North Korea has shown a new ballistic missile system, as well as a propaganda video promoting it. North Korean ruler Kim Jung Un appears with several of his generals in what appears to be a scene from a 1980s action movie, in what may be the best feat of cinematography I’ve ever seen. The inadvertent hilarity is out of this world.
I cannot emphasize enough how badly you need to watch this North Korean propaganda video right now.
— Jesse Singal (@jessesingal) March 27, 2022
It will forever change your understanding of film as an artistic medium. pic.twitter.com/bZc5NE6sih
In the midst of dramatic music and film edits, the North Korean ruler is out here glancing at his watch in a leather jacket–before pulling off a pair of gas station sunglasses. The footage then cuts to a blinking light with a loud alarm, followed by screaming troops yelling “launch!” The missile then launches from various angles.
But the good times don’t stop there. The music abruptly changes after the launch to something more joyous. Before turning to scenes of soldiers hugging and crying, we see Kim Jung Un and his generals fist-pumping. Finally, a still image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears on the screen to bring the events to a close.
Our adversaries are clearly emboldened. It’s almost as if foreign policy isn’t as simple as reading stern words from a teleprompter and not saying mean things on Twitter. For all the outrage over Donald Trump saying nice things about Kim Jung Un on occasion, the latter wasn’t launching new ballistic missiles or putting out propaganda videos that look like they were inspired by “Top Gun.”
Joe Biden’s flaws are obvious, and his continual gaffes on the international stage have made the US a laughingstock for tyrants all over the world. Foreign opponents of the United States have noticed breaches in the wall and have chosen to begin chipping away at it. That is not something I say cheerfully. That’s because it didn’t have to be like this. Chaos was not a given. That is, unfortunately, what we have received. We can only hope that things do not deteriorate further and that North Korea’s hostility remains contained within the bounds of shoddy propaganda videos.
