[Movie 2017] Battleship Island 군함도

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July 11, 2017

BATTLESHIP ISLAND Art Poster Revealed

Source: cjenmmovie

[sf4kdrama]

US Release - August 4th, 2017

http://www.firstshowing.net/2017/full-us-trailer-for-slave-labor-war-film-battleship-island-from-korea/

 

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July 12, 2017

Historical Epics Set to Dominate This Year's Summer Peak Season

By Lee Tae-hoon The ChosunIlbo

Summer is typically the peak season of the year for the film industry as hordes of people head to theaters for some temporary relief from the sweltering heat, and youngsters enjoy their summer break.

Films that dominate the box office during this period (the last week of July through mid-August) usually end up being the year's top grossers. Last year, more than 17 million people visited theaters, with the box office list topped by "Train to Busan," which was seen by 11.57 million, "Operation Chromite" (7.05 million) and "The Last Princess" (5.6 million). 

This summer's most highly anticipated films include "A Taxi Driver," directed by Jang Hoon, and "The Battleship Island," directed by Ryoo Seung-wan.

The former tells the story of the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising through the eyes of a cabbie who by chance ends up driving a German reporter around the southwestern city.

"The Battleship Island" depicts the ordeal endured by Korean forced laborers on Hashima Island during Japanese colonial rule.

Ahead of their official releases, the producers of both films have staged pre-screening promotional events to create buzz and draw more moviegoers. "The Battleship Island" is slated for release late this month, and "A Taxi Driver" in early August.

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Clip: cine_21

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July 13, 2017

THE BATTLESHIP ISLAND to Debut in the United States On August 4th
Will be released in 15 Countries around the World in August 2017

by KIM Su-bin / KoBiz

RYOO Seung-wan’s slave labor war film, The Battleship Island will debut in the United States on August 4th after its domestic release on July 26th. After the film’s American premiere, it will be released in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia and more territories in August and in the Philippines in September. 

The film was pre-sold to 113 regions around the world after its promotional three-minute trailer was shown at the European Film Market (EFM) in February earlier this year. Most of the Asian buyers have paid the highest prices ever for a Korean movie, according to CJ Entertainment. 

Set during the Japanese occupation of Korea in 1945, The Battleship Island tells the story of Koreans who were conscripted into slave labor on the island and risked their lives to escape. The film has drawn attention for its star-studded cast; TV series Descendants of the Sun (2016) star SONG Joong-ki plays an independence fighter who gets inside the island, SO Ji-sub of Rough Cut (2008) and The Throne (2015) portrays a gangster who comes to the island from Seoul to make money, HWANG Jung-min of Veteran (2015) and KIM Su-an of TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016) play a musician father and daughter duo, and LEE Jung-hyun of Alice In Earnestland (2015) performs in the role of a Korean woman brought to the island by force.

The Battleship Island is directed by RYOO Seung-wan who is also known for his previous action comedy, Veteran, which topped the local box office in 2015 and is number three all-time at the Korean box office attracting 13 million moviegoers.

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July 14, 2017

Cast of ‘Battleship Island’ exudes charisma at magazine photoshoot

(Instagram account of @harpersbazaarkorea)

Cast members of upcoming historical flick “Battleship Island” recently had a photo shoot for a local fashion magazine Harpers Bazaar Korea. 

In a teaser video released by the magazine via its social media, the four actors -- So Ji-sub, Song Joong-ki, Hwang Jung-min and Lee Jung-hyun -- gazed seriously into the camera. 

Spoiler

(Instagram account of @harpersbazaarkorea)

The film, set in Japan’s Hashima Island where a forced labor camp was located during the Japanese colonial era, tells the story of 400 Korean workers who risked their lives in an attempt to escape from the island. 

It is scheduled to hit local theaters on July 26.

