fun. Watch it on the biggest screen you can.