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English Official Trailer (CJENM)
Two International Trailers (IMDb)
Official Japanese website (Kadokawa Pictures)
A bloody tragedy in a neighboring country not so long ago

On May 18, 1980, in Gwangju, South Korea, 25,000 martial law troops clashed with students and citizens demanding democratization. The “Gwangju Uprising” was depicted in a commercial film for the first time, fully portraying the tragedy of Gwangju. This moving work powerfully depicts the love of humanity that emerged from the tragedy of ordinary citizens caught in the crossfire of history. The movie surpassed 7.4 million viewers in South Korea, ranking among the top 10 box office hits of all time. (Source: Film materials)
Back then, the Gwangju Uprising was something I only saw in black-and-white news photos. Later, even the footage that became available was fragmentary, but it was shocking enough to provoke global outrage. However, seeing the indiscriminate killing of citizens recreated in color video, rather than just words or still images, delivered a strong emotional shock.
The events, once seen only in news photos, have been faithfully recreated based on historical records. Watching these scenes come to life in color and motion gave me a profound realization of what truly happened during those tragic days in Gwangju.
A human drama that shed light on nameless citizens

This film was created with the motif of shedding light on the nameless citizens who became victims in Gwangju. As a result, it entirely excludes political backgrounds and assertions, portraying the incident solely through the perspective of ordinary people living in Gwangju. In other words, this film is a human drama set against the backdrop of the incident, and even those uninterested in political matters will find it compelling to watch.
In fact, the victims of the Gwangju Uprising were overwhelmingly individuals with no connection to political ideologies. While there may be criticism about the absence of depictions of the incident’s historical context, as an ordinary viewer, I feel that the essence of “what happened in Gwangju” is conveyed in a way that resonates not with the head, but with the heart.
Historical Background Supplement

It may seem overly meticulous to mention, but as a supplement: at the time, South Korea had been under long-standing authoritarian rule by President Park Chung-hee, who was assassinated by one of his close aides. His successor, President Choi Kyu-hah, promised democratization, sparking a wave of optimism referred to as “Seoul’s Spring.” The military’s leadership largely aligned with this democratization trend.
However, Major General Chun Doo-hwan, opposed to this movement, staged a “purge coup,” arresting and purging the military’s top brass to seize power. He declared martial law, leading to the arrest of prominent politicians. Unsurprisingly, nationwide protests arose demanding the lifting of martial law and democratization. Chun’s Martial Law Command dismissed these demands as “incited by North Korea,” and responded with military suppression. In particular, Chun deployed his loyal forces to Gwangju, ultimately killing over 600 people. While citizens resisted, they were suppressed, and Chun went on to assume the presidency.
Seven years later, the democratization movement regained momentum, partly triggered by revelations of a Seoul National University student’s death under torture by public security authorities. These protests eventually forced democratization, leading to investigations into the truth, the restoration of the honor of Gwangju citizens, and state compensation. Chun Doo-hwan, by then a former president, was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment for treason (later pardoned).
Commitment to Accurate Reenactment of Events
Director Kim Ji-hoon conducted extensive interviews with numerous survivors of the Gwangju Uprising and meticulously examined records from the time during the film’s production. It is said that the film’s recreation of Gwangju’s streets prior to the incident, among other details, is remarkably accurate. In the English trailer, actual news footage from the Gwangju Uprising transitions seamlessly into scenes from the movie, a shift so natural that it left me breathless and deeply moved.

While the overarching human drama in the story is fundamentally fictional, the main characters are based on real-life figures. Moreover, the actions of the martial law forces within Gwangju are entirely based on actual events and behaviors, rather than dramatized to depict them as “villains.” The film reenacts true incidents such as the massacre of individuals with intellectual disabilities (the first victims of the Gwangju Uprising) and attacks on civilian buses. These real-life victims are the focus of the film. Of course, as it is not a documentary, some have criticized the portrayal of citizen resistance as exaggerated or the martial law forces as overly weak, and pointed out inaccuracies in weapons used. However, I felt the film succeeds in recreating the events in a way that is even more comprehensible than a documentary.
I hope that such tragedies never happen again. Let us pray for a world where peace and democracy endure in every corner. My heartfelt condolences to the citizens who lost their lives.
Amazon Prime Video / Details (eiga.com)
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