'Humint' director Ryu Seung-wan opened up about the love line between Park Jeongmin and Shin Sae-kyeong and the mixed reactions to the late glass chamber scene.
On the 20th, an interview with 'Humint' director Ryu Seung-wan was held at a café in Anguk-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
The film 'Humint' is the story of people with different motives clashing in Vladivostok, where both secrets and truths are submerged in a cold sea of ice, and it opened on the 11th. 'Humint,' which deals with the story of four people who gathered in Vladivostok to find clues to incidents occurring in the border area between North Korea and Russia, is a work that further expands director Ryu Seung-wan's scope.
In this work, action scenes led by Zo In-sung and Park Jeongmin, along with the love line between Park Jeongmin and Shin Sae-kyeong called "Geonseonhwa," are receiving great love. Park Jeongmin, who had not filmed romantic pieces until now, appears especially stylish and has become a big topic of conversation.
In particular, as audiences reacted to Park Jeongmin's style of romance rather than 'melodrama craftsman' Zo In-sung, director Ryu Seung-wan said, "It seemed too obvious to give Zo In-sung a romantic narrative. Coincidentally, having worked with Zo In-sung for several years, his recent growth and mine have been on the same trajectory, and seeing this actor develop increasingly solidly, I felt he has become an actor with the inner strength to perform subtractive acting."
He continued, "The actors received the script and had no stimulation, and they realized that. They were conscious of being a root-like presence that supports the whole rather than a pillar, and I think that is why the other actors stood out. Park Jeongmin probably did not expect himself to react so strongly to a romantic narrative. Neither did I."
Moreover, the brief romantic scenes that appeared in Ryu Seung-wan's previous works 'Berlin' and 'Smuggling' were also greatly loved. Interest naturally followed to Ryu Seung-wan's style of romantic films as well.
In response, director Ryu showed humility, saying, "I sometimes have that illusion too. But it's only to this extent." He said, "In the films I've made from my debut until now, I've made quite a few films but never had a kiss scene. I talked with Zo In-sung like, 'How do you shoot a kiss scene?' If the day comes to shoot such a scene, do we need to call someone? For me, this level of intimacy is the maximum romantic level."
He added, "But that exists. Time has passed since 'Berlin,' and while shooting this film I thought a lot about partings in all the characters, not just Park Geon and Seon-hwa. 'Berlin' is also a story about parting, but its weight was different from now. Eventually everything ends and parting is inevitable, and now I seem to have those thoughts. Relationship, parting, how to separate when a person leaves. What can be a beautiful parting? In that sense, I think the emotional lines may have felt different."
How was Shin Sae-kyeong cast as Chae Seon-hwa? Director Ryu Seung-wan said, "I found Shin Sae-kyeong's voice attractive. Her voice has a sense of stability. But she is spirited. She is surprisingly solid and spirited; I only knew her through the media before, but she is really cool," referring to his first impression.
He recalled, "What surprised me this time is that having made two films on North Korea-related subjects, her ears are tuned. Her ability to realize things is astonishing, and her preparation is so thorough that each take is very precise. The good points did not waver, and she acted so precisely regarding additional requests or things to cut that the other actors looked at her in amazement."
However, some audience members expressed discomfort with the late scene depicting women being trafficked. Regarding this, director Ryu Seung-wan said, "Since 'Berlin,' when I investigated, the things happening in border areas are more absurd than what films depict. In making this, my staff and I agreed that it must never be sensational or exploitative. Since this is something that happens, it is important to show the system that is causing it and the events that occur."
Director Ryu Seung-wan said, "You can see the distance between the subject and the camera. We only showed that the situation occurs and did not show emphasizing shots. We were very cautious during filming, and when I hear such comments I think, 'Ah, we need to be more careful.'" He added, "Not only me but the production team finds that some viewers receive this more strongly regardless of our intent, so this is an issue to think about more. We are gratefully receiving such opinions. It's about the actors after all."
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