Through this pre-release screening for industry professionals, I also had the opportunity to see the final version of the work for the first time.
Of course, we received the edit drafts intermittently, but they never sent us the completed film until now.
It was even better than I expected.
In the case of CG works, you never know how it’ll turn out until the very end, so it was always a source of worry, but this time it was truly breath-taking.
Especially during the climactic episode of the runaway King of Horses, gasps of admiration echoed throughout the audience.
In terms of CG quality, it was better than ‘Gold Rush, Joseon,’ which was filmed by Dream Meta Studio.
Though it’s true that the production budget skyrocketed beyond expectations, I feel it was well worth the investment.
After the screening, during the Q&A session, Ellie definitely carried the day.
Ellie, who I’d met before and knew could occasionally speak Korean, had managed to hone her skills to near-native proficiency during the filming.
Seeing Retten’s absolute beauty, Ellie, answer the journalists’ questions without the aid of a translator, most reporters couldn’t help but flock to her.
Reporters, after all, make their living based on clicks.
Who would pass up the chance to conduct a live interview with the hot-topic Ellie these days if given the opportunity? Not a journalist.
Though this wasn’t the intention behind bringing Ellie, it felt like a pleasant surprise.
During the Q&A, amidst everything, reporters who seemed sponsored by D-Pictures kept trying to muddy the waters with questions.
There’s nothing else I can say about this, but since they were hitting us with factual accusations, it became rather difficult to counter.
Even harder was managing the two individuals beside me who were about to shout “That’s exactly right!” at the top of their lungs.
It seems they might have thrown out some thoughtless guesses, but their deductions were surprisingly close to the truth.
Seeing as they weren’t even expecting any particular response from us, my initial irritation quickly turned into an uncontrollable laugh.
All of the meaningless questions unrelated to the movie itself were efficiently handled by the stern director Heavenly Yuah herself.
The questions related to the work itself were met with sincere answers, and the internal review session concluded.
The invited film critics and experts who were there to evaluate the piece seemed, for the most part, satisfied, so it seems the articles and reviews would be promising.
Even from my own perspective, it was clear we had managed to create a rather decent piece of work. This was, without a doubt, a satisfactory result.
-A remarkable piece that deeply criticizes the divisive culture prevalent in our era and a society that refuses to acknowledge difference.
-A relentless critique of the endless cycle of discrimination and retaliation. A piece that truly embodies young director Heavenly Yuah’s awareness of societal criticism.
-The subtle balance between heaviness and lightness was particularly impressive. Director Heavenly Yuah is a filmmaker who inspires anticipation for the future.
As expected, most of the reviews were positive.
However, as I read through them, I couldn’t help but tilt my head in doubt – does this align with the truth?
Though the creation of a film relies on the capabilities of the writer and director, interpreting and judging it is the audience’s responsibility, right?
It’s not uncommon for works to be interpreted irrespective of the director’s intent, but…
“Still, isn’t this a bit excessive?”
No matter how much I think about it, our precious Writer Ok couldn’t have possibly adjusted the script with such themes in mind.
What does divisive culture even mean, and what does societal criticism have to do with our movie?
The only phrase that faintly made sense was about the “subtle harmony between heaviness and lightness.”
The background and situations characters were in were indeed heavy, but we consciously added lighter elements when developing each character’s personality. I get that, but connecting it to “social criticism” feels like quite a stretch.
“Seriously, isn’t looking for some deep message in a popcorn movie we simply made just…?”
It felt a bit unfair—too dismissive of Writer Ok, who even tossed the film script like a draft.
We really were set on making a popcorn movie.
Still, I have no idea what they were watching, but our piece managed to secure a rather high rating from critics.
An impressive 8.7 out of 10.
Compared to Revenge, slightly lower, which means our artistic depth might lag behind theirs a bit.
“Still, what kind of ‘art’ did Revenge do to get such high scores…”
After confirming our score, I suddenly became curious about what Revenge’s film was like.
How artistic is their film, I wonder…
*
From the industry preview to the public test screening,
Director Nam and the entire cast completed a nationwide tour.
Because the box office market is in such a slump, it’s been a while since such nationwide events were held, it seems.
And naturally, the Revenge team did the same nationwide tour as we did.
Thanks to all this, there’s talk that it’s been a while since the theater scene has seen some real buzz.
“It was entertaining, but after reading the expert reviews, I thought we had created some kind of art film, but it wasn’t that way when I watched it.”
“When South White dragged along, laughter erupted. Indeed, Heavenly Yuah remains Heavenly Yuah. That charm physics—what the heck?”
“The characters were surprisingly well-developed. Although the setting was heavy, the movie itself wasn’t, making it enjoyable.”
“The CG was genuinely top-notch.”
“Watching the film made me want my own Mountain Tiger. I developed a desire to collect it.”
“Me? It’s either the Fox or… Woohee? They’re fluffy.”
“Cut! There’s a raccoon there!”
Audience reviews were better than expected.
Though, somewhat ironically, the high scores from critics were actually having the opposite effect.