By Kim So-yeon (syk19372@heraldcorp.com)

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Source: CINE21

Cover NO.1114    2017-07-18 ~ 2017-07-25

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July 20, 2017

[Herald Review] Experiencing Japanese atrocities in ‘Battleship Island’
Star-studded cast battles to escape slave labor island in large-scale film

It is inevitable that Korean cinema frequently retell the story of the Japanese occupation, a defining scar in the country’s history, in various ways. “The Battleship Island” is the most recent of such films, recreating Japanese atrocities on a massive visual scale. 

The film’s message is heavy and clear: it exposes the horrific torture of Koreans on Hashima Island from 1940 to 1945. Records show that around 500 to 800 Koreans were taken captive on the island and forced into slave labor, digging 1,000-meter deep coal mines. Many were children -- their small bodies more easily fit into the dark, narrow tunnels.

There is plenty of detailed description in the film. A huge set was built in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, recreating the island as accurately as possible. It’s jarring to see how sleekly the atrocities have been recreated. Dozens of dirt-covered, emaciated laborers chip away at the mines, with seawater and gas bursting through the walls every now and then. People die with alarming ease when rocks fall from the ceiling, or a cart wheels the wrong way. 

The film was shot with IMAX screening in mind -- it will open in surround-screen 4DX in CGV Yongsan -- by cinematographer Lee Mo-gae as something to experience rather than merely watch. 

That leaves little room for storytelling, unfortunately, and the plot is hurried to fit in all the necessary elements. Yet it is bound to satisfy many as a decent commercial film, with solid performances by a star-studded cast and large-scale visuals. 

(CJ Entertainment)

(CJ Entertainment)

In the film, Hashima Island, dubbed “Battleship Island” because of its shape, is a hodgepodge of Koreans who have either been forced onto the island or lured there under false pretenses. 

Hwang Jung-min plays Kang-ok, the leader of a musical band who has a genial way with people. His daughter is the feisty So-hee, played by Kim Soo-ahn, and the singer of his band. Though the father-daughter storyline is formulaic, it is a delight to watch these two talents perform as the heart of the film, singing, dancing and bickering affectionately amid harsh circumstances. The two set off on a boat to Japan after hearing of money-making opportunities there, only to end up on the island. 

Others on the island include Chil-sung, played by So Ji-sub, a former gang member who was once the most feared man in the Jongno streets. Lee Jung-hyun plays Mal-nyeon, a woman who was sold to the Chinese, then to the Japanese by Korean pimps. 

Song Joong-ki, who rose to pan-Asian fame for his portrayal of an Army captain in last year‘s hit military drama “Descendants of the Sun,” returns as Moo-young, an elite soldier of the Korean Liberation Army and an agent with the US’ Office of Strategic Services, who infiltrates the island to rescue a key Korean independence movement figure.

(CJ Entertainment)

(CJ Entertainment)

A photo of the island compelled director Ryoo Seung-wan to make the film.

“I was stimulated by what kind of stories would have taken place in that hellish place,” he said after a press screening in Seoul Wednesday. “The sense of obligation in exposing the history there came afterward, while I was making the film.

“But there were evil Koreans on the island as well as evil Japanese,” he added. “In the end, it comes down to the individual... I wanted to focus on how the strong become weak and how the weak can become strong in the course of war.” 

“The Battleship Island” hits local theaters on July 26. 

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)

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Source: Pierce Conran‏ @pierceconran

THE BATTLESHIP ISLAND, introed by Ryoo Seung-wan, Hwang Jung-min, So Ji-sub, Song Joong-ki & al. #군함도 #송중기 #소지섭 #황정민

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Source: Pierce Conran‏ @pierceconran

[sf4kdrama]

To Pierce Conran, Bibimbap is probably a jingoistic overstuffed mess as well.  

this movie sounds controversial across multiple international forums, incites verbal wars between J & K citizens.

great actors aside, the movie cohesiveness relies heavily on the directors perspective. I do believe that sometimes Less is more... but I will watch when it's released and make my own judgement.

