Escape from Mogadishu 4K 2021

The highest-grossing film in South Korea in 2021, ‘Escape from Mogadishu’ will remind you of a number of films about civil wars and evacuations from hot spots, such as the American ‘Black Hawk Down’, the Indian ‘Air Transport’ or the Iranian ‘Damascus Time’. But there is one difference: the embassy staff fleeing the horrors of war represent two ideologically hostile countries, and in addition to their common enemy, they must resolve internal conflicts in order to survive.

The film was directed by blockbuster master Ryu Seung-wan (The Outlaws, The Berlin File) to make it authentic, and the crew spent about four months in Morocco (practically the same location where Ridley Scott filmed). The exotic landscapes enhance the sense of presence and immerse the viewer in the atmosphere of war-torn Somalia. The film features both experienced actors and non-professionals. The film has many emotional and unexpected situations, but there is no unnecessary sentimentality. The creators managed to spice up the plot with social and political elements and excellent action scenes. The most memorable scene is the convoy of cars under a hail of Molotov cocktails and bullets from rebels and government troops. Even in such inhuman conditions, representatives of the two Koreas try to preserve their humanity and true devotion to their homeland. The only downside for me is that the film does not attempt to understand why the civil war happened and how the opposing sides differ; for the director, the war is simply a backdrop against which he reveals his characters. As usual, no matter what Koreans film, the issue of the division of Korea always comes to the fore. Another point worth noting is that, although the film is set in the distant 1991, the scenes of panic and chaos in Mogadishu strongly echo recent events in Afghanistan.