It seemed a certain group of moviegoers who initially thought it might not be good based on the expert reviews were coming back after reading the audience reviews.
This side also seemed deeply invested in the truth that high critic ratings often equate to flop films.
“Seriously, why connect this to societal criticism…?”
At least, thank heavens the audience reviews were normal.
“Well, amigo, ciao~”
“Hey, leaving?”
“Thanks for the good time. Once I’m back in the US, the project really kicks off.”
“Alright, good job. If there’s another chance, we’ll meet up again.”
“Huh..”
“What’s with that laugh?”
“While Siwoo was calculating, I managed to achieve quite a lot.”
“…Seriously? Could you stop that mischievous grin? And the finger twitching too?”
“The indomitable flame bearer who never gives up—that’s me.”
After concluding the preview events, Ellie returned to the U.S. for the final Eshtibloom concert.
Their Libertad team will supposedly be re-activating soon.
What a fleeting friend.
When they grin mischievously like that and wiggle their fingers, I really want to slap their head—it’s annoying.
What achievements are they talking about? What could one girl possibly do to another woman?
Looking at them act so smug with such a face—it’s a bit pitiful, though.
“Um, are you really leaving?”
“Of course. I have to go.”
“Yeah, go then.”
After finishing all the preview events, I initially planned to watch Revenge in theaters undercover, but got caught.
Heavenly Yuah, who was keeping an eye on everything I did, predictably followed along.
And when Heavenly Yuah comes, Moon Suyeon inevitably tags along—that’s just how it works.
Without realizing it, I ended up heading to the theater with two thorns on my back.
“So, any disguise…?”
“Wouldn’t it be more effective not to disguise ourselves?”
” Hmm, seeing a competitive work without any disguise…”
“But if we see theirs, they’ll naturally see ours too. I know Jin Seohee pretty well.”
“Let’s both win-win, what if we end up with the dirty end?”
“That won’t happen. I’ve already contacted Jin Seohee.”
“Ah, if that’s the case, it’s fine then.”
Surprisingly, these women refused to even disguise themselves.
When I suggested that we should at least go incognito, they claimed to turn it into a promotion opportunity instead.
We will watch their film, their cast will watch our movie.
And afterward, we’ll release press materials, making for a rather interesting story, they said.
“Until now, their lack of publicity was truly because they had no interest.”
Upon hearing this, I was a bit surprised.
It was a pretty decent proposal.
Plus, this wasn’t even part of a planned strategy—it emerged spontaneously.
I didn’t intend to visit the theater today, so Heavenly Yuah didn’t know.
Just how sincere are these women about the movie’s success?
When Heavenly Yuah moves sincerely, she’s truly formidable.
Considering Heavenly Yuah’s proposal logical, I went to the theater despite the additional baggage of the two.
Because they were along, I had to bring a whole group of guards, adding to the group’s size.
How many people is this, seriously?
Inadvertently, it felt like giving Revenge a free boost of several dozen extra viewers.
“Wow…”
Directed by Sun Juhong, starring Yun Juwon and Jin Seohee, “Revenge” was an S.F Noir about Yun Juwon, abandoned by a massive organization, who gathers collaborators to ultimately dismantle the group.
An extremely brutal and somber work.
Honestly, I was quite astonished.
Given how critics were showering Sun Juhong with praise, I wondered what he did, but apparently, this guy is genuinely a genius.
“To be honest, Seohee, our next project is with Director Sun Juhong.”
“Umm…”
It got to the point where Moon Suyeon randomly proposed a collaboration with Director Sun Juhong, and I couldn’t easily decline her offer.
Does this even make sense?
Though I’m confident I won’t be working with Sun Juhong anytime soon, he certainly managed to throw me off balance.
“Still, isn’t this too heavy?”
“The cinematography is truly artistic. But because of that, it’s even more problematic.”
“Exactly.”
The overbearing effort by Director Sun Juhong was palpable throughout the film, making it extremely exhausting to watch.
It’s true that the cinematography was so good it was impossible to look away, yet it felt too much.
Unlike our movie that balanced a heavy background with lighter characters, this one maintained an oppressive, grave atmosphere from start to finish.
The film didn’t collapse under its weight solely because Yun Juwon and Jin Seohee were extraordinary actors.
“I think this might lose steam sooner than expected?”
In Korea, the noir genre is inherently minor.
Spending 300 billion won to create such a noir film might not have been the wisest decision.
Sure, it’s doing well now thanks to Yun Juwon and Jin Seohee, but once moviegoers understand the real nature of this film, it might lose momentum sooner than expected.
“Ultimately, Director Sun Juhong spent 300 billion won on an artistic endeavor. Of course, the art he pursues isn’t exactly this, but…”
“Wasn’t Director Sun’s goal popularity anyway?”
“Ah, that’s right.”
Come to think of it, this is quite amusing.
Director Sun Juhong’s muse is Moon Suyeon, and Moon Suyeon refused to film unless it’s with me, and thus here we are.
Still, I have to admit, even I can’t help but recognize Director Sun Juhong’s cinematic artistry and vision.
