From 'Action Kid' to 'Action Master', The Path Ryoo Seung-wan Has Walked Director Ryoo Seung-wan is a craftsman who has explored the two words "Action" more tenaciously and passionately than anyone else in the Korean film industry. For audiences who remember the raw sound of breathing and the scent of blood from his debut film Die Bad, which made his name widely known to the world, the filmography he has walked is a process of dynamic evolution. If his early works focused on the explosive energy emitted by unpolished gemstones, the current Ryoo Seung-wan has established himself as a box-office director who adds sophistication based on massive capital and seasoned directing skills. However, the important thing is that he has not lost his "action instinct," which is his root, just because the scale has grown. Rather, he is proving himself why he is synonymous with Korean action movies by presenting more precise impact and scale with the wings of capital.
The Boy Who Dreamed of Jackie Chan Builds an Independent Realm of Korean Action In the past, Director Ryoo Seung-wan revealed in an interview that he respected Jackie Chan, the legend of Hong Kong action, and tried tirelessly to imitate him. His confession that he was frustrated and struggled because he tried to copy the unique rhythm and stunts of Jackie Chan movies but couldn't get the same feeling is a quite famous anecdote. However, that time of fierce imitation and contemplation was not in vain. He did not stop at simply following Hong Kong movies but established a unique realm called "Ryoo Seung-wan style action" by adding Korean sentiment and realism. The field sense he built up by appearing as an actor himself in the past and performing stunts without sparing his body has now become the most powerful weapon for him as a veteran director to draw the best action coordination from actors.
Action is Just a Side Dish? No, Action is the Narrative When discussing the action genre in Korea, it is nearly impossible to talk without mentioning Director Ryoo Seung-wan. He is a director who knows how to utilize action not simply as eye candy or spectacle, but as a language that represents the characters' emotions and situations. He knows better than anyone that no matter how flashy the action is decorated with techniques and special effects, it is nothing but empty gestures if a solid narrative does not support it. Therefore, the fistfights in his movies approach the audience not as simple fights but as desperate struggles for survival and explosions of emotions that cannot be fully expressed in words. This movie Humint also contains this theory of Director Ryoo Seung-wan intact, serving as a textbook showing how smoothly the technological progress of action and the combination of narrative can be achieved.
A Gambler Who Captures Both Box Office and Criticism, The Power of a Director Who Writes Scripts Director Ryoo Seung-wan has risen to be a sure-fire hitmaker in Chungmuro by successively making blockbuster movies with massive capital successful. A point to note is that he is a commercial film director with an "auteur" aspect who does not simply direct but writes the scripts himself. Because he understands the worldview and characters he created best, he is unhesitating in directing and produces results full of conviction. There are many directors recognized for their artistic quality, but few consistently receive the public's choice and succeed in the box office. This unique position held by Director Ryoo Seung-wan is ultimately the result of combining his differentiated action aesthetics that only he can show with the sense to accurately grasp the public's needs.
Continuing the Worldview of 'The Berlin File', The Essence of Espionage Action 'Humint' The movie Humint gathered great anticipation even before its release with mentions that it shares a worldview with or is an extension of The Berlin File, one of Director Ryoo Seung-wan's representative works. In fact, parts implying the link between the two works appear through dialogue in the movie, giving fans the fun of finding them. The aspect of espionage warfare where NIS agents and North Korean agents appear and chase each other succeeds the cold and dry mood of The Berlin File while boasting an upgraded scale. Instead of complex twists or hard-to-understand foreshadowing, by choosing a clear confrontation structure and linear story development, it sets the stage for the audience to focus solely on the action and tension itself.
Straightforward Without Superfluity, A Rapid Sprint Only for Action The greatest virtue of Humint is the "bold omission of unnecessary narrative." Unlike recent spy movies that increase the running time by inserting overly complex plots or melodramatic backstories (sinpa), this movie moves straight toward the goal from beginning to end. It excludes the characters' long-winded pasts or emotional excess and focuses only on the events happening in the present and action for survival. This simple structure may seem monotonous, but Director Ryoo Seung-wan fills the gaps with dense action sequences, providing the audience with breathless catharsis. However, the fact that there was somewhat a lack of "playing space" for actors to broaden the range of emotional acting or express characters three-dimensionally because the narrative is simple may remain a regret.
