Ryoo Seung-wan has been a pillar of the South Korean movie trade for over 20 years, revered there for his eager social statement and thrilling motion. However Europe’s nice movie festivals have feted him conspicuously lower than a few of his extra internationally well-known friends. The Cannes Movie Competition not too long ago took a step towards correcting that report in 2024.
Ryoo, 50, made his first and solely journey to Cannes again in 2005 with the gritty boxing drama Crying Fist, co-starring his brother, Ryoo Seung-bum, at present a serious star, and Korean cinema icon Choi Min-sik, then using excessive because of his iconic position in Park Chan-wook’s Previous Boy (2003).
“Crying Fist was very effectively acquired, however since we had been within the Administrators’ Fortnight part of the competition, it wasn’t screened in Cannes’ Grand Lumière Theater,” Ryoo remembers. “Again then, I used to be a lot youthful and all the pieces simply felt contemporary, enjoyable and thrilling. However I keep in mind seeing the Lumière and pondering to myself, ‘I might like to display screen a movie there at some point.’”
That day has lastly arrived.
“I didn’t suppose it might take me 19 years to do it,” Ryoo says with fun, including, “I used to be beginning to suppose possibly they wouldn’t display screen one other one in all my movies in Cannes till after I died.”
On Could 20, Cannes premiered Ryoo’s 14th characteristic, I, The Executioner, aka Veteran 2, on the Lumière’s large display screen as a part of the competition’s Midnight Screenings part, which is devoted to particularly achieved style cinema. The movie (also referred to as I, Executioner), which acquired unanimously sturdy opinions from Cannes’ critics, is a sequel to Ryoo’s 2015 smash hit police motion film Veteran, which earned $92 million at Korea’s field workplace and stays the nation’s fifth-highest-grossing film of all time. Within the 9 years between the 2 installments, Ryoo has made three different profitable movies, together with the political thriller Escape From Mogadishu, South Korea’s official submission to the Oscars in 2021.
The primary Veteran starred main man Hwang Jung-min as an infectiously tough and tumble police detective tasked with taking down a corrupt and sadistic third-generation tycoon (performed by an unforgettable Yoo Ah-in), whose household’s wealth makes him seemingly untouchable in Korean society. The film balanced humor and breathtaking motion with a searing critique of corruption and inequality in Korea, which had been then live-wire social points within the nation.
The sequel reunites Hwang with the remainder of the primary film’s wildly entertaining ensemble solid of cops — Oh Dal-su, Jang Yoon-ju and others — as they try to trace down a suspected serial killer. As rumors in regards to the killer’s id proliferate on social media, plunging the entire nation right into a state of chaos, the hero detective and his staff are pressured to query their strategies and assumptions.
Forward of the I, The Executioner’s Cannes premiere, THR related with Ryoo for his first interview in regards to the movie to debate his bold imaginative and prescient for the sequel — a film that deconstructs the same old ethical logic of an motion flick whereas nonetheless delivering the entire style’s thrills. The movie is due in theaters within the second half of 2024 courtesy of CJ Leisure.
The unique Veteran was an enormous hit when it was launched again in 2015. There was some press protection round that point suggesting you had been eager to make a sequel fairly shortly. However it ended up taking 9 years. What was the journey?
Nicely, to begin with, after I made the primary Veteran, I didn’t anticipate how profitable it might be. My actual intent was to create fairly a humble movie. I simply made the movie I wished to make — a style movie trustworthy to my very own model that would present some pleasure and escape for the Korean viewers. However, coincidentally, some social controversies emerged that overlapped with the happenings of the movie, and so it grew to become an enormous box-office phenomenon. To start with, I used to be fairly proud of the passion the movie was receiving however ultimately, I grew to become fairly scared by it. I didn’t have a narrative in thoughts for a sequel, however I actually fell in love with the characters. If my objective was to proceed the field workplace success, it might have been significantly better to create a sequel straight away. I assumed that if I created a sequel straight away, it might really be taking a step again and being complacent with the success that I used to be having fun with. You may’t see them on digicam proper now, however I’ve two producers sitting proper subsequent to me right here and so they each simply sighed closely after I stated that (Laughs).
So, why did it take me 9 years? The thought that dominated me was that I needed to create a greater movie than the primary one. And after the success of the primary Veteran, quite a lot of movies and TV sequence got here out in Korea in the identical style and in addition noticed success. So I didn’t actually really feel the necessity to replicate what I had completed, however it took me a very long time to determine it out one other method. I wished to create one thing completely different, one thing that’s new and deeper than the primary movie — a movie that may actually depart a long-lasting impression on the viewers. And, you realize, I feel I discovered my method.
