Genre: Military Drama – Based on true events
Platform: Amazon Prime
Time : 2 Hours 20 minutes
Director: Sung Soo Kim
Cast: Hwang Jung-min (Chun Doo-gwang). Jung Woo-sung (Lee Tae-shin)
Historical Facts: Korea was occupied by both Soviet Union and USA in 1945. Since Korea’s division in 1945 due to Cold War politics, North Korea has been a family dictatorship. South Korea was first “democratic”, then became a dictatorship with anyone voicing any opinion being dubbed a “Northie Communist”. Singman Rhee was its “democratically elected” ruler till 1961. General Park Chung Hee ruled from 1961 to 1979, when he was assassinated by his intelligence chief. Following a brief “spring” , General Chun Doo Hwan became absolute ruler from 1980 to 1988 when the first true democratic elections took place. Since 1988, South Korean politics has been democratic.
Film: How do you show “villains” triumphing by a film’s end, while the “heroes” who struggle against them, are overwhelmed, even if morally and ideologically they are right ? Will the sympathy be with the underdog hero, who is morally right and true to his duty ? How to present such a monumental event as the transition from dictatorship to a brief spring to a military coup ? Typically most films mess with history but this film shows it as it is without passing any judgement. The judgement if any is in our head.
The tight script with no unnecessary flight of fancy does it brilliantly and is set in the transition period between Park Chung Hee’s death and Chun Doo Hwan’s rise. The names are fictionalised to Chun Doo HWANG – wonder why; perhaps some intricacy of South Korean politics or simply the need to say that “this is fiction, “based on a true story” and not against Chun Doo HWAN”. The hero is a morally upright officer, General Lee Tae Shin, who is selected for his political neutrality, by the Commander in Chief, to head the prestigious Capital Garrison Command (CGC) based in the capital Seoul, the force that has been historically always involved in military coups. There is only one problem -all the key commanders who report to Shin, are all part of a secret group Hanahae, whose leader is Hwang. Hwang has picked leaders from various strategic formations and whose blood oath is to “die for Korea”, rather than surrender.
In such a situation, Shin’s lone fight is destined to fail , as he hardly has any loyal troops and the Hanahae have taken over all the key positions of power. The President is a rubber stamp and so is the Minister of Defence who first rushes to the American Embassy to seek their advice and on being told that it is “an internal Korean matter”, returns and supports the “rebels” against the very few loyal troops.
Planning. Back stabbing. Loyalty. Deception. Greed for power. Cowardice. Politics. Survival . Almost all human emotions are in play while the cunning General Hwang goes about pressurizing the politicians to sign a document that gives him absolute power.
This is a brilliant tense dramatized cinema that shows what happened and what could have happened while a “timestamp with locations” such as “10:30 pm CGC Control Toom”, “10:45 pm Presidential Palace”, ’11 pm rebel Secret HQ” , and so on, flash onscreen to give an idea of locations and who is involved in which activity , be they pro or anti Government.
What is most important is that the film makers have dealt with what is a dark period in recent Korean history in a factual manner, showing the politicians as weaklings who did not stand up to a bully while some loyal troops fought and died for the Government whose politicians were supposed to protect them. There are absolutely no sanitisations of this period and the entire film deals with the initial chess moves of the politicians which is countered and finally “won” by the military coup plotters.
The final photograph shows the real photo of the plotters and what happened to them, how they were given key positions in the military government including foreign affairs, domestic affairs , education and so on. A slight warning – since most of the real action happened at night, the night photography leads to an ominous note to the happenings but at the same time, will have you reaching for the brightness button on your screen.
A no holds barred warts and all look at a key period in South Korean history that makes absolutely stunning and absorbing film. Forget the odd masala moment – they don’t impede the narrative. DO NOT miss it on Amazon Prime.
Real History – 4 out of 5
Script – 5 out of 5
Story – 4 out of 5
Direction – 5 out of 5
Photography – 4 out of 5
Total – 4.4 out of 5
Nice review, Rammesh.
Have to watch it!
I am sure it will be good – going by your earlier “spot-on” reviews.