Film Review: 12.12: The Day (2023) by Kim Seong-su

Essentially a sequel o f”Man Standing Next”, in terms of the succession of historical events, “12.12: The Day” became the highest-grossing Korean film of 2023, with many citing it as the movie that saved Korean cinema in the particular year. 

The story begins in December 1979, after the assassinaton of President Park, with the whole country being in turmoil and martial law having been declared. The initial 30 minutes of the 140 of the movie set the base of what happened after the aforementioned events, additionally introducing the two main rivals, Defense Security Commander Chun Doo-gwan and Capital Defense Commander Lee Tae-sin, while the rest focus on the 9 hours which the coup unfolded, starting with the arrest of the Army Chief of Staff, Jeong Sang-ho. 

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Kim Seong-su directs the movie in a style that will remind many of the TV-news style implemented frequently in Japanese cinema (“Shin Godzilla”, “The Yakuza Papers” etc), an approach that allows the events to unfold in more coherent and analytical fashion, but also frequently makes the narrative labyrinthic, particularly regarding the plethora of characters present. Both these aspects are rather evident here, although the tension and the agony about what will happen eventually overcome the issue in the most entertaining fashion. 

It is not just the antithesis of the two rivals, both in demeanor and appearance, it is also the constant change of the upper hand and the switching of allegiances that keeps the story captivating from beginning to end. Furthermore, the question of who belongs to Hanahoe, the secret organization whose members led the coup, adds another level of mystery here, while the constant question of whether the President of the country will kowtow to Chun's “request” cements this aspect in the best fashion. 

Expectedly, and considering how the story unfolds, violence becomes part of the narrative eventually, with Kim handling this aspect nicely, through a sense of measure that actually adds to the entertainment the movie offers. The somewhat jingoistic and melodramatic elements could not be missing from a movie that was planned as a crowd-pleaser, but thankfully, Kim does not go overboard in those either, keeping them grounded and essentially restricted just to a small part towards the ending. 

The acting is definitely on a very high level. An unrecognizable Hwang Jung-min gives an astonishing performance as Chun Doo-gwan, with even the caricature-like aspects of the character being well presented. Jung Woo-sung as Lee Tae-sin has an easier role, having to look strict and determined the whole time, but is also quite convincing, while his growing despair is the highlight of his performance. Lee Sung-ming as Jeong Sang-ho cements the acting prowess here, with his dislike towards Chun being one of the most entertaining aspects of the whole movie. 

Expectedly, the production values are also on a very high level. Lee Mo-gae's cinematography captures both the stage-play like aesthetics of the interiors and the more action-oriented of the exteriors with artistry, while also inducing the movie with a noir-like essence, particularly since the majority of the story takes place during the night. Kim Sang-beom's editing is the main source of the TV news approach mentioned before, which also includes a rather fast pace, which again, works well for the presentation of the events but not that much on characterization. Furthermore, the way the story unfolds, some knowledge about Korean history is needed, although not exactly demanded. 

Perhaps a level lower than “Man Standing Next”, “12.12: The Day” still remains a captivating political thriller, benefitting the most by the story, the acting, and its production values.