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July 19, 2017

Movie 'The Battleship Island'

The cast of the new movie "The Battleship Island" poses during a publicity event in Seoul on July 19, 2017. From left are cast members Song Joong-ki, Lee Jung-hyun, So Ji-sub, Kim Soo-ahn and Hwang Jung-min. The film, slated to be released here July 26, depicts Koreans' desperate attempt to escape coal mines on Japan's Hashima Island, where they were forced to work during World War II, when Korea was a colony of Japan. (Yonhap) (END)

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July 21, 2017

‘Battleship Island’ pulls through :

While some subplots fail to be resolved, the film will surely be a hit

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

“The Battleship Island,” directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, shows off a star-studded cast of Korea’s finest talents, with Song Joong-ki, Hwang Jung-min and So Ji-sub all battling to rescue Koreans trapped on Hashima Island during Korea’s time under Japanese rule. [CJ E&M]

“There are no must-see movies - it’s not like if you don’t watch movies you die or anything like that. However, there are incidents in history that must be remembered. The incident at Hashima Island is one of those.”

This is what director Ryoo Seung-wan had to say during a press conference for his upcoming film, “The Battleship Island,” on Wednesday. 

“The Battleship Island” is a fictional recreation of the tragic events at Hashima Island, otherwise known as the the Battleship Island due to its warship-like appearance. Although it now is a quiet, abandoned island which was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in July 2015, the destroyed concrete buildings tell the stories of Koreans who were subject to forced labor on the island during the nation’s colonial era under Japanese rule. 

“When I saw pictures of the island, I knew I had to write something about what might have happened in the area,” said the director.

Koreans were tricked into believing that if they were to make a journey to Japan, they would be able to make a living. However, that ship was not headed to the mainland - it stopped at Hashima Island and never came back. 

Hwang Jung-min plays a bandmaster going to Japan to look for a better opportunity with his only daughter, played by actress Kim Soo-ahn. Gang leader So Ji-sub and former comfort woman Lee Jung-hyun also look coming for profits but end up getting stuck on the hellish island. Men are forced to work hours and hours mining coal, an important resource for Japan, during the Second World War, while the women are sent as comfort women to appease the sexual desires of Japanese soldiers.

Director Ryoo attempted to bring that very story to life and dramatized the ending so that more than 400 Josenjings - a contemptuous Japanese term for Koreans - on that island escape, which unfortunately didn’t happen in real life.

Ryoo attempted to show Korean’s togetherness - including one scene that depicts every Josenjing on the island holding a candle - as well as the inner conflicts of Koreans under Japanese colonial rule. 

Although the story and concept of “The Battleship Island” was clear-cut in that it raised attention into one of the under-mentioned incidents of Japanese colonial rule, the execution was a little lacking. 

Director Ryoo, most well-known for his movies “The Berlin File” (2013) and “Veteran,” (2015) showed glimpses of struggling to get a hold of his subplot lines - he would build up a subplot, only to sacrifice it for the main storyline. 

This has been the case throughout his movies. He is known to produce movies that run for more than two hours, and he simply gets lost within himself to coherently bring all the clues and the story lines together. 

This is most notably seen when So Ji-sub, the gang leader, takes control over all the Korean laborers by beating a Korean in a one-on-one showdown. With this, he should be the big man, the man to beat when it comes to calling decision. 

What should’ve been an epic showdown between him and the character played by Song Joong-ki, who comes to the island as an agent with the American army, he suddenly plays second-fiddle with no objection as Song’s character takes control of things. 

Ryoo created too many sub-plots and simply jumped to conclusions on more than a few instances in the film which could irk audiences once it comes to theaters. 

Possibly due to the star-studded cast, there really isn’t one person who leads the film. While So said during the press conference that “it was a weight off each individual actor’s shoulders,” it became more troublesome for the audience to follow the story as the director attempted to give each actor their own spotlight, which resulted in clustered story-telling - like stuffing an omnibus narrative in a simple plot.

