1987: When the Day Comes

The story begins with a corpse, a student tortured to death by the anti-communist secret police. This should be another forgotten death, but there's a general sense of outrage and one after another, the officials whose paper trail would normally cover up the mess, refuse to cooperate. As the story snowballs, the lives of those involved, as well as the broader political situation, change significantly.

A thrilling and moving film, well directed and acted, as well as informative for those of us who don't know much modern Korean history.

For the past decade, South Korea has steadily presented motion pictures based on real life figures and events in its modern history. May 18 (2007) and National Security (2012) were solid movies, well-intended and meaningful, but generally deemed too serious to reach a large audience. A Taxi Driver (2017) was a huge commercial success, grossing $88 mil/12 mil admissions in the domestic box office. Still, many regretted that the movie left something to be desired in terms of cinematic quality.

And here at the end of the year that commemorates the 30 years of the June Democratic Uprising came a motion picture that delivers both an accurate account of history and ample entertainment value. Despite a complex plot with a large ensemble cast (K-movie fans will have a blast recognizing those faces!), the movie never loses its focus--not a single scene redundant or wasted. Opening with a death of a college student during a police interrogation, the movie spends the first half of its running time as a well-crafted political/crime thriller. Then more characters appear and more things happen...which all culminates in that fateful day in June 1987.

To those that are not familiar with contemporary Korean history, the plot may seem contrived. But almost all speaking roles in this move are based on real life figures, with their motives and actions intact, which I believe makes the whole story even more astonishing.

E. H. Carr defined that history is an unending dialogue between the past and present. I would say that this movie is a superb example of how a motion picture can facilitate such a dialogue.

10/10

Military power politics and authoritarian governments should be resolutely resisted. People need to learn from historical events rather than hide the truth. After all, the truth cannot be concealed.

This is a movie more than a movie. It's also a history, emotions and lives in Korea, 1987.

No actor(actress) has been consumed in vain in the movie.

Every moment is well directed. This is the great movie such like 'Citizen Kane' and 'Shawshank Redemption'. It's a historical movie, a humanism drama dedicated to freedom fighters all around the world.

*. 1987: The direct democracy has been declared in Korea. 2017: The corrupt government has been collapsed in Korea.

This movie goes between a nail-biting spy thriller, a gorgeous display of nature amid chaos, a hard-to-watch document of torture, and a rousing cry of patriotism all without slipping into exploitation. Contrary to what some people have said, I thought the movie found a way to celebrate the need for democracy amid oppression without painting the oppressors as cartoonishly evil. Every character had a role to play in this ensemble, in a story that truly encompassed a nation. Definitely paying more attention to this director for providing this masterpiece.