Today a Korean couplet telling of, because I like a bit of alliteration, the perfidy of politics.
The original version of
The Manchurian Candidate (1962) must be distinguished from its slick but less noteworthy 2004 remake. The original film is a brilliantly conceived and intricately plotted voyage through the paranoia of the Cold War, with the Korean War as its stepping-off point. There are no easily identified villains, not, at least, until the latish denouement and even then you are left on an uneven moral keel. In amongst all of this is a brilliant supporting performance from Angela Lansbury. A great film. 87/100.
The Spy Gone North is a South Korean film that pulls no punches in exposing the cynicism of its own political class, even as it lacerates the tragic stupidity of the regime in the North. It may take a while to get going but this is a genuinely intriguing movie, touching even. 74/100.
Both films can be found on iPlayer.
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