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12.12: The Day

12.12: The Day
Theatrical release poster
Hangul
서울의 봄
Literal meaningSpring of Seoul
Revised RomanizationSeoul-ui bom
Directed byKim Sung-su
Written by
  • Hong In-pyo
  • Hong Won-Chan
  • Lee Young-jong
  • Kim Sung-su
Produced byKim Won-kuk
Starring
CinematographyLee Mo-gae
Edited by
Music byLee Jae-jin
Production
company
Hive Media Corp.
Distributed byMegabox Plus M
Release date
  • November 22, 2023 (2023-11-22)
Running time
141 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
Budget₩23 billion[1]
(~US$17 million)[2]
Box officeUS$97.5 million[3][4]

12.12: The Day (Korean: 서울의 봄; pronounced "December 12: The Day") is a 2023 South Korean historical drama film directed by Kim Sung-su, starring Hwang Jung-min, Jung Woo-sung, Lee Sung-min, Park Hae-joon and Kim Sung-kyun.[5] The film is set against the backdrop of the December 12, 1979, military coup from the late 1970s to early 1980s.[6] It was released theatrically on November 22, 2023.[5]

The film has earned a worldwide gross of over US$97 million against a budget of about $17 million, making it the highest-grossing Korean film of 2023 and the fourth-highest-grossing Korean film of all time.[3][2][7] It was also selected as the South Korean entry for the Best International Feature Film category for the 97th Academy Awards.[8]

Plot

After President Park's assassination, martial law is declared. Security commander Chun Doo-gwang and the officers who follow him stage a coup. Lee Tae-shin, a stubborn commander of the Capital Garrison Command who believes that soldiers should not take political action, fights against Chun Doo-gwang. As the conflict between the two men grows, the military leaders postpone their decisions, and the Minister of Defense disappears. In this chaos, spring in Seoul, which everyone longs for, heads in an unexpected direction.

Cast

Production

Background

Director Kim Sung-su revealed at the press conference that he was a senior in high school at the time of the Coup d'état of December Twelfth and was living in Hannam-dong, Seoul, where the incident occurred. He left his house and was walking around the neighborhood, and when he heard a gunshot from the Army Chief of Staff's official residence, he went there, but the soldiers controlled it. He was scared because he heard gunshots all night and he couldn't get close, but he was full of curiosity and questions at the time because he couldn't figure out what was going on,[12] which led him to make this film.[13]

The scenes set at the headquarters of the South Korean army were shot at the headquarters of Kyungpook National University in Daegu, North Gyeongsang.

In the film, similar pseudonyms are used instead of the real persons' names and, although it is based on real events, there are also fictional elements.[13][14][15]

Filming

Principal photography began in February 2022 and ended in July 2022.[16]

Reception

Box office

As of December 3, 2023, 12.12: The Day has grossed $34.2 million with a running total of 4.66 million tickets sold.[17] It became the biggest film of 2023 in Korea, when it grossed $90.5 million by end of December 2023.[18] By the end of February 2024, it has grossed over $97 million.[3]

Public response

The film is set sometime in the 1980s, but Korean spectators consisted mostly of younger people (in their 20s and 30s) rather than middle-aged people (e.g. in their 40s and 50s).[19] There was even a heart rate challenge among them, where people would check their heart rate using their smartwatches while watching the movie, then take a picture of it and upload it on social media to express heightened stress or righteous anger while watching the film.[20][21]

As a consequence of the growing popularity of the film, Korean audiences showed an increasing interest in other film works with historical dimension, such as 5th Republic,[22] which focuses on the Korean Coup d'état of December Twelfth.[23]

Critical response

A review for Screen Daily indicated that the film was "also entirely accessible to viewers with little knowledge of South Korean politics."[24] "It's not often that a movie that's both so historically accurate and entertaining comes around, which makes 12.12 especially laudable.", wrote The Escapist.[25] Other reviews praised the production.[26][27][28]

