‘Uprising’: Busan Review

Dir: Kim Sang-man. South Korea. 2024. 127mins

During the late 16th-century Joseon Dynasty, an unlikely bond between a wealthy man and his servant is tested first by rigid societal expectations about status, and then by the upheaval of the six-year Imjin War with Japan. A sweeping period actioner full of impressive set pieces, Uprising effectively uses the undulations of this central friendship between two young men as a barometer for the changing attitudes of a population. While some of the messaging may be heavy handed, the film’s brisk pace and strong central performances from Korean stars Gang Dong-won (Peninsula, Broker) and Park Jeong-min (Decision To Leave) largely keep things light.

A period drama with a distinctly modern sensibility

Directed by Kim Sang-man (Midnight FM, The Tenor), Uprising (previously titled War And Revolt) comes to Netflix on October 11 after opening the Busan International Film Festival. The first collaboration between Netflix and Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Decision To Leave), who has co-written the screenplay and also produces, Uprising should have no trouble attracting viewers, who will also be drawn by the film’s cast and its bombastic dramatisation of a crucial moment in Korea’s history. (Opening subtitles tell us that this is ‘a work of fiction based on historical events’.)

Further subtitles explain the teachings of Joseon Dynasty scholar Jeong Yeo-rip about the value of equality between all men – views which saw him accused of treason. His ideas are in marked contrast to the beliefs of Korea’s reigning monarch, King Seong (Cha Seung-won), who is rabidly committed to the idea that the monarch is God-like and untouchable. This tension between subjugation and equality, master and servant, is the foundation of the narrative.

That tension is explored primarily through the unlikely years-long friendship between Jong-ryeo (Park Jeon-min), the scion of a wealthy military family, and his servant Cheon-yeong (Gang Dong-won), after they bonded as children when Cheon-yeong taught Jong-ryeo his masterful swordsmanship. Multiple flashbacks recall their developing friendship; it’s made explicitly clear early on that, despite their different backgrounds, the two young men are something of kindred spirits – neither comfortable fitting into their expected roles.

After the Japanese forces invade in 1592 – vicious marauders in intimidating dress and monstrous horned helmets – the pair’s paths diverge. Seven years later, and with over a million Koreans dead, the country is in the grip of malnutrition and disease. Jong-ryeo and Cheon-yeong are now firmly on opposite sides of the political, as well as social, divide, with Jong-ryeo in service to the king’s desire for revenge against those who fail to serve him – which includes Cheon-yeong. The former friends will have to choose between loyalty to a wider cause, or to each other. This tale of a servant standing up to his master reflects the wider themes of Korea facing up to the might of Japan, and the common people railing against their corrupt King.

Revenge and redemption are familiar themes for Park Chan-wook and, writing with Shin Chul, he brings emotional depth and intrigue to the waxing/waning bond between Cheon-yeong and Jong-ryeo. Gang Dong-won and Park Jeong-min navigate the different beats of the story well, believable as both loyal, against-the-odds friends and furious adversaries, fuelled by anger. 

For a film committed to ideas of peaceful unity there is plenty of violent combat, to which Kim Sang-man and cinematographer Ju Sung-lim take a meticulously choreographed approach. Swirling fog, cameras mounted to swords and extreme close-ups bring a visceral immediacy to the frequent clashes, which are impressively executed by the cast — including Hellbound star Kim Shin-rock as the film’s sole female fighter Bumdong — and play out to a propulsive score which favours electric chords and heavy bass. Indeed, from its crisp visuals to its ideas of common people speaking truth to power, Uprising is a period drama with a distinctly modern sensibility.