THE NEGOTIATION

Korea, 2018, 114 minutes, Colour.
Hyun Bin, Le-jing Son, Sang-ho Kim.
Directed by Jong Seok Lee.

For anyone looking for an effective Korean thriller, this can be recommended.

As the title indicates, and in the police context, this is a film about a negotiator in a hostage situation. The negotiator is a young detective from the Seoul police, called in from holidays to mediate when two robbers have a man and a woman as hostages. She proceeds to use her skills but is interrupted by the authorities who make the decision that an armed support team should go into action. Robbers and hostages all killed.

There is a transition then to Thailand and the taking of a journalist. A police chief is also taken as a hostage. The person behind the taking of the hostages is revealed as a young businessman, in the arms trade. He wants discussions about deals, corruption, and records the communications.

While the picture of the police, the negotiator and her somewhat comic assistant, is very interesting, there are, as might be expected, further complications. The woman hostage killed at the beginning of the film is the sister of the arms dealer. He is out for vengeance. But, he also has detailed information about corruption and deals involving significant authority figures.

The negotiator is often thwarted, has feelings of guilt because of her responsibility for the woman’s death, nevertheless she continues to work, discovering some significant facts about the siege situation, sends her assistant to discover the truth.

And, there are some twists concerning the arms dealer, his blowing up the hostage scene, his surviving and the buildup to the confrontation with the authorities who think that he has been killed.

Interesting and entertaining for this kind of police negotiator film.

1. A police thriller? Hostage thriller? Political thriller? Government corruption, arms deals?

2. The setting, Korea, police officers, hostage situations, surveillance and monitoring? The sequences in Thailand? The musical score?

3. The title, the detective, her skill, on holidays, the dress and the criticisms, the officer bringing her to the case? The situation, the two men holding hostages, the hostages themselves and the dangers? The negotiator and her skills, questions? The chief intervening, the SWAT team, her resistance, the going in, the killing of the criminals, the deaths of the hostages? And the later revelations and repercussions?

4. The episode in Thailand, the journalist, his eluding escape, being captured, held? The police chief and his being held? Min and the hostage-taking? His communication? The research about his background, the negotiator wanting the information, his large interest in arms dealing? His personality? The revelation about his sister and her role? Her death?

5. The authorities, the point of view, the discussions, accusations, possible corruption, arms deals, the paintings, covering wealth? The revelation of the role of the sister and her getting the information?

6. Min, his age, personality, the negotiations, the discussions with the negotiator? Her not being fully informed about the situations? Her assistant and his investigations?

7. The recordings, involvement of the authorities, the different responsibilities? The accusations?

8. Min, the explosives, the attacking team, the explosion and destruction?

9. The negotiator, seeing the time difference, the realisation that the Thai setting was invented? That Min was in Korea? Her getting staff to find out when he came into the country?

10. The assistant, his finding the house, supplying the information?

11. The discussions, everything being taped, the authorities and their disdain, leaving? Arrogant behaviour?

12. The realisation that Min was in Korea, their being called, further negotiations, the negotiator herself? Her feeling guilty because of Min’s sister’s death?

13. The final confrontation, military, weapons, smoke? The wounding of Min? His death?

14. The negotiator, her trying to arrest the authority, his disdain?

15. Her having the records, at the tombs of Min and his sister?

16. The courts, her oath, supplying the information, truth and vindication?