The primary Veteran mixed the buddy cop motion film with a fairly daring critique of inequality and the callousness of the tremendous wealthy. How did you provide you with the brand new themes of the sequel? This one struck me as much more complicated.
The unique Veteran was the primary film I’ve made that the youthful viewers in Korea actually cherished and sought out. However after I look again on that movie, the way in which that it approaches good and evil — and the way the protagonist actualized justice — was fairly completely different from how society really works. Issues simply aren’t that straightforward. That clear distinction between good and evil doesn’t essentially exist in our precise society. So it was type of like a sports activities match, the place it’s very clear who you’re rooting for. Clearly, that may make for an ideal movie that exhilarates the viewers. However the precise points the movie was coping with are troublesome and extra complicated than that. Greater than anything, I’m an motion filmmaker who needs to create style movies {that a} mass viewers can get pleasure from, however I felt like I used to be permitting folks to eat sophisticated points for the sake of pleasure, and the query of whether or not that was the fitting method actually bothered me.
For many motion movies, you have got a protagonist and an antagonist and they should face off. However this time, I made a decision to modify it up a bit bit. Often, motion movies are a couple of sense of justice that the protagonist is pursuing, which the viewers is made to crave. However this time, I assumed, “What if the movie is definitely about two completely different definitions of justice that conflict?” It might nonetheless be an motion movie that the viewers can get pleasure from with their senses and their our bodies, however it might additionally stimulate them intellectually. I wished to pose a query with an motion movie that the mass viewers can get pleasure from. After all greater than anything, my first objective was simply to create a way more enjoyable movie.
An entertaining motion movie that additionally deconstructs the same old logic of the motion movie — that’s a really bold problem to set for your self. With that in thoughts, I’d love to listen to about the way you created this movie’s villain. A part of the enjoyable of the unique Veteran was how purely despicable the villain was. However this new villain is a fairly unusual character. You appear to have left his motives intentionally opaque and his entire persona could be very peculiar. What are you able to share about your intentions right here?
So, you simply talked about the phrase ‘villain’ to consult with the antagonist, however I didn’t consider him as a villain on this movie.
The way in which that this movie treats evil makes it extra horrendous as a result of we don’t present a transparent Axis of Evil. We don’t present a transparent definition of what precisely the evil on this movie is. It’s actually about this rumor that in some way simply begins to proliferate— and we don’t know the place it began or who began it. In the long run, the whole world believes the rumor to be true, which in the end drives folks to their deaths. I feel that is nearer to the character of evil because it at present exists in society — that is the air that the movie is attempting to encapsulate. And the so-called antagonist of this movie, fairly than pondering of him because the villain, I simply considered him as a person with completely different convictions. The rationale I left him fairly ambiguous is that I wished the viewers to go dwelling and go loopy questioning about why he did what he did. The calculation behind that, you realize, is that the viewers will wish to go see the film once more the subsequent day.
Man, I’ve to say, as you had been saying all that, I used to be pondering to myself, I’ve to see this film once more. So it actually labored on me.
(Laughs) That’s good to listen to.
Jung Hae-in as rookie cop Park Solar-woo in ‘The Veteran 2’
CJ ENM
So, turning to the protagonist … You made him fairly a bit extra sophisticated within the sequel. Within the first movie, he’s the archetypal scruffy veteran cop, a bit tough across the edges however a complete hero. On this one, he’s acquired much more happening. He’s not a really attentive father and husband, which is palpably affecting the folks near him. He makes guarantees that he forgets to maintain — generally issues which might be very consequential to the story. So, he’s very human this time, in no way a superhero.
All the pieces that you simply simply talked about is strictly what I supposed for that essential character on this sequel, so I’m very pleased to listen to that you simply acquired all that. I met the nice Hong Kong filmmaker Johnny To at a movie competition as soon as and I requested him, “What do I have to do to make movies which might be as enjoyable and attention-grabbing because the movies you make?” And he gave me such a transparent reply. He stated, “your protagonist simply has to make errors.” That was the most effective reply — higher than something I ever discovered from a guide about filmmaking.
One of many keys to creating this sequel for me was that I wanted to make the principle character extra conflicted. It was actually essential to convey this man realizing that his convictions and his sense of justice — and the violent actions he carries out primarily based on these judgments — generally finally ends up hurting folks, and never solely others but additionally himself. This journey of realization was essential for this movie. In that sense, you may say that probably the most highly effective villain of the movie is the hero detective himself. The phrases and actions that he’s carried out find yourself being mirrored again to him, and ultimately, when he’s preventing the antagonist, you may say that in a way he’s preventing himself.
