The Point Men (2023): The Point Men is based on a true story about the Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan in 2007 and the following rescue mission. It is a slow film emphasizing negotiation and the turmoil a nation goes through when its citizens are in grave danger of being held hostage by terrorists. Throughout the film, there is tension between characters as decisions have to be made quickly, but everything seems to be going wrong. It is an exciting story of a Diplomat and a National Intelligence Service (NIS) agent’s decisions to rescue the hostages. The following article contains spoilers.
The Point Men (2023) Movie Synopsis & Plot Summary:
The film opens with the 9/11 attacks and America’s stand on Afghanistan. We see 23 or more Koreans being abducted by the Taliban in Afghanistan. They take them hostage and publicly demand that the Korean government let Taliban prisoners go and retreat Korean soldiers from Afghanistan in exchange for the hostages. Diplomat Jung Jae-ho (Hwang Jung-min) from Korea was sent to Afghanistan to negotiate with the Afghan government and help release Taliban prisoners to save the Koreans. At the same time, NIS agent Park Dae-sik (Hyun Bin) was released from Pakistan prison and sent to Afghanistan to help release the hostages. While Jae-ho is a diplomat who thinks of solving things diplomatically, Dae-sik is a risk-taker who uses any means to get the job done.
Both of them meet in Afghanistan, and Jae-ho ignores Dae-sik and refuses to share Intel with him. Jae-ho meets the Afghani Minister and promises to extend the stay of Korean troops if he can release the prisoners and help save the hostages. The Afghani minister agrees. Dae-sik warns Jae-ho that he knows nothing about the country and that the Taliban will not be easy to deal with. The Afghani minister held a press conference and publicly said he wouldn’t release the prisoners but find other ways to help the hostages. Jae-ho is baffled by this and confronts the minister. The minister tells him that he and his fellow citizens had to deal with the Taliban after they leave, so these were hard times with more challenging decisions.
Dae-sik finds a Korean man living in Afghanistan with a different identity speaking the local language. He takes his help and meets with a royal family that even the Taliban cannot harm. To Dae-sik’s surprise, Jae-ho meets the royal family to negotiate. They team up and convince the group chief to help the hostages. The following day news broke out the Taliban were going to release the hostage, but the celebrations were short-lived. A Korean news broadcasting station revealed that the hostages weren’t volunteers but missionaries and had signed a will before going to Afghanistan. After hearing the news, the group’s chief refuses to help them as he feels disrespected by being lied to.
All hell breaks loose as the Taliban are growing impatient and the Korean government cannot find solutions. The Taliban also refused to take ransom as they wanted the release of prisoners. Dae-sik tells Jae-ho that the last option is to negotiate with the Taliban face-to-face, but he refuses and wants to keep his reputation over saving the hostages. A man named Abdullah gives them a deal. He told them that he could release the prisoners and save the hostages for 2 million dollars.
Jae-ho does not trust him, but Abdullah calls someone, and Jae-ho hears the voices of the hostages. They decide to make the deal. Jae-ho and Dae-sik arrive to finish the deal, and all that is left is to hand over the money. Subsequently, Jae-ho receives a call from his subordinates stating that Abdullah is a fraud. Jae-ho and Dae-sik’s lives are in danger. Dae-sik chases this man and manages to kill him and retrieve the money.
The Taliban, by now, had killed two hostages, and they were growing restless. The Foreign Affairs minister flew from Korea to Afghanistan to sort out the matter. He asked for the help of American troops and together decided to attack the hiding Taliban. Jae-ho was asked to go back to Korea. Dae-Sik is worried about the hostages. Jae-ho has a change of heart and asks the higher up’s if he can negotiate with the Taliban directly. At first, he was refused, but he got a call from the President of Korea asking if he was sure about this decision and if the plan would work.
The Point Men (2023) Movie Ending, Explained:
The negotiation
Jae-ho told him it was a long shot, but he had to try. It was decided that Jae-ho would face the Taliban. Dae-sik helps him prep for the negotiation. Jae-ho and the translator meet the Taliban head. Jae-ho initially confirms if he really is the head of the Taliban by asking him to release three hostages, but he releases two. They negotiate, and the Taliban head asks to release 300 prisoners. But the Korean government does not agree, and Americans start throwing their missiles. Jae-ho manages to settle the matter with money amidst the missile attack and agrees. The hostages were free, and so was Jae-ho. But in the end, the Taliban asks one of them to stay back to be sure about the deal, and Dae-sik volunteers to stay while Jae-ho takes the hostages home.
Three months later
Jae-ho hadn’t heard from Dae-sik. He attended a press conference about a ship loaded with missiles on the Indian Ocean. He gets a call from Dae-sik, and we see him still in Afghanistan, blending with the surroundings. Jae-ho is happy to hear from him, and Dae-sik tells him he doesn’t want to meet him again as he doesn’t want to deal with any more crises.
The true story behind the film The Point Men (2023)
The Taliban abducted Korean missionaries in Afghanistan as the bus driver driving these missionaries let two locals enter the bus. These locals were none other than the Taliban. For over a month, the Taliban took the group in smaller groups to different locations. Before the negotiations began, the Taliban shot one of the hostages and later killed another. The Taliban demanded the Korean troops go back and release Taliban prisoners. Once the negotiations began, it was agreed that two hostages would be released. Still, because of some failed negotiations, the Taliban informed the government that releasing the hostages would be uncertain.
Indonesia intervened, and the release of the hostages was confirmed. The release occurred, and the Korean government paid $20 million as ransom. The Muslim community in Korea protested against the actions of the Taliban as they went against the teachings of Islam. The Missionaries (hostages) apologized for causing trouble to the government and the people.
The Point Men (2023) Movie Themes Analyzed:
Diplomacy (hostage negotiation)
The film explores the complexity of severe and time-constrained negotiations like these. The hostages are fighting for life and death, and the diplomats need to negotiate while also considering what is moral and where to cross and draw the line. Sometimes you have to set aside pride, image, and ethics to do what is right. As we see in the film Jae-ho forgets about the image of diplomats and negotiates with the Taliban directly, as saving the hostages is a priority.
Teamwork
Many special units will often have to come together to solve the issue at hand when dealing with serious crimes, especially with foreign affairs. They must let go of their differences and see what best can be done to help those in need. In this film, we see Dae-sik and Jae-ho hating each other, but once they join hands, they can devise a better plan to solve the problem.
Dangers of Terrorism
We see what terrorists are capable of in this film. Terrorists are people who don’t fear anything or anyone, and that makes them violent. They will do whatever it takes to achieve their goal, from murder, abduction, threats, suicide bombings, and more, just to get what they want. We see the consequences of dealing with such people. It is a fearsome state.