Accolades

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.
Asian Film Awards 2024 Best Film 12.12: The Day Nominated [29]
Best Director Kim Sung-su Nominated
Best Actor Hwang Jung-min Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Park Hoon Won
Best Editing Won
Best Cinematography Lee Mo-gae Nominated
Baeksang Arts Awards 2024 Grand Prize – Film Kim Sung-su Won [30][31]
Best Film 12.12: The Day Won
Best Director Kim Sung-su Nominated
Best Actor Jung Woo-sung Nominated
Hwang Jung-min Won
Best Screenplay Hong In-pyo, Hong Won-chan, Lee Young-jong, Kim Sung-su Nominated
Technical Award Hwang Ho-kyun (SFX makeup) Nominated
Lee Mo-gae (Cinematography) Nominated
Blue Dragon Film Awards 2024 Best Film 12.12: The Day Pending [32]
Best Director Kim Sung-su Pending
Best Actor Jung Woo-sung Pending
Hwang Jung-min Pending
Best Supporting Actor Park Hae-joon Pending
Best Screenplay Hong In-pyo, Hong Won-chan, Lee Young-jong, Kim Sung-su Pending
Kim Sang-bum Pending
Best Cinematography and Lighting Lee Mo-gae, Lee Sung-hwan Pending
Best Art Direction Jang Geun-young, Eun Hee-sang Pending
Technical Award Jung Do-ahn (SFX) Pending
Buil Film Awards 2024 Best Film 12.12: The Day Nominated
Best Director Kim Sung-su Won
Best Actor Hwang Jung-min Nominated
Jung Woo-sung Won
Best Screenplay Hong In-pyo, Hong Won-chan, Lee Young-jong, Kim Sung-su Nominated
Best Cinematography Lee Mo-gae Nominated
Best Art/Technical Award Jang Geun-young Nominated
Best Music Lee Jae-jin Nominated
Director's Cut Awards 2024 Best Director (Film) Kim Sung-su Won [33]
Best Actor (Film) Hwang Jung-min Nominated
Jung Woo-sung Nominated
Best Screenplay Hong In-pyo, Hong Won-chan, Lee Young-jong, Kim Sung-su Won
Best New Actor (Film) Kim Eui-sung Nominated