What did bring together the chaos and confusion back to the main objective was none other than veteran actor Hwang Jung-min and the scene stealer Kim Soo-ahn. They themselves described each other as “like father anddaughter.”

The director said, “I never had to give directions to [the 11-year old actress] Kim. The relationship between Hwang and Kim drove the film forward.”

Just like what Ryoo noticed, their chemistry was shown as both had the ability to loosen things or increase the pace when it required. While Hwang’s overly emotional roles since 2012’s “Dancing Queen” have been a little cringe-worthy, he nonetheless performs to the best of his abilities as a leading man. 

Kim, who became known after starring as the young daughter in the 2016 film “Train to Busan,” showed the audience why she is becoming such a coveted figure in the industry. 

All in all, CGV’s tent-pole film of the summer looks like it will become a hit in the theaters. The patriotic symbolism of the movie, the star-studded cast and the overall positive reactions from the press all point to the film possibly reaching the ten million ticket mark - a landmark figure for movies in Korea. “The Battleship Island” comes to theaters on July 26. 

BY KIM JUNG-KYOON [kim.jungkyoon@joongang.co.kr]

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July 22, 2017

(Movie Review) 'The Battleship Island':

World War II summer blockbuster underwhelms

By Chang Dong-woo

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- A lot is riding on the success of "The Battleship Island," one of this year's biggest homegrown summer tentpole movies. The project has attracted huge attention since first announced for its inspiration from the atrocities and ordeals faced by hundreds of forced Korean coal miners and sex slaves at Japan's Hashima Island, nicknamed "Battleship Island" after its resemblance to a warship, during World War II.

Written and directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, the action drama movie is the latest in the series of TV shows and movies from South Korea that shed light on Japan's problematic past, especially amid the controversial listing of the site as a UNESCO World Heritage in 2015. UNESCO recommended Tokyo implement measures to explain its full history, but no action has been taken yet.

Besides its inherent political-diplomatic cause, "The Battleship Island" is also a big bet for CJ E&M, being one of the more expensive South Korean films to-date. Against a budget of 25 billion won (US$22.3 million), the movie has to sell more than 7 million tickets to break even.

A poster for "The Battleship Island" provided by CJ E&M (Yonhap)

Ryoo, a critically and commercially well-respected filmmaker whose works include "The Unjust" (2010), "The Berlin File" (2013) and "Veteran" (2015), was handed several balls to juggle: craft an emotional-yet-persuasive prosecution of Japan's past war crimes that the world can relate to, and also deliver a satisfactory summer popcorn blockbuster that ensures financial success. Similar to last year's "Operation Chromite," its a "too big to fail" type of movie for CJ and -- depending on who you ask -- for the country as well.

The film is based on and inspired by records of the island, but the story itself is from Ryoo and co-writer Shin Kyung-il's imagination (there is no record of a massive evacuation like what happens in the film). With an ensemble cast, the plot, set near the end of the war in 1945, is carried out from the perspective of ordinary characters who come from different walks of society.

Hwang Jung-min plays Kang-ok, a talented musician who boards a ship to Hashima with his band mates and young daughter, So-hee, played by child actress Kim Soo-ahn. He believes he's heading to mainland Japan with the dream of making it big in the music scene there.

A still from "The Battleship Island" provided by CJ E&M (Yonhap)

So Ji-sub plays a former gangster named Chil-sung, and actress Lee Jung-hyun is cast as Mal-nyeon, a comfort woman who becomes the spiritual leader among the Korean women brought to the island. Song Joong-ki portrays Moo-young, a special forces agent with the Korean Liberation Army, who infiltrates the island to rescue a key independence movement figure.