I used to be particularly struck by the story thread involving the protagonist’s son. As a result of it’s fairly clear that the son is in some actual bother. He’s struggling emotionally and he’s hanging out with some very unhealthy children — and the protagonist merely isn’t all that engaged with him. Even by the top, in a really reasonable method, you get the sensation that everybody is simply getting on with their lives.
So, really the storyline relating to the son partially displays my very own expertise. There was a interval when my kids had been struggling, and you realize, I wasn’t actually sympathetic to what they had been going by means of. I used to be all the time telling them, you’re being weak and it is advisable to simply suck it up. And you realize, I’m a movie director, however I might see different dads capturing dwelling movies of their children and presenting them for expertise exhibits and stuff. However I didn’t do something like that, though what I do is make movies. Fortunately, my kids grew up so effectively on their very own. So, there have been these errors that I made with my kids and thru this movie I wished to apologize to them. And I assumed that quite a lot of dads most likely have made related errors and will relate to this. I feel a real grownup is somebody who actually is aware of methods to apologize for his or her errors, so I wished this character to embody that.
Within the first Veteran, as a result of the villain is so despicable, there are occasions if you need the film, as a viewer, to develop into one thing extra like a vigilante revenge story. However it doesn’t try this. The characters work by means of the police and authorized system to carry him to justice. That struck me as a considerably optimistic ending, as a result of it means that even the mega-rich usually are not above the legislation. The sequel, nevertheless, left me with a a lot much less clear feeling about methods to really feel about society and our current second. Nothing is so simply resolved. Do you suppose it lands on a extra pessimistic notice?
I don’t suppose this movie is extra optimistic or extra pessimistic than the primary movie. If you consider the primary movie, the detective succeeds in arresting the antagonist, however we don’t see what the result will likely be when he goes to trial — and keep in mind, he’s very rich. However you make a exact level that the primary movie shouldn’t be actually about people. It offers extra with society and the system. With the sequel, I actually tried to focus extra on the person than the mass buildings of society. In that sense, I’ll point out the epilogue. After all the pieces is resolved, the detective comes dwelling and finds the kids of the Vietnamese lady his spouse has been serving to sleeping in their very own dwelling. Relatively than pertaining to grand social points, I wished to emphasise the dedication that people present. Regardless of how hopeless a society could seem, if at the very least one particular person is absolutely awake then I feel the seeds of hope are already there. Relatively than politicians who make grand statements about saving humanity, I discover extra hope in on a regular basis individuals who quietly stay out their lives, displaying care to their household, associates and colleagues.
What was it like getting this ensemble solid again collectively once more for the sequel? Was it as enjoyable because it looks like it will need to have been?
After we introduced the entire solid collectively once more on set, it undoubtedly didn’t really feel like 9 years had handed. It felt like we had simply completed capturing the primary movie final week. We really talked about how the entire emotion and sense of camaraderie that we had been feeling was most likely one thing that the viewers was going to have the ability to really feel as effectively. After all, there have been moments after I felt like, wow, 9 years is a reasonably very long time. We’ve all gotten older. After 11pm, for instance, the entire actors would simply begin forgetting their strains.
I used to be struck by what you stated about Johnny To, as a result of watching your movies jogs my memory a lot of the greats of Hong Kong cinema — that combination of irrepressible bodily leisure and incisive psychological and social interrogation.
After all, I owe a lot to all of the greats I grew up watching. Hong Kong had so masterpieces within the crime and cop genres that got here out within the Nineteen Eighties and Nineties. I might record two dozen movies for you proper now. I used to be additionally vastly influenced by the unbelievable Hong Kong stunt gamers from the 80s. They really mastered that artwork and it’s one thing I really feel movie historical past ought to pay extra consideration to. However though I stay my life utterly drenched in cinema, on the identical time, my physique is absolutely alive within the current second. I strive to not steer too removed from this actuality — this sense of being a physique occupying a spot on earth proper now. Once I come to work, or after I’m on my method dwelling, I all the time attempt to stroll by means of the again alleys. As a lot as I’m in love with the heroes of the movies that I like, I attempt to keep near observing actual folks. I’ve tried to strike a stability between the lifetime of a filmmaker and an on a regular basis particular person dwelling a standard life. I selected to find my workplace in a fairly humble neighborhood [of Seoul] due to that.
So, it’s most likely a bit quickly for this query, however would you wish to make a 3rd Veteran movie if given the possibility?
I’m really already in talks with the actors. A 3rd one will occur. I have already got a spin-off story. I’d wish to broaden this universe and I really feel like there are numerous extra tales that I can inform. After all, there’s an important precondition for all that although. If Veteran 2 flops, none of it will occur. If you wish to see a 3rd one, please give this movie your help!