See also

References

  1. ^ Kim, Da-sol (December 15, 2023). "'12.12: The Day' lifts November ticket sales in cinemas overall: KOFIC". The Korea Herald. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Lee, H. (November 24, 2023). "Jung Woo Sung and Hwang Jung Min's '12.12: The Day' Highly Praised by Both Critics and Audiences". ZAPZEE. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "12.12: The Day". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  4. ^ "KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) The Box office: 12.12: THE DAY (2023)". KOFIC. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Lee, Ha-neul (October 16, 2023). 황정민·정우성 '서울의 봄', 12·12 군사 반란 속 일촉즉발 상황...11월 22일 개봉 [Hwang Jeong-min and Jung Woo-sung's '12.12: The Day', a close call amid the 12/12 military rebellion... Released on November 22nd]. 10Asia (in Korean). Retrieved October 16, 2023 – via Naver.
  6. ^ [영화는실화다] 영화 '서울의 봄'_ 12·12 군사 반란 [[The movie is a true story] Movie '12.12: The Day'_ December 12 Military Uprising]. YTN (in Korean). November 24, 2023 – via Naver.
  7. ^ "KOBIS(발권)통계: The [Box Office - Historical Box Office]". Korean Film Council. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  8. ^ Patrick Frater, Leo Barraclough, Jamie Lang, Elsa Keslassy, Alex Ritman, Ellise Shafer (September 4, 2024). "International Oscar Race: Korea Selects Political Thriller and Box Office Sensation '12.12: The Day'". Variety. Retrieved September 5, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ a b c 고, 승아. '서울의 봄' 김의성→안내상, 긴박했던 12.12 호연으로 완성. Naver (in Korean). Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Kang, Hyo-jin (November 6, 2023). 서울의 봄' 정해인, 초고속 진급...일병→소령 변신 '찰떡같은 군복 핏 [Spring in Seoul's Jung Hae-in gets promoted super-fast...from private to major, 'military uniform fits perfectly]. SPOTV News (in Korean). Retrieved November 6, 2023 – via Naver.
  11. ^ Choi, Ji-ye (November 11, 2023). 특별출연 빛난다...'대세' 이준혁·정해인, '서울의 봄' 존재감甲 신스틸러 [TEN피플] [Special Appearance Shines...'Dae Se' Lee Jun Hyuk-Jung Hae In, 'Seoul Spring' Presence Kwon Shin Stiller [TEN People]]. 10Asia (in Korean). Retrieved November 13, 2023 – via Naver.
  12. ^ [이원 기자의 영화 人 a view] '서울의 봄' 김성수 감독 [[Reporter Won Lee's film People a View] '12.12: The Day' Director Kim Seong-soo]. The Kookje Daily News (in Korean). November 22, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023 – via Naver.
  13. ^ a b "Director Kim Sung-su blends fact with fiction to recreate 1979 coup d'état". Korea JoongAng Daily. November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023 – via Naver.
  14. ^ "Korea Box Office: '12.12: The Day' Brings Crowds Back to Cinemas". Variety. November 27, 2023.
  15. ^ "The harrowing real-life stories of the Korean military coup depicted in "12.12: The Day"". English Edition: The Hankyoreh. November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  16. ^ '서울의 봄' 김성수 감독 "연출 제안받고 '이게 나한테? 운명이다' 싶었다" [인터뷰①] ['12.12: The Day' Director Kim Seong-soo "When I received the offer to direct, I thought, 'This is for me? It's fate.'" [Interview ①]]. ChosunBiz (in Korean). November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  17. ^ Frater, Patrick (2023). "Korea Box Office: Political Thriller '12.12: The Day' Enjoys $13 Million Second Weekend Haul". Variety. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  18. ^ Shackleton, Liz (January 3, 2024). "Korean Action Drama '12.12: The Day' Grosses $90M At Local Box Office To Become Biggest Film Of 2023". Deadline. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  19. ^ [파고들기]MZ는 왜 '서울의 봄' 전두광에 분노할까 [[Dig into] Why is MZ angry at Jeon Doo-gwang for '12.12: The Day'?]. No Cut News (in Korean). November 30, 2023 – via Naver.
  20. ^ "'12.12: The Day' hits 4M moviegoers in 12 days". Korea JoongAng Daily. December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  21. ^ "내 심박수 봄?" ...영화 서울의봄 SNS 챌린지 열풍 ["Do you see my heart rate?" ...Film 12.12: The Day SNS Challenge Craze]. Kookmin Ilbo (in Korean). November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023 – via Naver.
  22. ^ "12·12 다룬 '서울의 봄'과 '제5공화국' ...뭐가 같고 뭐가 다른가" ['12.12: The Day' and '5th Republic', both of which were covered on Coup d'état of December Twelfth... What's the same and what's different?]. Ilyo Shinmun (in Korean). November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  23. ^ '남산의부장' OTT순위 재진입... '서울의봄' 인기에 근현대사 콘텐츠 열풍 ['The Man Standing Next' re-enters OTT rankings... Modern and contemporary history content craze due to popularity of '12.12: The Day']. Sports DongA (in Korean). November 30, 2023 – via Naver.
  24. ^ Berra2024-03-04T13:05:00+00:00, John. "'12.12: The Day': Review". Screen. Retrieved October 27, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ "Review: "12.12: The Day" Offers Faithful and Entertaining Dramatization of South Korea's 12.12 Military Insurrection". Cinema Escapist. July 8, 2024. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  26. ^ "12.12: The Day – South Korea's darkest day faithfully recounted". South China Morning Post. April 12, 2024. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  27. ^ Gorham, Luke (July 24, 2024). "12.12: The Day — Kim Seong-su [NYAFF '24 Review]". In Review Online. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  28. ^ "Udine 2024 Review: 12.12: THE DAY, Riveting Drama Brings Dark Episode of Korean History Into the Light". ScreenAnarchy. April 27, 2024. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  29. ^ Lee, Edmund (January 12, 2024). "Asian Film Awards 2024 nominations in full: Evil Does Not Exist and 12.12: The Day lead the field; 2 Hong Kong movies earn nods in 3 categories". South China Morning Post. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  30. ^ Lee, Seung-hoon (May 7, 2024). '무빙'→'서울의 봄' 대상..'파묘'는 4관왕 [제60회 백상예술대상][종합] ['Moving' → 'Seoul Spring' Grand Prize..'Buried Grave' wins 4 awards [60th Baeksang Arts Awards] [Comprehensive]]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024 – via Naver.
  31. ^ Hwang, So-young (April 8, 2024). 60회 맞은 '백상예술대상' TV·영화·연극 후보 공개 [60th 'Baeksang Arts Awards' TV, Film and Theater Candidates Revealed]. JTBC News (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024 – via Naver.
  32. ^ [청룡영화상] 1312만 '서울의 봄'부터→ 컴백 '베테랑2'까지..스크린 빛낸 韓영화 청룡으로 집결 [[Blue Dragon Film Awards] From 13.12 million 'Spring in Seoul' → Comeback 'Veteran 2' Korean films that lit up the screen gather at Blue Dragon]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). October 30, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2024 – via Naver.
  33. ^ Krishkim (March 8, 2024). "The 22nd Director's Cut Awards Unveils the Winners: Lee Byung Hun, Ahn Jae Hong & More". Zapzee. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
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