Related lists from IMDb users
Title: Bereullin (2013)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jung-woo Ha | ... | Pyo Jong-sung | |
| Suk-kyu Han | ... | Jung Jin-soo | |
| Seung-bum Ryoo | ... | Dong Myung-soo (as Seung-beom Ryu) | |
| Jun Ji-Hyun | ... | Ryun Jung-hee (as Gianna Jun) | |
| Kyeong-Yeong Lee | ... | Ri Hak-soo | |
| John Keogh | ... | Marty | |
| Numan Acar | ... | Abdul | |
| Pasquale Aleardi | ... | Dagan | |
 |
Moo-Seong Choi | ... | Kang Min-ho |
| Do-won Kwak | ... | Blue House Investigator | |
| Seo-hyeong Kim | ... | North Korean Embassy Secretary | |
|
|
Thomas Thieme | ... | Sigmund |
| Tayfun Bademsoy | ... | Asim | |
| Werner Daehn | ... | Yuri | |
|
|
Sinja Dieks | ... | Restaurant Waitress |
A North Korean agent in Berlin is betrayed and cut loose in the midst of a financial espionage intrigue. Together with his wife, a translator at the North Korean embassy in Berlin, they try to escape being purged, as North and South Korean operatives relentlessly pursue them. Written by Anonymous
The Berlin File is a combination of the serious and glamorised spy film strands. While on the one hand, its plot deals with contemporary issues and politics in a serious way, it also has several explosive action scenes. It's a terrific combination to be perfectly honest, both strands blend seamlessly into one and other. The plot-line is in fact pretty complex and convoluted so it is necessary to pay attention. In very brief summary it's about a botched arms deal that leads to civil strife between North Korean secret agents and ends up involving the South Koreans, the CIA, Mossad and the Arabs. That is of course a ludicrously simplified plot summary but there are too many twists and turns in this one to adequately describe without recourse to too much synopsis.
The characters are well drawn, particularly the two North Korean agents and their South Korean equivalent. They are convincing and strong anchors to base this story on. In fact seeing as this is a South Korean film it's nice to note that the hero of the piece is a North Korean agent. This adds an unusual subversion of expectations. The location for the film too has been specifically chosen. Berlin is the one European city that historically most clearly mirrors Korea. It was divided East and West like Korea is North and South, with one half capitalist the other communist. The old East Germany was very similar to North Korea. But irrespective of the politics, it's just a good idea in general to use a modern European city as the setting for an Asian action flick. It gives the whole thing a more original feel. Seeing the German location used as the battleground for intense Korean action sequences works really well. Those scenes are well worth waiting for. They are a combination of martial arts, gun fights and chases. They are all extremely well controlled and exciting.
The Berlin File is an excellent action flick with a lot in it that makes it feel fresh and vibrant. Definitely recommended.