The expose-style storytelling is heavy on depicting the harrowing working conditions on the island. Ryoo successfully visualizes the hell-like conditions to which Koreans were subjected. Workers are thrust into dark and cramped underground tunnels, arousing a feeling of claustrophobia to viewers. Laborers are forced to work with zero safety equipment and hence, as expected in such a film, hell breaks loose via an accidental gas explosion, leading to mass casualties.

Women are subject to working at brothels and bars. People at times do attempt to flee the island but those who successfully breach the security perimeter meet their doom on the high seas.

As dire as things are, the Koreans do form a community led by Yoon Hak-chul, played by Lee Kyung-young, who acts as their spiritual leader and mediator when interacting with the Japanese bigwigs. They are also portrayed as human, as in placing personal interest ahead of common sense, sometimes at the expense of kowtowing to their oppressors. Ryoo said he didn't want to make a movie where the good-evil division was so obvious.

The Japanese oppressors, on the other hand, are your typical brutal and authoritative figures. As expected, they are ruthless and exploitative. And without exception, they all come off as one-dimensional, which seems a rather dull approach, especially in comparison to how the Koreans in the film are multi-faceted.

The production is highly detailed and intricate, with CJ having created a full-size set, albeit scaled two-thirds to the real-life Hashima Island, spanning 66,000 square meters in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. The structural layout of Hashima -- which was basically a city divided into the subjugated Korean population and the privileged Japanese community -- was reconstructed 1:1 to the actual site as much as possible including coal mines, a dock, a school building for young Japanese children and a red light district.

A still from "The Battleship Island" provided by CJ E&M (Yonhap)

The cinematography is mostly dark and bland but it's obviously by choice. Viewers never feel visually bored thanks to the range of environments on the set. But the movie could have done a better job in conveying a sense of scale of the island, as a lot of shots, besides the final battle sequence, were filmed in underground caves or in rooms with intentionally bleak lighting.

So how does the movie stack up? With a huge budget and an star-studded cast, it's obvious that "The Battleship Island" is trying to do a lot of things at once. But the film ultimately ends up falling on its own sword, leaving viewers unimpressed by what could have been both an exciting and emotional summer blockbuster.

The problem that stands out the most is that it's hard for viewers to emotionally invest in any of its major characters. Supposedly Kang-ok is the main figure that anchors the film throughout. But the character, for the most part, comes off as too light-hearted and comedic for the part. Song and So's characters are also underwritten and so one-dimensional that they seem derivative, with their actions and behavior hardly bearing any meaning or weight.

It's not just the character development but also the overall screenwriting and editing that could have been drastically improved. The movie has a major plot twist that leads to Song's character deciding to abort his given mission and evacuate all Koreans. But it comes out of nowhere with zero foreshadowing and fails to emotionally register with viewers, leaving them almost indifferent to his cause.

Another big problem with "The Battleship Island" is that the movie lacks a sense of reality and practicality when it comes to action. This is seen eespecially during the final battle sequences, to the point of breaking the movie's suspension of disbelief. Song's character is unrealistically invincible even by Hollywood blockbuster standards. It is hard to discuss the details without getting into spoiler territory, but logistics-wise an operation of evacuating hundreds should feel much more difficult to pull off.

Given the subject matter, the film's strong anti-Japanese message is clearly an unavoidable aspect. But it's hard to shrug off the impression that the producers intentionally dialed up the anti-Japanese sentiment -- there is a highly choreographed scene in which Kang-ok slashes a giant "Rising Sun" flag in half during the evacuation -- for the purpose of supposed "patriotic marketing."

"The Battleship Island" hits theaters July 26.

The cast of "The Battleship Island" poses during a publicity event in Seoul on July 19, 2017. From left are cast members Song Joong-ki, Lee Jung-hyun, So Ji-sub, Kim Soo-ahn and Hwang Jung-min. (Yonhap)

odissy@yna.co.kr

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July 23, 2017

[Movie preview] 'Battleship Island' portrays battle between history and commercialism

A scene from the movie "The Battleship Island" / Courtesy of 1st Look

By Yun Suh-young The Korea Times

The title of the movie "The Battleship Island" (Gunhamdo) refers to Hashima Island, off the coast of Nagasaki in Japan which was said to look like a battleship. The island was owned by the Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi who turned the entire island into a coal mining factory with which they made huge sums of money.

