South Korean film “12.12: The Day” is an intense fictionalized version of what happened at one terrible night of December 1979 in Seoul. Although I and many other South Korean audiences are well aware of how the story eventually ends, the movie did a fairly good job of holding our attention for more than 2 hours, and it wisely lets us reflect more on one of the darkest times in the South Korean history during the late 20th century when it finally arrives at its expectedly grim and bitter ending.

At the beginning, the movie quickly shows and tells how things became quite uncertain after the sudden assassination of Park Chung-hee, a military dictator who ruled over the country for 18 years since his coup d’état in 1961 and then got killed by one of his right-hand guys on October 26th, 1979. As everyone at the top of the South Korean government and military tried to handle the aftermath as much as possible, many people in South Korea demanded democracy more than before, and it looked like a spring of democracy would come to the country at last.

However, there was one ambitious military general on the rise, and the early part of the film depicts how insidiously he usurped the South Korean government and military step by step. After being charged with the investigation on Park’s assassination, General Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min), who is clearly based on Chun Doo-hwan, promptly embarks on taking control here and there, and many of his inner circle members in the South Korean Army gladly support and assist him without any hesitation.

Of course, this does not look that good to Jeong Sang-ho (Lee Sung-min), who is apparently based on Jeong Seung-hwa, the South Korean Army Chief of Staff at that time. After seeing how Jeon and his people occupy one spot after another at the top of the South Korean Army, the chief naturally becomes warier of Jeon, so he appoints Lee Tae-shin (Jung Woo-sung), who is indubitably based on General Jang Tae-wan, as the new Commander of the Capital Garrison Command in Seoul because Lee is one of the most trustworthy and responsible generals in the South Korean Army.

However, around the time Jeong and General Lee attempt to stand on his way to the absolute power, General Chun has already been planning a coup d’état along with his inner circle members. First, they are going to “arrest” the chief for an utterly false charge, and they will quickly get the official authorization from the current President, who is your average pushover to be bullied or persuaded by General Chun.

Once he belatedly comes to realize what is happening right now, General Lee tries to do what he is supposed to do as a soldier who swore to protect his country and government, but, alas, he soon finds himself quite frustrated and exasperated not only outside but also inside. While General Chun and his accomplices gradually take the control of the ongoing situation outside, General Lee is frequently blocked by the sheer incompetence of top-ranking generals and government officials, and the possibility of defeat become more imminent to him and a few trusted soldiers and officials of his minute by minute.

I do not know how much the movie fictionalizes its real-life story, but director/co-writer King Sung-su and his crew members including cinematographer Lee Mo-gae and editor Kim Sang-beom did a commendable job of engaging us throughout its rather long running time (141 minutes). Although it often busily juggling a number of characters and storylines, the movie never gets us lost or confused, and it thankfully does not try any unnecessary melodrama as efficiently conveying to us a palpably suspenseful sense of urgency and desperation along the story.

In case of the main cast members of the film, they dutifully fill their respective spots with each own presence. Hwang Jung-min surely has the showiest role in the movie as expected, and he accordingly chews every scene of his as the movie coldly presents his character as a vile and domineering bully willing to go all the way for his despicable military gamble. On the opposite, Jung Woo-sung is effective as an unflappable man of integrity and honor, and he is especially good during one dramatic scene where his character valiantly stops alone a bunch of approaching soldiers on a bridge to Seoul. Several main cast members including Lee Sung-min, Park Hae-joon, Kim Sung-kyun, and Kim Eui-sung are also fine in their crucial supporting parts, and Jung Man-sik, who has been one of notable South Korean character actors since I and other South Korean audiences noticed his substantial supporting turn in Yang Ik-june’s powerfully gritty independent film “Breathless” (2008), makes the best of his rather brief appearance as a hardcore general who will not easily step back at all just like General Lee even when he is really against the wall.

In conclusion, despite some glaring weak points including its inherent lack of substantial female characters in the story, “12.12: The Day”, which is released as “Spring in Seoul” in South Korean theaters today, skillfully handles the tragic aspects of its gloomy historical aspects, and it feels rather timely considering how not only South Korean and many other countries in the world are more threatened by the ongoing rise of fascism day by day. Yes, this is surely a “feel-bad” film, but it engaged me enough in addition to inducing some thought and reflection in my mind after the screening, and that is what a good movie can do in my inconsequential opinion.