Despite the threats from North Korea of a 9/11-style attack on American moviegoers should they watch the film The Interview, thousands of people defied the warnings and did go and see screenings of the controversial comedy on Dec. 25. The day passed without incident. This can probably be attributed in part to the fact that despite Pyongyang's history of often withering criticism of the US and strong threats of retribution whenever North Korea feels endangered or believes it has been slighted, the huff and puff has in the past always amounted to little more than angry words void of physical reprisals. There is also the absurd notion that a government would actually go to such lengths as launching a terrorist attack against a people of another country simply because of a movie, in this case a fictional story about a couple of journalists who get recruited by the CIA to assassinate the North Korean leader. The story is make-believe. It never happened and most probably never will. That North Korea was nevertheless so incensed by the film that it announced such a threat strikingly shows the two completely different worlds the two countries come from. In American eyes, films are an art and art is expression and free expression is ingrained in their society. In this freedom, nobody or anything is revered or sacrosanct. There is no such freedom in North Korea, especially with its leaders who are looked on as supreme untouchable beings and where any perceived crossing of red lines in that respect could lead to jail or even execution. In two cases, North Korea is on the wrong side of the law. If it indeed played a part in the hacking of Sony, said to be the most destructive cyberattack ever on a US company, then it broke the law. To be sure, even though the FBI said its analysis pointed the finger at North Korea, many cyber security experts have come forward to dispute this assertion. And it has also violated the law by explicitly threatening violence for those who go to see the film. It was thus a matter of American principle to show the film, for after Sony Pictures originally pulled the movie, it reconsidered after critics - including the US president - said freedom of expression was under threat. It raised concerns that Hollywood was setting a precedent of self-censorship. This explains why moviegoers in America openly defied threats from Korea after it warned of dire consequences for people who visit the cinemas. The North Korea saber-rattling threat unwittingly had the opposite effect of what it intended. Instead of nobody watching the film, the storm of controversy surrounding the movie and its delay has naturally propelled the picture into one of the most talked-about movies of the year. Tickets for the limited screenings sold out within hours or even minutes. This is despite reviews by critics that the movie is not really a top-notch work of art and though supposedly a comedy, is not really that funny after all. Sony is not losing money over the film; if anything the controversy has provided a boon for the company. While the major cinema chains are still not screening the film, its release is a bonus for smaller and independent theaters. Sony will also profit from the decision to make the movie available online. North Korea could still do something crazy after Dec. 25. The important thing is for Pyongyang to understand that North Korea is not the United States and vice versa.
