The Man Standing Next

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The Man Standing Next
File:The Man Standing Next movie poster, Jan 2020.jpg
South Korean theatrical release poster
Directed by Woo Min-ho
Produced by Kim Chul-yong
Screenplay by <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • Woo Min-ho
  • Lee Ji-min
Starring <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Music by Jo Yeong-wook
Cinematography Go Nak-seon
Edited by Jeong Ji-eun
Production
company
Hive Media Corp.
Distributed by Showbox
Release dates
 22 January 2020
Running time
 114 min
Language Korean
Budget $18 million
Box office $34.7 million[1]

The Man Standing Next (Hangul: 남산의 부장들; hanja: 南山의 部長들; RR: Namsanui bujangdeul; lit. Chiefs of Namsan) is a 2020 South Korean political drama film directed by Woo Min-ho. Based on an original novel of the same title, the film stars Lee Byung-hun, Lee Sung-min, Kwak Do-won, and Lee Hee-joon as the high ranking officials of the Korean government and the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) during the presidency of Park Chung-hee 40 days before his assassination in 1979.[2]

The film premiered in South Korea on 22 January 2020, where it topped the box office until 4 February 2020.[3][4][5][6] It was released in the United States on 24 January 2020.[7] It was selected as the South Korean entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.[8][9][10] The film was released in Japan on 22 January 2021, under the name KCIA.[11]

Synopsis

In the 1970s, Korea is under the absolute control of President Park who controls the KCIA, the organization with an edge over any branch of government. The director of the KCIA, Kim Gyu-pyeong, is nearly the second-in-command, but faces rivalry from the president's security chief. In the midst of a reign of fear, a former KCIA director, Park Yong-gak, who knows all about the government's obscure and illegal operations, goes into exile, and testifies in front of the U.S. Congress, opening the floodgates to the investigation of Koreagate. As tension escalates, stifling political maneuvers by those desiring power collide explosively.

Plot

Park Yong-gak, a former KCIA director, testifies against the South Korean President, Park, in a United States Senate Committee investigation. With the threat of Park publishing his manuscript on the regime, President Park of South Korea sends Kim Gyu-pyeong, the current KCIA Director to stop Park Yong-gak from publishing his manuscript. Kim goes to Washington, where the two meet and Kim demands the manuscript from Park. Park Yong-gak hands it over but implies the president's corruption by suggesting that President Park is being financially backed by offshore Swiss accounts.

With his mission accomplished, Kim returns to South Korea and consequently, faces conflict with Kwak Sang-cheo, President Park's bodyguard. A wiretapping plot on the president is discovered and Kim becomes suspicious of a professor who is present at the search in the President's office. Through interrogation, Kim finds out that a KCIA agent has acted without orders from him. He sends an agent, Ham Dae-yong, to Paris to further investigate the situation.

In Paris, through means of wiretapping, Ham discovers that the KCIA agent was not acting on his own, but rather under orders from Kwak. Through this, it is discovered that Kwak has ordered the assassination of ex-Director Park, who will be visiting Paris. It is during this time that President Park gives Director Kim the freedom to do what he wishes with the ex-Director. Kim, not to be outdone by Kwak, resolves to have Park Yong-gak killed.

In Paris, two different teams both with the aim of assassinating ex-Director Park prepare to kill him. Kwak's team seeks to lure Park into his room, while Kim's team seeks to kidnap him and then kill him. With the help of Park Yong-gak's aide, Deborah Shim, who is used as bait, Director Kim's team is able to nab ex-Director Park first, driving him out of Paris. However, Park is able to momentarily escape to a nearby town but is tracked down by Ham, who promptly kills him and disposes of his body.

Park is displeased with Kim's handling, however, noting that Kim didn't solve the problem of apparently stolen finances that were procured by Park Yong-gak. Kim's friendship with President Park deteriorates further as a result and Park begins distrusting Kim. Kim, who is deeply torn by the killing, as the ex-Director was his friend, begins to break down under stress.

