'Humint' Ryu Seung-wan② "'Veteran 3' Returns the Character Seo Do-cheol That the Audience Loved"

▶〈Humint〉 Ryu Seung-wan's interview continues in Part 1.

This work highlights the melodrama a lot, but while watching the action scenes, I thought, 'This is definitely Ryu Seung-wan.' There were many impressive scenes like car chases, drifting, and stair action. Being called a master of action, it seems like there would be some difficulties in continuously pursuing new things within that genre.

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There is a military specialist journalist who has done a lot of actual special forces training and has also been an instructor. I have worked with this person since 〈Mogadishu〉. When location hunting or art design comes up, I review it. There is a character position in the script. Each character has their own purpose. Based on this, the journalist designed how to infiltrate, the movement paths, how to take cover, and how to maintain the shortest distance as if conducting a military operation. The action team then adjusted the stunt design based on this. We also paid attention to the grip method during the shootout. The flashbang scene was created based on an operation that the National Intelligence Service of our country successfully conducted. The team that did the drifting was a Latvian driver, a drifting world champion. I was amazed that he was able to position the car exactly where I asked him to during the drift in the snow.

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Actor Jo In-sung mentioned in an interview that he doesn't know if he is good at action and asked the director to tell him. Could you share what you think are the strengths of Jo In-sung and Park Jung-min's action performances?

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Let me put it this way. The actor Robert Marser, who plays the Russian mafia boss in our movie, is someone I have seen who really moves his body in an unbelievable way. Our stunt team couldn't keep up with his movements, so we didn't use any stunt doubles. He is incredibly good. However, when Jo In-sung and Park Jung-min face off against Robert Marser, they don't appear to be overpowered. In terms of skill, they can't match Robert Marser. But what makes them look equal is, I think, the emotion. It's the emotions that need to be expressed in that situation. Perhaps what people refer to as good action scenes is about enjoying the stunt play itself, but ultimately, I believe that good emotions must accompany it. From that perspective, I think both actors are excellent action performers.

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At the press conference for 〈Humint〉, you mentioned, "I feel particularly nervous today." Have you reflected on why that is?

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That day, I was sweating so much that the actors next to me were surprised. All my films are special, and I put my best effort into them, but I don't know why this film made me feel that way. However, I think it's because the environment in the film industry is changing. Being able to fill the theater is incredibly precious. When I look at the audience from the screen during a stage greeting, I sometimes get choked up. I also go to my local theater to watch movies, and when that big theater is empty, it feels desolate. In the midst of such changes, making each film is incredibly valuable.

The reasons why Korean cinema has come this far are often discussed in terms of generational change, the growth of film festivals, and the growth of critical journalism, but I believe that without the growth of the audience, no matter how much these three factors grow, popular films would not have been able to settle into an industrial system. There is no supply without demand. So, the audience has supported us to this point, but it hurts to see this playground empty. Perhaps those factors make me feel more grateful and appreciate it more.

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Among the lines you wrote, there are many memorable quotes like "That's ridiculous," "Just because we don't have money doesn't mean we don't have pride," and "If kindness continues, it becomes a right." This has created a culture, a meme that resonates among people at the time. Have you thought about why Ryu Seung-wan's lines resonate so much with people?

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If I knew that… honestly, if there were none, I wouldn't feel wronged (laughs). How could I know? It's not like I can just write those lines on purpose. I just think about what lines the characters would realistically say, and what would be a more impactful line, a more interesting line.

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However, there is something. In this film, although it's not a line from a main character, senior Jang Hyun-sung says, "Some people adapt to work, while others work to adapt." This reflects the feelings I had when I was working in the past. Instead of trying to leave behind memorable lines, I try to collect words that make it feel like the actors are communicating with the audience.

Now that 〈Veteran 3〉 is coming, I imagine you have special feelings about that as well.

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Now I finally have time to focus on 〈Veteran 3〉. What I can say now is that if the second part was a way to organize my various thoughts about the first part, the third part aims to return the character Seo Do-cheol that the audience loved in a pure way. I am preparing for that.

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In your recently published book 「Conditions of Fun」, you mentioned that "〈Humint〉 is an experiment and at the same time a confession" and "it was a process of asking myself how I should make films in the future, how much I should let go and how much I should hold on to." In that sense, you said, "〈Humint〉 is a film that inevitably becomes a turning point for me." In fact, just by watching the film, one can see that change. However, whether the public will accept this change is uncertain. I wonder if you felt any fear in that regard.

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That has always been the case. Making a film means creating something that didn't exist before. The fear we feel comes from the unknown. Even when making a franchise film, the only thing that changes is the numbers; the story and setting must start anew. So, it's always scary, but also exciting.

But there is something. I wrote in my book that after making 〈Humint〉, I feel a sense of closure. I have done everything I really wanted to do. After my debut, I didn't stray from my preferences, but I went to the extremes of those preferences and created in various directions. This time, I did everything I really wanted to explore in terms of emotional lines, action style, tone, and mood of the film. So, I have no regrets, and I think I can approach my next project much more comfortably and it can change a lot. I feel like I have outgrown my infancy. (laughs)