The film "The Assassin(s)" aims to be a Korean version of "All the President's Men" (1976). Both films depict reporters living in an era of barbarism as they track the truth behind an incident and confront the reality of massive power.
In Korea, movies focusing on reporters have been rare. Corrupt reporters who surrender to money and despicable reporters who cozy up to power were merely consumed as cliches. In that regard, "The Assassin(s)" presents an intriguing approach.
Director Hur Jin-ho, who helmed the film, explained why he made the stories of reporters the core of the movie, stating, "Although this film takes the form of a mystery thriller genre, I wanted to show that era." He added, "Through the social issues handled by the reporters, I unfolded a way to show not only the first lady sniper incident, but also the atmosphere of 1974 and the conditions of that time."
He emphasized that while "The Assassin(s)" is introduced as a mystery thriller, he did not want it to simply stop at digging up the truth of the incident. Director Hur Jin-ho explained, "I did not approach this movie as one that reveals truths that had been hidden until now. In the process of tracking the incident, I wanted to express the emotions of the characters who lived through that era." He meant that while the skeleton of the film is the first lady sniper incident, the flesh is the cinematically reinterpreted emotional line of the main characters.
He also stated, "We brought in similar incidents that actually occurred at the time and used them as the foundation of the story." This meant combining actual history with cinematic fiction.
Park Hae-il, who portrayed city desk reporter Jae-hwan and showcased unwavering journalism, also expressed that he found the film's composition, with the "reporter" at the center of the story, intriguing. Park Hae-il stated, "There are not that many Korean films that sustain the reporter theme from beginning to end with a long breath. Whether I could unify and portray an era through the role of a reporter was a major challenge for me."
The newspaper office newsroom set created by art director Kim Byung-han provided deep immersion for Park Hae-il and Lee Minho as they played reporters. Lee Minho said, "When I first stepped into the newspaper newsroom, it was realized just like the real spaces I had studied beforehand, making it easy to immerse myself." Park Hae-il also admired the details of the newspaper set, praising it by saying, "It felt like I was sucked straight from the present into a 1970s newspaper office."
"The Assassin(s)" is a story tracking the suspicions and mastermind behind the first lady sniper incident that shocked South Korea on August 15, 1974. It is directed by Hur Jin-ho, who made "One Fine Spring Day" and "The Last Princess", and stars Yoo Hai-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Minho.
The film opens on September 23.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.