Sometime after the killing of ex-Director Park, President Park and his administration are faced with a new issue in the form of pro-democracy protests in Busan and Masan, as well as fears that these protests could spread to Seoul. Kwak takes a hardline stance, advising harsh and swift military intervention, and declaration of martial law. Kim suggests a more levelhanded approach and urges Park to avoid declaring martial law. Park, favoring Kwak, proceeds with a declaration of martial law.

Following this, Kim is told that Park is holding a banquet but has not invited him, but rather Kwak. Kim goes anyway to eavesdrop on Park and Kwak and learns that Park is considering replacing Kim. Yet again, Park gives a subordinate clearance to do what they wish, the subordinate this time being Kwak.

On October 26, Park is doing a day of ribbon-cutting ceremonies. Kim attempts to join him and Kwak at the helicopter, but Kwak bars him from joining. Riled, Kim calls his subordinates with the intent of planning something. That night, Park invites Kim to a dinner. It's intended to be an apology of sorts, but Kim is unmoved.

During the dinner Kim leaves to get a pistol and meets with his subordinates, and tells them that he will kill Park. Upon returning to the room, the conversation becomes heated. It culminates in Kim shooting and wounding Kwak in the arm. He then turns on Park and shoots him too. As this happens, Kim's subordinates organize a coordinated attack on the compound where the dinner is being held and kill the remaining bodyguards. Kim attempts to finish Kwak, but the pistol jams, and he is forced to leave the room in order to get another gun from an agent. He returns to the room, shooting and killing Kwak and killing Park with a shot to the head.

Kim quickly leaves with his subordinates and the notables present at the compound during the attack. He is given the choice between going to Namsan or the Army Headquarters. The Chief Presidential Secretary, bearing witness to the assassination, suggests that he go to the Army Headquarters. Kim considers this as the screen fades to black. The movie ends with a text saying that Kim chose to drive to the Army Headquarters, where he was caught.

Cast

Reception

Critical reception

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Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref.
2020 25th Chunsa Film Art Awards Best Director Woo Min-ho Nominated [14][15]
Best Actor Lee Byung-hun Won
Best Supporting Actor Lee Sung-min Won
Lee Hee-joon Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Kim So-jin Nominated
56th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Film The Man Standing Next Nominated [16][17]
Best Director Woo Min-ho Nominated
Best Actor Lee Byung-hun Won
Best Screenplay Woo Min-ho & Lee Ji-min Nominated
Technical Award Kim Seo-hee (Makeup and Hair) Won
29th Buil Film Awards Best Film The Man Standing Next Nominated
Best Director Woo Min-ho Nominated
Best Actor Lee Byung-hun Won
Best Supporting Actor Lee Hee-joon Won
Best Supporting Actress Kim So-jin Nominated
Best Screenplay Woo Min-ho & Lee Ji-min Nominated
Best Cinematography Go Rak-sun Nominated
Best Music Jo Yeong-wook Nominated
Best Art Direction Cho Hwa-sung, Park Gyu-bin Nominated
40th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards Best Film The Man Standing Next Won
Top 10 Films Won
Best Actor Lee Byung-hun Won
14th Asian Film Awards Best Actor Won
7th Korean Film Producers Association Awards Best Director Woo Min-ho Won
Best Art Direction Cho Hwa-sung, Park Gyu-bin Won
Cine 21 Awards Best Screenplay Woo Min-ho & Lee Ji-min Won [18]
2021 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards Best Film The Man Standing Next Won [19]
Best Director Woo Min-ho Nominated [20]
Best Leading Actor Lee Byung-hun Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Lee Sung-min Nominated
Lee Hee-joon Nominated
Best Screenplay Woo Min-ho & Lee Ji-min Nominated
Best Cinematography and Lighting Go Rak-sun: Cinematography; Lee Seung-bin: Lighting Nominated
Best Editing Jeong Ji-eun Nominated
Best Art Direction Cho Hwa-sung, Park Gyu-bin Nominated
Best Music Jo Yeong-wook Nominated
Technical Award Kwak Tae-yong, Hwang Hyo-kyun (Makeup) Nominated

See also

References

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External links

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