"An Apologetic Adult, How Precious"…Message from a Director Who Sold Sweet Potatoes with His Younger Sibling [Interview]

Movie 'Veteran 2' Returns After 9 Years
Director Who Sold Sweet Potatoes with Ryu Seung-beom Aims for 'Double 30 Million'
Heavy Burden of '10 Million Viewers for Part 1'
"Social Justice Means Living by Human Duty"

Director Ryu Seung-wan Photo by CJ ENM

Recently, films reflecting the widespread distrust in the judicial system have been produced one after another. However, the movie Veteran 2 takes a slightly different approach. Returning as a sequel after nine years, the film questions whether it is justifiable to commit another wrongdoing against a villain through private revenge. The theme is well expressed in Hwang Jung-min's line, "Is there such a thing as bad murder and good murder?"

Director Ryu Seung-wan is a filmmaker who has exposed the hypocritical face of our society through movies such as No Blood No Tears (2002), Die Bad (2005), Once Upon a Time in High School (2006), Unfair Trade (2010), Berlin (2013), and Mogadishu (2021). Although these are commercial films, or as he calls them, "popular films," he has excelled at subtly embedding thematic consciousness within them. Veteran 2 differs somewhat in tone from his previous works, making it quite intriguing. I met Director Ryu at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, to hear what had happened to him over the past nine years.

"Is the anger inside me justified?" Why Ryu Seung-wan has changed

Veteran, released in 2015, drew 13.41 million viewers by delivering satisfaction through punishing a villain who was a giant conglomerate. Director Ryu recalled, "The first film was not the 'number one movie' for the investor and distributor at the time, and its release was delayed. The expectations were not high, but it attracted a record-breaking audience. Moreover, it became a social phenomenon and appeared in news footage." He confessed, "I was distressed by how the first film was consumed. At that time, some anger inside me was at work, and in the end, I took private revenge myself."

Director Ryu said, "As time passed, I realized that the roles of perpetrator and victim had been reversed. Seeing the true nature of the real perpetrator made me shudder. I realized my focus was misplaced. Yet, I was defending and rationalizing myself. That’s when I asked myself, 'Is the anger inside me justified?' Is my 'justice' objective? Is my value system flawed? I realized that blind faith is dangerous. So, I wanted to do something different." This is why the sequel explores the conflict between justice and belief.

Director Ryu Seung-wan [Photo by CJ ENM]

Movie 'Veteran 2' Still [Photo by CJ ENM]

Perhaps for this reason, while the first film served up a "refreshing" experience, the second film poses "questions" to the audience. Director Ryu said, "I know why the first film succeeded and what the public expects. Following that would have been a lazy choice." He added, "I wanted to honestly and openly ask questions through the film. I trusted the audience. Those who saw the first film have grown over nine years, and those in their teens and twenties who haven't seen it will receive it anew." He expressed confidence.

Detective Seo Do-cheol, played by Hwang Jung-min in Veteran, was quick to throw punches in the first film, but in the sequel, thought precedes action. Director Ryu said, "Seo Do-cheol was a detective who immediately charged at bad guys, but in the sequel, I wanted to portray him as someone fighting with himself. Unlike the previous film, it was interesting to show his internal conflict before clashing with villains."

Seo Do-cheol’s change also reflects the personal growth of Ryu Seung-wan himself. If he had been the protagonist in Ryu’s earlier films, his body would have acted before his mind, but now his punches are heavier. When asked why, Ryu replied, "I think it changed as I had children and they grew up."

Director Ryu explained, "When Seo Do-cheol confronts villains, he makes several (good) choices even in dangerous situations, which differentiates this from other action films." He continued, "Seo Do-cheol is an adult who can reflect and apologize. How rare is an adult who apologizes in this era? Also, what I respect about Seo Do-cheol and his wife is that they each do their jobs properly in their positions and fight to protect their precarious daily lives. True justice in this society might be living by human decency like this couple. This film was made for that scene."

Director Ryu Seung-wan [Photo by CJ ENM]

Director Ryu said there would be no Veteran without Hwang Jung-min. Regarding the background of the sequel’s planning, he laughed, "Senior Hwang kept pestering me, asking, 'Aren't you going to shoot it?'" He said, "After filming Mogadishu in Morocco, I started working on the scripts for Smugglers and Veteran almost simultaneously, finishing Smugglers first. For Veteran 2, we developed the story through various versions and discussions. When I showed the story, Senior Hwang would say things like, 'I run around too much,' or 'It feels like a repetition of the previous film.'"

From selling sweet potatoes to cover production costs to a director protecting theaters

Ryu began directing films in 1996 with the short film Distorted Head. At that time, to make ends meet and raise production funds, he worked at subway maintenance sites or sold sweet potatoes on the street with his younger brother, actor Ryu Seung-beom. Twenty-eight years later, in May, he walked the red carpet at the Lumi?re Theater at the Cannes Film Festival with Veteran, fulfilling a lifelong dream. At the screening, he emotionally said, "It took me 50 years to get here." He recalled, "On the way to Lumi?re, I wanted to run away, thinking, 'Did I come here for nothing?'" He added, "After the screening, Hollywood insiders encouraged me. Lawrence Bender, the producer of my favorite film Reservoir Dogs (1996), said he enjoyed it, which made me happy."

Director Ryu Seung-wan (third from the left) and the 'Veteran 2' team attending the Cannes Film Festival
[Photo by CJ ENM]

In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a slump in theaters. During this period, most directors turned to well-funded online streaming services (OTT) to shoot new films with large investments, but Director Ryu and his production company, OYOUNGNAEGANG, took a different path. They released Mogadishu and Smugglers in theaters during this time and achieved box office success. It brings to mind the famous movie line, "We may not have money (though we might), but do we lack pride?"

"I still prefer watching films in theaters. As someone who makes films for theaters, I hate imagining people watching my movies on their phones. I create films based on theatrical viewing standards, including screen and sound. However, times have changed, and I watch films I miss at home, but I try not to watch them on my phone."