In the 1940s, during Japan's colonization of Korea, the Japanese brought in Korean laborers to the island, tricking them into thinking that they would make a good living, when the reality was they would be forced into harsh underground labor (1 kilometer below sea level) mining coal. A large number of Koreans were drafted to work there from 1943 to 1945.

Many individual attempts were made to escape the island, but in vain, as the fierce tides swallowed them up. Even those who did manage to swim to Nagasaki, did not live long _ they died from the United States' bombing of the region.

The story of this tragedy was made into a film by Korean director Ryoo Seung-wan and will open in theaters July 26.

In Ryoo's version of the story, however, the Korean laborers make a bold attempt to escape the island, not individually, but as a group. It more or less becomes a "battle" between the escapers and the Japanese enslavers inside the "battleship" island as well as a battle between history and fiction and commercialism as the storyline begins to blur in confusion.

"Since I am not a documentary producer, I wanted the Koreans in my world to escape from that island. I think that's the prerogative of a movie director. It's also my personal hope expressed through imagination," said Ryoo during a press preview held Wednesday.

"I did not intend to educate people on the history of the island in the beginning. That was not my first intent. But as I filmed, I felt an urge to let the word out, more out of responsibility. What initially inspired me to create this film was a photograph of the island which made me imagine what would have happened inside it."

As evident in Ryoo's past works such as "Berlin" and "Veteran," the director's work is more about action than anything else. Battleship Island is no exception. Whereas it begins looking like a historical film, it turns into an action thriller half way through and resembles a Hollywood blockbuster with superhero characters.

The film features a star-studded cast including Hwang Jung-min, So Ji-sub, Song Joong-ki, Lee Jung-hyun and Kim Soo-ahn but because of the multi-casting of several big names, none seem to stand out. Song Joong-ki is the superhero character in this film, suddenly appearing out of nowhere to lead the mass out of the mess. He is a member of the Office of Strategic Services, trying to rescue independence fighters. So, who used to play main characters in other movies, now seems secondary to Song. He is the macho hero, leader of a Korean gang, who backs up Song to protect the crowd. Singer-turned-actress Lee Jung-hyun's existence is buried under other characters. She plays a comfort woman who is strong and courageous. But the real gems in this film are Hwang Jung-min and the 11-year-old Kim Soo-ahn, who plays his daughter. The father and daughter combo, who perform in a band, makes this film come to life, giving the audience laughter and warmth.

Why did Ryoo turn this into an escape film?

"Three reasons. First, I interpreted escaping the island as escaping from the tangled past. There's future only when the past is cleared," he said.

"I also thought it was an escape from Hell Joseon. I think I subconsciously desired that," he said, expressing a rather pessimistic view.

"But I also like escape films. I have watched them since I was young and desired one day to make one of my own."

Ryoo said there is "no such thing as a must-see movie."

"It is your choice to see it or not. But I think it is necessary to know the history of Gunhamdo," he said.

The Hashima coal mine and 23 industrial relics of the Meiji Revolution were listed as UNESCO's World Heritage in 2015, under great difficulty. It was accepted, however, under the condition, strongly demanded by the Korean government and supported by UNESCO, that Japan clearly states the unbiased history of the island including the forced labor of Koreans and that they establish an information center on the island.

