Andrew Hamlin
Northwest Asia Weekly
With a duration of 220 minutes, it can be said that the new film “Emergency Declaration” by South Korean writer and director Jae Rimhan is a bit slow. It lacks the core biff-bang-pow dynamics of the disaster movie genre, though selected parts of it can be moved with ease.
I slowed it down a bit, though, for telling the truth about disasters and emergencies, no matter how careless. This often stops and starts. They often intimidate and then get you into trouble and stress you out.
The operation began at South Korea’s busy Incheon Airport. Amid the steady stream of corpses being sorted onto the plane, a young face in a suit emerges. He laughed a little too much. He asked inappropriate questions, and if asked, he would laugh louder and say he was just asking. What’s wrong with that?
This young man is Jin Shi, played by Yan Siwan. As the action unfolds, we’ll learn more about him and why he’s trying to board without his luggage and doesn’t seem to care where the plane lands. Yim leads the way with a big smile, but ends up showing us the twisted landscape behind his face.
Director and writer Rim-han finished his script before the COVID-19 outbreak. But he conceded that his central plot stunt was a mutated virus going wild inside a plane, catching up on the news in a chilling fashion. He exploits the hidden anxieties of many passengers—fear of crashing, being confined in a cramped space, having nowhere to go. When a crisis hits, some will come forward, while others will collapse.
Detective In-ho (played by famous Western character Song Kang-ho in the Oscar-winning “Parasite”) looked tired from the start. But when he finds out that his family is in danger due to Kim Seok’s perverted plan, he does whatever it takes to save their lives. His selfless devotion is in stark contrast to several others who only care about their skin.
Two strong female characters emerged. In the air, Hee-jin (So-jin Kim) must keep passengers calm, disciplined, and prevent their ugliest impulses from destroying every life on board. On land, Sook Ha (played by Jeon Do Yeon), a senior minister, must work hard for the safety of the plane, often facing hostility from domestic and foreign powers.
The film follows the air disaster formula in its mammoth way. Of course, charismatic villains are unleashing threats. Everyday heroes, standing up in their posts to save lives. The hero of compromise, in this case, Jae-hyuk (Byung-hun Lee), traumatized by an old injury, struggles to get back to his best self during the current crisis.
So the movie sometimes dawdled on its settings. Objectively, of course, it could have been shortened by 20 or even 30 minutes. But it ended up showing a more realistic picture of life in upheaval, mixing stress with fear.
Those in charge sometimes have to make tough decisions. From the viewer’s perspective, some of these decisions seem ruthless and unsympathetic. After all, we have to sympathize, maybe even sympathize with the people on the plane. We want their lives to be saved as much as they are.
But for people on the ground, things may be different. Authorities have to speculate about what’s going on in the sky, decisions have to be made, and some, if not most, of the cards are face down. Decisions that affect the lives, health and stability of local people.
So enjoy the wild ride. But remember real life. And silently ask yourself: what would I do in their shoes?
“Declaration of Emergency” will open in Seattle on August 12. Check out local theater listings, prices and showtimes.
Andrew is available at info@nwasianweekly.com.
