The noir genre splits into various sub-categories depending on the detailed storyline.
Movies about the “politics” of gangsters include The Godfather, Nameless Gangster, and New World.
Or those that reveal the brutality of the gangster world, such as Heat or Scarface. Or movies where gangsters are the subject matter but a human relationship is at the core, like Friend.
There’s also something like John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow, which interweaves family conflicts into the story. That kind of plot could do quite well.
People do criticize these films for glorifying gangsters, but that’s something that always comes later.
Right now, if we want to make a film that grabs the audience, we need to create gangsters who are attractive characters.
I combined these thoughts as I continued writing my script.
Though it may become a cliché eventually, in this story, having friends where one becomes a gangster and the other becomes a cop will still seem quite fresh at this point. Then we can naturally pull the audience into the film through the tension that arises.
Finally, there would be a plot where the gangster sacrifices himself for the friend who became a cop.
If it starts out with a comedic tone and then shifts into a tear-jerking, melodramatic climax in the Korean style, that should be enough to convince investors.
Because right now, melodrama still sells.
“Hey, Jun-seong. Take a look at this synopsis.”
“Already?”
I handed Jun-seong the synopsis where I’d briefly outlined the main plot.
After he skimmed through it quickly, he looked at me for a moment.
“Wow. This is actually really novel. People will naturally get immersed in the two main roles, and it’ll create plenty of tension.”
“What do you think about casting?”
“For the gangster role, I’d like a young actor who can really act. Maybe someone up-and-coming… like Lee Jeong-woo?”
“Oh?”
“And for the cop role… Kim Seung-hoon! I can totally picture it.”
If we could cast them as he suggested, I’d have nothing more to wish for.
Those two actors I mentioned both end up becoming well-known movie stars later on.
Right now, neither of them is exactly a ‘must-see’ level star, but on the plus side, their fees aren’t as high yet.
“I think so too. Let’s go with that. That would really bring the atmosphere to life. I can already hear the crowds of moviegoers lining up.”
As I spoke with a laugh, Jun-seong scrunched his face jokingly and replied:
“You’re hearing things.”
“You don’t hear it? The sound of money pouring in? You’re still an amateur.”
“Oh, come on.”
“Anyway, I’ll write the screenplay with those actors in mind, so just watch.”
“Can you really crank out a script so easily? We should at least outline it and bring it in. There’s not much time left.”
“Just wait. I’ve already got it all laid out in my head.”
A commercial cliché that’ll persuade the investors—if we use that well, this is going to be huge.
A few days later.
We got a call and made preparations to head to Jun-seong’s father’s house.
“Should I wear a suit?”
“They’re calling it an ‘interview,’ but it’s not like a real interview. Wear something comfortable.”
“Still, we’re going to a rich family’s house…”
“Rich my foot. It’s no different from a normal house. Just think of it as a slightly bigger place.”
I noticed that Jun-seong’s hands were trembling. He’s probably a lot more nervous than I am.
“Nervous?”
“No, not at all.”
“Yeah, sure. Get a hold of your hands, will you? Seeing them shaking makes me anxious too.”
“You got any more predicted questions?”
For the past few days, out of nowhere, he’d insisted we practice for the questions his father might ask, like we were prepping for an actual interview.
I don’t know if that helped, but seeing the half-crazed look in his eyes, I had no choice but to practice with him.
“What am I, Zhuge Liang? Got a magic bag of tricks or something?”
“Ahhh… A-E-I-O-U… A-E-I-O-U… Warm up your tongue, man.”
“You nutjob. You think you’re auditioning to be a news anchor? How did you manage the last time you went alone?”
“I don’t even know. I must’ve been insane back then. Now I’m sane again.”
“Then go a little crazy now! Don’t drag me into your nerves.”
“A-E-I-O-U! A-E-I-O-U!”
Just then, his phone rang. He answered politely, hung up, then spoke:
“Let’s head down.”
A luxury sedan was waiting for us.
“Wow, a chauffeur?”
“I dunno. Hurry up and get in, and don’t start babbling.”
Jongno, Samcheong-dong.
We got out of the taxi and entered the neighborhood where wealthy families supposedly live. We saw houses you’d usually only see in dramas.
“Wow, this is awesome. I’d love to live in a place like this at least once before I die.”
“Awesome, huh? I like your room better. I feel suffocated here.”
“What do you mean suffocated? You don’t know what it’s really like not having a place. People who have it want even more, trust me.”
“All I do is work part-time, you know?”
“Still, you have some assets. Come on.”
“You, in that spacious room—what do you know?”
“There’s more to it than that.”
Before my ‘return to the past,’ I remembered that cramped room piled with liquor bottles, and a tiny TV set. It flashed through my mind.
“Man, sometimes you sound like a cranky old man.”
“Looks like your nerves are gone?”
“A-E-I-O-U, you jerk.”
“Ha, you maniac. That’s quite a persona. Mind if I use that in a script later?”
“Only if you cast a really handsome actor.”
“I was thinking of an ‘ugly-man’ role for it.”
We continued trading silly jokes as we got out of the car, and were greeted by a pretty large house.
“Is this it?”
“Yeah.”
When Jun-seong pressed the intercom, the door opened.
“Whoa, the yard is huge. Is this artificial turf?”
“I have no idea. I haven’t been here in six years.”
“How could you walk away from all this?”
“Because I’m just that amazing.”
The door opened, and we were welcomed by his mother, smiling brightly. Behind her stood his younger sister, Lee Ye-ji, whom I had only seen in newspapers.
