[Interview②] Director Woo Min-ho's Determined Comeback: "Embracing a Cold and Lonely French Noir"

[Reporter Lee Isul]

Director Woo Min-ho expressed a special determination in presenting ‘The Man Standing Next’.

On the afternoon of the 21st, Director Woo Min-ho shared various stories about the film during an interview held at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, ahead of the release of ‘The Man Standing Next’.

‘The Man Standing Next’ has a strong noir tone. It is also a competent political drama, and the psychological battles between the characters enhance the genre’s appeal. It is remarkable how fragments of personal emotions are blended into the noir genre.

Director Woo Min-ho laughed and said, “I was determined.” He added, “I wanted to handle the characters’ inner selves coldly while maintaining an atmosphere that is somewhat ambiguous.”

He continued, “I aimed to embody the cold, lonely, and melancholic French noir genre. There are actual events taking place in Paris, France, and I set the overall tone accordingly.”

‘The Man Standing Next’ is a film depicting the 40 days before Kim Gyu-pyeong (played by Lee Byung-hun), the director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency and the second most powerful figure, carried out the assassination of the President of the Republic of Korea in 1979. It is the new work of Director Woo Min-ho, who created a box office hit with 9.15 million viewers for ‘Inside Men’ (2015), rated R for adults only.

On October 26, 1979, at 7:40 p.m., at the residence of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency in Gungjeong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, the director of the agency assassinated the President. This event marked the end of an 18-year dictatorship and is recorded as a major event in modern Korean history. The original work is a nonfiction bestseller based on a series of investigative reports written by author Kim Choong-sik during his two months as a journalist. Director Woo Min-ho focused on the October 26 incident from the extensive original material to create the film. The release date is January 22.

Reporter Lee Isul

Photo=Showbox

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