[Focus] The Departed 'Milsu' Sisters Look Stylish and Awesome

Movie 'Milsu' Opens on 26th

Friendship of Haenyeo Who Turned to Smuggling for Livelihood
Box Office Director Ryu Seung-wan Opens Korean Film Summer Market
Simultaneous Release of 6 Films Including The Moon, Secret Operation, Concrete

The shoulders of 'Milsu,' the first Korean film to set sail, are heavy. There are six major new Korean films opening in the summer market. Big-budget blockbusters worth hundreds of billions of won are being released one after another. The film industry is closely watching whether 'Milsu,' which opens this gate, will create a good atmosphere. Will audiences board the Milsu ship led by Ryu Seung-wan?

Kim Jong-su (from left), Jo In-sung, Kim Hye-soo, Director Ryu Seung-wan, Yeom Jeong-ah, Park Jung-min, Go Min-si [Photo by Yonhap News]

A film industry insider recently met and said, "I hoped that 'Mission: Impossible ? Dead Reckoning Part One,' starring Tom Cruise, which opened on the 12th, would score higher, but it's disappointing." He added, "'Milsu' just needs to start the summer market well and lead the theater atmosphere."

He said, "'Milsu's audience performance will somewhat influence subsequent works," and lamented, "I hope that through this, the allocation of late-night screening times will expand and theaters will revive."

Divers Who Entered Livelihood... The Catharsis Given by Their Fiery Friendship

Director Ryu Seung-wan, who directed 'Berlin' (2013), 'Veteran' (2015), 'The Battleship Island' (2017), and 'Mogadishu' (2021), took the helm. Even when the theater atmosphere was poor due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he demonstrated his ten-million-audience power with 'Mogadishu,' which attracted 3.61 million viewers. Ryu, who confirmed the release at the end of July early on, is continuing his bold stride.

'Smuggling' stills [Photo by NEW]

There is a reason for the director's confidence. 'Milsu' is a film where actors Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah hold the center, and Jo In-sung, Park Jung-min, Go Min-si, and Kim Jong-soo closely harmonize to deliver shining character play.

It tells the story of haenyeo (female divers) who live by the sea and jump into smuggling for their livelihood. The setting is Guncheon in the 1970s, reminiscent of Gunsan and Suncheon in Jeollado. Jo Seong-min, vice president of Oeyunaegang, which produced 'Milsu,' got the idea for the film after seeing records of haenyeo smuggling gold bars and diamonds in a museum in Gunsan during the pre-production of the film 'Start-Up' (2019). In reality, haenyeo at the time also smuggled daily necessities.

The subject matter is intriguing. While many films deal with betrayal, conspiracy, loyalty, and love set in refreshing seaside villages, 'Milsu' is different. It splendidly portrays the fiery loyalty of haenyeo. There is no dialect or unnecessary bravado, but it is ultimately cool.

It is also attractive that a female two-top film, into which 17.5 billion won was poured, is being presented in the summer tentpole market. While male buddy movies have been quite consumed in the noir genre, 'Milsu' borrows the buddy movie format to some extent but moves forward briskly and energetically. It breaks away from the typical buddy movie, clearly stating its theme while masterfully balancing the characters.

'Smuggling' stills [Photo by NEW]

Jo Chun-ja, played by Kim Hye-soo, is a stylish person in today's terms. Eom Jin-sook, played by Yum Jung-ah, keeps her own convictions and tenacity but worries more about the haenyeo's safety than herself. The two become more than family to each other. They fight fiercely and are estranged, but that is because they love each other deeply. Because they love, they expect more and thus get more angry.

They understand each other in their own ways. The catharsis given by the two fiery women running for survival while maintaining their pride and refusing to compromise is considerable.

First Starter 'Milsu,' Will It Restore Trust in Korean Films?

Several Korean films will be released consecutively in the summer market. Expectations are high as ten-million-audience directors and famous actors make a large-scale appearance.

One week after 'Milsu' opens, on August 2, 'Unofficial Operation' (directed by Kim Sung-hoon), starring Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon, and 'The Moon' (directed by Kim Yong-hwa), starring Sol Kyung-gu and Do Kyung-soo, will be released. The following week, on the 9th, 'Concrete Utopia' (directed by Um Tae-hwa), starring Lee Byung-hun, will be released.

On the 15th of next month, 'Sweet & Sour,' starring Yoo Hae-jin, and 'Guardian,' directed by Jung Woo-sung, will meet audiences side by side. Looking at the lineup, there is no easy film. Since these films are collaborations between big-name actors, directors, and major distributors, the break-even points are not low.

[Photo by Yonhap News]

Some worry that this kind of divided competition might lead to a bloodbath. There are concerns that last summer's market, which audiences shunned, might be repeated. Nevertheless, each distributor cannot miss this market because of the production costs involved. Since a considerable production budget has been invested, they have no choice but to present the films in a large market.

The fact that various Korean films are screened in theaters and can attract attention is remarkable. If audiences gather to some extent in the summer market, the momentum can continue into the autumn Chuseok holiday. Korean films may also recover the lost trust of audiences and regain momentum. In that sense, attention is focused on what kind of report card the first starter 'Milsu' will receive.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.