“Come on in, Director Gyeong. Was the trip okay? And hi, Jun-seong.”
“Ah, yes. Thanks to you, we came comfortably.”
The inside of the house looked even nicer than the place we used for filming The Woman in the Secret Room before.
The living room had a chandelier that wasn’t overly fancy but still impressive.
They weren’t blatantly flaunting their wealth, but it wasn’t exactly humble-looking, either.
“This is a lovely home.”
“Oh, not at all. After all, there’s someone here who left this house behind, so how grand could it be?”
She playfully glanced at her son, who looked up at the ceiling without saying a word.
He was probably rehearsing the business plan in his head.
“They say my husband will be here soon, so would you mind waiting a bit? That’s alright, isn’t it?”
“Of course, that’s fine.”
We sat on an expensive-looking sofa in the living room, with a table that held some high-end snacks.
They looked like fancy treats that might be hard to find, paired nicely with tea.
His mother and sister sat across from us, quietly glancing in our direction. For a moment, I wondered how to start a conversation.
“The weather’s really nice today, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is. Haha.”
From the look on his mother’s face, that wasn’t the right approach…
“How was Jun-seong when he was young?”
At my question, Jun-seong looked embarrassed, but his mother’s face lit up.
I’m sorry, buddy. I can only throw you under the bus here.
“Jun-seong was such a sensitive kid. Remember, dear? How you came home crying after watching a movie once?”
“Hey, I did not come back crying.”
“That was Cinema Paradiso, wasn’t it?”
“Ah! Yeah, that was probably it. Hahaha.”
Clearly flustered, he scratched the back of his head. Meanwhile, his mother and I chatted away like a comedy duo.
She must have felt comfortable talking to me because she kept smiling as she spoke.
His sister, Ye-ji, looked at me curiously.
“Are you the same age as my brother?”
“Yes, we’re the same age. Born in ’75.”
“That’s interesting.”
“Oh… haha, what is?”
“You seem older somehow. You and my brother have a different vibe. More mature, or maybe older… I’m not quite sure—ow! Mom!”
Her mother pinched her and told her off.
“What kind of thing is that to say?”
“I’m just saying it’s kind of odd, right? Can’t I say that?”
“It’s alright. I hear that a lot, actually. Haha.”
“See, I knew I was right.”
“He’s always been called an ‘old man’ ever since he was a kid. Look at him. Does that look like the face of a 20-something?”
Joining in the teasing, Jun-seong mentioned how I once cried while eating, or cried when seeing my sibling who came home on leave from the military, and so on.
Ding-dong
“Ah, that must be my husband. One moment.”
I swallowed hard.
I’d only ever seen KMD Group Chairman Lee Cheol-ho in the news or in newspapers. I’d never met him in person, but I’d read about him plenty.
KMD Group started in construction, but after the IMF crisis, they expanded by acquiring failing companies.
They were one of the few businesses that survived the IMF crisis relatively unscathed, and after 2010 they even ventured into IT, growing even bigger.
“You’re here?”
“Yeah, so are you Jun-seong.”
He had almost no hint of a smile as he responded.
“And you must be Director Gyeong Chan-hyeon?”
“Ah, yes.”
“I see. I watched your movie.”
“Thank you.”
We all moved to the dining table. There was quite a feast spread out.
Soy sauce-marinated crab, assorted jeon (Korean pancakes), kimchi stew, ribs—a line-up of dishes that would make anyone’s mouth water. I resisted the urge to dig in as we took our seats.
“Please, help yourselves.”
“Yes! Thank you for the meal!”
“Try not to cry this time, man.”
At that remark from his son, everyone but the father burst into laughter.
“What?”
“Oh, I was just telling him about how Director Gyeong once cried while eating because the food tasted so good.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’ve cried while eating, too.”
Chairman Lee Cheol-ho suddenly made that confession, and silence fell.
“You have, dear?”
“When I first came alone to Seoul and hadn’t seen my mother in a long time, I went back home and ate her cooking and ended up bawling.”
I felt a bit uneasy, but I kept my expression calm and focused on my meal.
“Hey, he ate the same dish the day before, though.”
“Oh? That’s a bit unusual.”
He smiled at me, but he looked intimidating enough that his smile seemed more like a predator eyeing its prey than a friendly grin.
“Well, I assume you came prepared?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Let’s finish eating first and then we’ll talk. Let’s see how ready you are.”
With those weighted words from Chairman Lee, the atmosphere grew somewhat somber. But thanks to all the ‘rice-stealers’ on the table (the super-tasty side dishes), I couldn’t help but keep spooning food into my mouth.
“Director Gyeong.”
Startled that he suddenly addressed me, I swallowed my mouthful a little too fast and answered:
“Yes!”
“So is your dream to stay in the film industry?”
“Yes.”
“And how would you rate your own movie, honestly?”
“Well… if we’re talking about high, medium, or low quality, then it’s at the top. Whichever standard you choose, it’s above that bar.”
After my reply, another hush fell over the table. From the look on his face, it was like “This crazy kid…”—and even Jun-seong was glaring as if I’d gone off the deep end.
“Above the standard?”
“Yes. Because a top figure in Korean business personally came to a small theater to watch it, right? Is there another film out there like that?”
He looked at me with an expression that said, “Well, this is interesting.”
“You’ve got quite a friend, son.”
“Yes… haha.”
“But of course, I’ll need Jun-seong’s help. When it comes to production, he’s got skills I can’t match.”
“Really?”
He looked back and forth between us.
“Once we’re done eating, we’ll talk in detail.”
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