The Japanese government had to accept this demand and is obliged to report to the UNESCO on its plan of action by the end of the year. The international community is keeping an eye on it to ensure that the Japanese government implements its commitments made to UNESCO in July 2015 so that the world cannot forget the atrocities perpetrated by imperial Japan.

ysy@ktimes.com

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July 24, 2017

(Yonhap Interview) Song Joong-ki finds delivering dark side more intriguing

By Chang Dong-woo and Cho Jae-young

SEOUL, July 24 (Yonhap) -- Since his rise to stardom through "Descendants of the Sun," actor Song Joong-ki has established a public image of a wholesome, upright and humble young actor. But that's hardly the professional image he wants to settle with.

"The fans see the bright side of the actor Song Joong-ki, but I think I find acting out the dark side (of a character) intriguing," Song said Monday in an interview with Yonhap News Agency.

Song Joong-ki of the upcoming movie "The Battleship Island" poses for the camera in a photo provided by Blossom Entertainment. (Yonhap)

The actor, who appears in the upcoming South Korean summer blockbuster "The Battleship Island," said he wants to explore more complex emotions and try out "chilling" roles in the future.

"I want to try out chilling roles, more chilling material in terms of genre and dark roles."

In "The Battleship Island," Song plays Park Moo-young, a special forces agent with the Korean Liberation Army, who infiltrates the island to rescue a key independence movement figure from Japan's Hashima Island during World War II.

The Moo-young character image overlaps a lot with that of his role of Capt. Yoo Si-jin in "Descendants." Both figures portrayed by Song are highly talented and effective military characters. The 33-year-old, however, disputes such interpretation.

"Back during 'Descendants' I filled the role with my usual image as a person. I injected by own image inside the sly-audacious image created by writer Kim Eun-sook," Song recalled.

He added, "But the Park Moo-young character in 'The Battleship Island' is a role that saves people in the face of death. I've taken out the light aspect (of my own character) from the role internally and externally."

Song also said his experience in filming the war movie has made him "learn and feel a lot" as a 33-year-old South Korean adult living in the world. The film directed by Ryoo Seung-wan is inspired from the atrocities and ordeals faced by hundreds of forced Korean coal miners and sex slaves at Japan's Hashima Island during the war.

"From the influence, I read a lot of current affairs and political news on the Internet. Before I primarily read entertainment news on Internet portals," said Song.

Spoiler

Song Joong-ki of the upcoming movie "The Battleship Island" poses for the camera in a photo provided by Blossom Entertainment. (Yonhap)

Earlier this month, Song made headlines after making a bombshell announcement that he plans to marry fellow actress and co-star of "Descendants" Song Hye-kyo in October. The announcement was made after the couple repeatedly denied rumors that they were dating.

"I thought I could spend my life with Hye-kyo since she is such a wonderful person. She is a senior in terms of acting and a fellow performer, but she has a profound mind," Song said.

Song said he learns a lot by being next to his fiance. "I think our values correspond," adding that he sees actor Cha Tae-hyun as a role model dad.

"I never really thought of getting married late in life. I've learned a lot from seeing Cha Tae-hyun. I think Tae-hyun is the most awesome person in all South Korea. He's a true family man but at the same time isn't careless professionally."

When asked whether he's planning to have multiple kids such as Cha, Song replied laughingly "We'll plan it as we live together."

odissy@yna.co.kr

[rubie]

July 24, 2017

(Yonhap Interview) So Ji-sub: Filming 'The Battleship Island' was mentally tense

By Chang Dong-woo and Kim Hee-sun

SEOUL, July 24 (Yonhap) -- Before he was offered a major role in "The Battleship Island," So Ji-sub admitted he wasn't aware of exactly what he was getting himself into. Back then, all So cared for was the chance at collaborating with his long-time filmmaker hero, director Ryoo Seung-wan.

Only after agreeing to join the project and receiving the screenplay did So realize what he was about to face: an epic war movie about the atrocities faced by hundreds of forced Korean coal miners and sex slaves at Japan's Hashima Island during World War II. He suddenly realized this wasn't going to be a walk in the park.

