[K-FILM TOP PROJECTS] Ryu Seung-Wan's 내가 집행한다 (I Enforce)

From the 11-plus million tickets and 80 billion won intake of 해운대 (Haeundae) all the way down to the single 5,000 won ticket a short film collection released on January 16 managed to sell, 2009 has been a rather conflicting but nonetheless relatively positive year, at least compared to that cinematic wasteland known of 2008. The market share of domestic films has gone way up, budgets are way down (that's obviously a good thing, at least in 2009), diversity is slowly but increasingly starting to make its way back to Chungmuro, and never before have independent films been so influential, with over 35% of the year's total tally coming from the indies, and many year end Top 10s likely to feature a good number of them little flicks. All this happened without a full deployment of Chungmuro's biggest shots, with the exception of Park Chan-Wook and Bong Joon-Ho, which makes the remaining three months of 2009 and all of 2010 a pretty promising time for Korean cinema, at least when it comes to potential quality.

Although more in-depth previews will come over the following weeks and months, we thought we'd first start with a sort of talent watch, a few quick words about all the major projects which will grace Korean shores in the next 6 to 12 months, divided by director. We start with Ryu Seung-Wan. As always, since for the most part International titles still haven't been decided, we only approximated the best sounding translation of the original Korean title.

RYU SEUNG-WAN
내가 집행한다 (I Enforce)

So Bong Joon-Ho is writing the script of what is essentially a film geek's wet dream, produced by Park Chan-Wook as icing on the cake; Park himself is remaking Costa-Gavras' The Ax, while Kim Jee-woon is remaking Sautet (although he'll probably channel Melville). Lee Joon-Ik is at work on his third sageuk, Im Sang-Soo might quite likely work with Kim Soo-Hyun on the remake of Kim Ki-Young's 하녀 (The Housemaid|), and Lee Yoon-Gi's next in line seems like another winner, starring Ha Jung-Woo and Soo Ae. But, set aside new and upcoming talents with limitless potential like Im Pil-Sung and Na Hong-Jin, when asked who's going to be the best young Korean director of the next 10 years, I always mention the same name, without a hint of hesitation: Ryu Seung-Wan.

Ryu, because he still hasn't given us his magnum opus, but keeps adding touches to his repertory, new "moves" which enhance the experience, proving how much of a limitless upside this "Action Kid" still has. 주먹이 운다 (Crying Fist) was likely the first sign that things were going to change, and the low-key, almost effortless brilliance of 짝패 (The City of Violence) gave similar vibes. But the reason why Ryu's new film can't help but excite the film geek in me is because he is no longer just Chungmuro's "Action Kid." Yes, I know, I was saying that a good three years ago. Thing is, the feeling is even stronger now. Taking inspiration from Mickey Spillane's I, the Jury for its Korean title, Ryu's latest film does in fact look like the kind of chapter in a director's evolution which could catapult him to new heights, and I'm not just using that as a fancy one liner. It could be the proverbial turning point.

Ryu jokes that the film was concocted while he was "waiting the Visa papers for his Alps location shoot of 다찌마와 리 (Dachimawa Lee)" - the film shot its snow action sequences in Gangwon Province, in perfect 1970s spy action flick style - but it has probably a lot more to do with the fact that his 야차 (Demon) never really got off first gear, considering the kind of investment it demanded. With the current funding atmosphere pervading the industry, and the average production budget of Korean films touching the 2 billion won after years spent in wild excess, the zombie action sageuk (!) might have been put in the backburner until things start to improve, but it could just as well have been dropped altogether. What's important is that, at least on paper, this "enforcer" project sounds a lot grittier, leaner and meaner than just about anything Ryu has shot since 죽거나 혹은 나쁘거나 (Die Bad). Ryu does well even with lightweight fare as his career has proven, but the darker Ryu Seung-Wan is a whole different story.

The protagonist will be a sort of one-man vigilante squad, finding out that his only family left, a teenager sister, was recently found dead. Guilt turns to anger, anger into violence, and violence into... well, a potentially badass film, methinks. Reading the few details available on the project, you get the idea Ryu is turning away from the Jackie Chan "action flow" (that is, visual storytelling done through action sequences which also convey a certain kind of sentiment, other than ass-kicking) of his earlier efforts into more mature territory, perhaps a result of working so closely and for so long with Jung Doo-Hong, who always championed a more realistic approach to action. The most important point and perhaps the most striking evolution Ryu will go through with this film, in fact, is the action itself, which will almost completely ignore technique, and focus on realism (with all the warts this approach might suggest, including botched technique), the fury of the moment and brutality instead -- you can probably think of it as something similar to Yoo Ha's action in 비열한 거리 (A Dirty Carnival) or 말죽거리 잔혹사 (Once Upon a Time in High School).

The sentiment conveyed through the scene will still likely reign supreme, and Ryu is not one to forsake narrative flow (be it visual or not) at the altar of action fanboy shenanigans. Knowing his dramatic sensibilities, we might likely get something along the lines of Mike Hodges' Get Carter, actually. And that doesn't sound half bad. There is still no word on any casting, but it will be a pretty crucial part of the process, more so than for any other film Ryu has shot, considering the protagonist is a silent, no bullshit type, and will need to be proficient in the action department. You'd think Jung Doo-Hong himself would fit perfectly, or maybe someone a la Ha Jung-Woo, but the former is probably tired of all the burden action scenes has had on his body, and the latter is way too busy. So Ryu might go for a completely new face altogether -- in which case, if you pardon the suggestion, someone like Han Jung-Soo of 한성별곡-正 (Conspiracy in the Court) might just be the perfect man.

All I know is that this sounds just about as good as anything Ryu's been involved with in his career, so all we can do is wait, and hope the enforcer will come visit our gates sooner than later.

[Cine21]