Before getting too far into this review, I think it needs to be stated that I believe this is a documentary that everybody should watch. Keeping that in mind, I am posting an embedded link to the full documentary on YouTube below, with total disregard to any copyright infringements. I am of firm believe that this documentary is so revealing, and important, that it would any infringements would also invoke fair use for the purpose of education.
So what is it all about then? Clearly, the implications of the North Korean government are understood by the title alone, however, this documentary takes a somewhat different approach while scrutinizing the systems in place in North Korea, and the human rights violations that we’ve all come to know about. Frontline brings us a new face to North Korea in this expose, and this time it’s the face of the common people.
“Imperialist pressures”, known to all us depraved folk as the internet, smart phones, and digital video, have been systematically chipping away at people’s perception of the ruling class, both within and outside of the country’s borders. People have been putting their lives at risk to smuggle Hollywood box office hits across the Chinese border and into the hands of entertainment starved North Koreans. In the other direction, North Koreans have been risking all in order to smuggle video footage of the terrifying lives of many people doomed to a life trapped behind closed borders.
Some of the latter videos were such tear jerkers, that even thinking about it now may cause one to choke up (that’s a way of trying to save face while vaguely admitting that I cried). I don’t want to reveal exactly the footage that would cause such an emotional response, however, as I feel it takes away from the experiences of the people who were interviewed.
Again, I would close by repeating that this documentary is a must watch. The Secret State of North Korea was rated 7.8/10 on IMDB.