Actor So Ji-sub, star of upcoming South Korean blockbuster movie "The Battleship Island," poses for the camera in a photo provided by the 51K Company. (Yonhap)

"I accepted the offer without even reading the screenplay because I wanted to work in a movie with director Ryoo Seung-wan. It was physically difficult, but more grueling was the pressures from the fact that the real-life Battleship Island was its subject matter," So said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Monday.

"After news came out of the film's production, the pressure intensified after Battleship Island itself became a big issue," he added, referring to the controversial listing of the site as a UNESCO World Heritage in 2015. UNESCO recommended Tokyo implement measures to explain its full history, but no action has been taken yet.

The actor said he asked himself, "Can I serve this movie, can I deliver my character well?" In his first acting job in two years, So plays Choi Chil-sung, a former gangster who ends up on Hashima Island as one of the hundreds of forced Korean coal miners.

The 41-year-old actor, who's first big breakout role was in KBS 2TV's "I'm Sorry, I Love You," said Chil-sung's character resembles that of his own. But the role was distinctive from his past works.

"Compared to my past characters who tended to have a cold heart and were mostly quiet, Chil-sung has fiery emotions," So said.

"It was cathartic to deliver a burning performance, but it seems as if there's not much left inside of me. It's as if I've coughed out everything that was inside."

With an all-star cast, including Song Joong-ki and Hwang Jung-min, and a massive production, "The Battleship Island" is one of the more expensive South Korean films to date. Against a budget of 25 billion won (US$22.3 million), the movie has to sell more than 7 million tickets to break even.

"I hope the combined audience surpasses 10 million. It has to break even in order to produce similar movies in the future. I hope those who have worked hard on the movie can be compensated."

Spoiler

Actor So Ji-sub, star of the upcoming South Korean blockbuster "The Battleship Island," poses for the camera in a photo provided by the 51K Company. (Yonhap)

When asked about his thoughts on marriage, So said he has no plans for the time being.

"Until a while ago, I was burdened with the pressure of having to get married. But being over 40 now, I'm finding my current state comfortable," said So, adding that he wants to find a person to date for now.

"The Battleship Island" is expected to make a strong opening day performance on Wednesday, becoming the most reserved film, with a 65.1 percent reservation rate, as of 2:30 p.m. Monday.

odissy@yna.co.kr

[rubie]

July 26, 2017

'The Battleship Island' headed towards big opening at box office

SEOUL, July 26 (Yonhap) -- "The Battleship Island," a new South Korean World War II blockbuster film, is set to make an opening day splash on Wednesday, with nearly 600,000 tickets having been reserved on the release date.

According to the computerized tally from the Korean Film Council, the number of ticket reservations for the film stood at 594,370 as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, accounting for 70.1 percent of all movie reservations for the day.

The film, directed by Ryoo Seung-wan and starring Hwang Jung-min, Song Joong-ki and So Ji-sub, is expected to overtake "Dunkirk," the current No. 1 film at the box office.

"The Mummy," a Hollywood film starring Tom Cruise, holds the record for the biggest opening day performance in South Korea, drawing in 872,965 moviegoers on its premiere day. "Roaring Currents," the biggest-grossing film in the country to-date, was watched by 682,701 viewers on release day.

"The Battleship Island" is one of the more expensive South Korean films to-date. Against a budget of 25 billion won (US$22.3 million), the movie has to sell more than 7 million tickets to break even.

The movie has attracted huge attention since it was first announced for its inspiration from the atrocities and ordeals faced by hundreds of forced Korean coal miners and sex slaves at Japan's Hashima Island, nicknamed "Battleship Island" after its resemblance to a warship, during World War II.

odissy@yna.co.kr

[rubie]

Source: Pierce Conran‏ @pierceconran

 

[rubie]

Source: ScreenAnarchy

Review: THE BATTLESHIP ISLAND, Impressive Action Torpedoed by Nationalism

http://screenanarchy.com/2017/07/review-the-battleship-island-impressive-action-torpedoed-by-nationalism.html