Jo In-sung and Park Jung-min, The Rivals of 'Smugglers' Meet Again The heavy tone and manner of the movie were reflected in the actors' performances as well. Jo In-sung and Park Jung-min, who showed impressive chemistry in the previous work Smugglers, encounter each other again in a hostile relationship in Humint. As expected of Director Ryoo Seung-wan's personas, both actors dominate the screen by accurately pinpointing the action coordination and emotional lines the director wants. An interesting point is the existence of Shin Se-kyung placed between the two men. In a normal movie, it might flow into a cliché love triangle, but Director Ryoo Seung-wan boldly excludes the melodrama line and maintains a dry relationship where they antagonize and use each other. Thanks to this, the cold-blooded confrontation of professional agents stood out more without messy emotional fights.
From the Impact of Bare-Body Action to the Spectacle of Large-Scale Gunfights The action composition of the movie takes a structure that expands gradually. In the early part, realistic hand-to-hand action and fighting scenes where bones and flesh clash, which is Director Ryoo Seung-wan's specialty, dominate and capture the audience's attention. The impactful action utilizing narrow spaces evokes admiration, saying "As expected of Ryoo Seung-wan." And as the movie races toward the middle and end, the scale of action expands to gunfights. Flashy gun action and explosion scenes continue for a long time; while the visual pleasure is maximized in this process, it may give a feeling of being somewhat excessive to some audiences. In particular, the "protagonist buff" where the main character counterattacks unscathed despite numerous bullets felt like a flaw that slightly lowered the realism, even knowing it is a genre allowance.
Doing Espionage with Melodramatic Eyes, Park Jung-min's Overwhelming Presence Park Jung-min, who has been raising his stock with unique sorrowful eye acting in the melodrama genre recently, demonstrates the power of those eyes without regret even in this spy action movie where melodrama is non-existent. His acting, conveying more stories with his eyes than dialogue, adds depth to the movie that could easily become dry. On the other hand, Jo In-sung exudes a charm different from Park Jung-min with his unique refreshing stature and stylish action. The spark created as the two actors with conflicting charms clash is the driving force that makes one immersed in the movie until the end. As rumored that both actors lived in action school, they smoothly digest high-difficulty action movements without stunt doubles, making the viewers admire naturally.
A New Benchmark for Korean Action Movies, 'Humint' In addition, unlike previous works where he went back and forth between the boundaries of good and evil, Park Hae-joon tunes the tension of the play in a clear villain position this time, and Shin Se-kyung, who went on a screen outing after a long time, also reveals her presence with stable acting skills. As the movie goes toward the second half, it makes hands sweat over what the fate of the protagonists will be, exercising powerful suction power. In conclusion, Humint is the result of Director Ryoo Seung-wan pushing what he does best to the limit. A high-quality action movie that meets global standards has been born, enough that the modifier "Korean-style" does not need to be attached. If you are an audience member who loves action movies, I recommend not missing this overwhelming experience through the large screen and sound system of a theater.
A New Benchmark for Korean Action Movies, 'Humint' In addition, unlike previous works where he went back and forth between the boundaries of good and evil, Park Hae-joon tunes the tension of the play in a clear villain position this time, and Shin Se-kyung, who went on a screen outing after a long time, also reveals her presence with stable acting skills. As the movie goes toward the second half, it makes hands sweat over what the fate of the protagonists will be, exercising powerful suction power. In conclusion, Humint is the result of Director Ryoo Seung-wan pushing what he does best to the limit. A high-quality action movie that meets global standards has been born, enough that the modifier "Korean-style" does not need to be attached. If you are an audience member who loves action movies, I recommend not missing this overwhelming experience through the large screen and sound system of a theater.
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