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| yna@yna.co.kr 2024-08-09 07:19:40
SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Yonhap) -- Director Chu Chang-min's latest film, Land of Happiness, set to be released on August 14, explores the turbulent period in South Korean history following the assassination of President Park Chung-hee on October 26, 1979, and the subsequent military coup led by then-Security Commander Chun Doo-hwan on December 12, 1979.
The film focuses on the trial of those involved in the October 26 incident. The story begins with a young, ambitious lawyer, Jung In-hoo (played by Cho Jung-seok), who takes on the case of Park Tae-joo (Lee Sun-kyun), a secretary to the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, who becomes embroiled in the incident. The trial, under the influence of the power-hungry Joint Investigation Headquarters chief, Jeon Sang-doo (Yoo Jae-myung), is portrayed as highly biased and unjust.
In an interview on August 8 in Seoul, Director Chu said, "I wanted to depict how barbaric that era was by covering the period from October 26 to December 12. The character Jeon Sang-doo represents the brutality of those in power at the time."
Chu explained that while Land of Happiness shares a temporal backdrop with last year's hit film Spring in Seoul, directed by Kim Sung-soo, the two films are distinct in their approaches. "While Spring in Seoul dives into the December 12 military coup like a documentary, Land of Happiness focuses on the societal atmosphere between the two events," he said.
If Jeon Sang-doo symbolizes the brutality of the era, Park Tae-joo represents those who were victimized and destroyed by it. Regarding Jung In-hoo, Chu described him as "a symbol of civic spirit, someone who, while living according to the flow of the times, gradually becomes aware and occasionally resists as he moves forward."
The core of Land of Happiness revolves around the trial of Park Tae-joo, with the film interweaving various courtroom and non-courtroom episodes to enrich the narrative. Chu emphasized the importance of factual accuracy in the trial scenes, stating, "I believe trials must be based on facts. I can say that the trial scenes in the film are about 95% aligned with the actual facts."
Chu also stressed the importance of maintaining balance in the portrayal of the trial, ensuring that neither side's arguments were depicted as overly biased. "For the film to resonate sincerely with the audience, the trial scenes couldn't be one-sided. I directed it so that both Jung In-hoo and prosecutor Baek Seung-gi (Choi Won-young) engage in a rational and logical battle," he explained.
Chu praised the actors' performances, particularly Cho Jung-seok, whose portrayal of Jung In-hoo brings both intensity in the courtroom and subtle emotional depth in other scenes. "I've watched many courtroom films, and I believe that creating compelling courtroom scenes relies more on the actors' performances than the director's direction. It was crucial to capture the actors' convincing performances on camera," he said.
Cho Jung-seok also injects humor into the narrative, preventing the film from becoming too dark and heavy. "I wanted the film to be more enjoyable for the audience, and I expected Cho Jung-seok to play a crucial role in achieving that," Chu reflected, adding that "there were many moments on set where he showcased his comedic talent, and it was a lot of fun."
The character Park Tae-joo is inspired by Colonel Park Heung-joo, who was sentenced to death and executed following the October 26 incident. Chu noted, "No film has properly highlighted Park Heung-joo until now. However, I didn't want the story to be fixated on Park Heung-joo as an individual. My focus was on depicting the broader era rather than concentrating on his personal narrative."
Chu Chang-min, known for his earlier works like the comedy Mapado (2005) and Late Blossom (2011), gained widespread recognition with the 2012 hit Masquerade, which drew over 12 million viewers. Chu is currently working on a drama, though he refrained from sharing specific details at this time.
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