Inside North Korea

This Cold War-flavored assessment of the repressive and isolated North Korean regime delivers lots of useful historical information, but with more editorializing than one might normally expect from the History Channel. Still, it's hard to be neutral toward, much less supportive of, the family-built cult government that leaders Kim Il Sung and son Kim Jong Il have created in the East Asian nation. When originally broadcast, Inside North Korea was part of the Reign of Terror series, and it therefore features a breathy, half-whispered narration underscoring the “terror” part of the title, but the producers needn't have bothered, as the harrowing eyewitness testimonials about North Korean life and the hardships imposed on any who question or challenge government policies are terrifying enough. Although the program contains plenty of documentation related to its various charges and assessments, the prosecutorial tone adopted here tends to undercut the message: sure, the Kims are tyrants, but is everyday existence in North Korea really the equivalent of Sartre's view of Hell in No Exit as this documentary seems to suggest? Sadly, it may be, but a more evenhanded tone would have made a stronger case. Given the high level of interest in North Korea in the wake of its announcement that the country possesses nuclear weapons, this is a strong optional purchase. Aud: H, C, P. (M. Tribby)