[TV리포트=허장원 기자] The Netflix movie ‘Good News’, which attracted attention with its ultra-luxurious casting, was released.
‘Good News’ is a work by director Byun Seong-hyun, who created hit films such as ‘My PS Partner’ and ‘Bad Boy’s World’, and stars Seol Kyeong-gu, Hong Kyung, and Ryu Seung-beom. This work, set against the background of the Yodo Lake Incident that occurred in Japan in the 1970s, was selected as an invited film for the Special Presentation section of the 50th Toronto International Film Festival and the Gala Presentation section of the 30th Busan International Film Festival, and received great attention even before its release.
The Yodoho incident is an incident in which hijackers from the Red Army faction of the Japanese Communist Alliance threatened a plane with 129 people on board with weapons such as Japanese swords, pistols, and bombs, and demanded that the plane change its destination. One thing to note is that although ‘Good News’ is a historical film, it was produced in the black comedy genre. This can be seen in the progress of the Yodoho incident. At the time, the hijackers demanded that the destination of the Fukuoka-bound flight be changed to Havana, Cuba, but since the plane was designed for mid- to short-distance flights, it first landed at Itazuke Airport. Afterwards, the captain complied with the criminals’ request to go to Pyongyang, North Korea, while South Korea discovered the aircraft heading north, ignoring the existing route, and was watching closely. Also, after receiving a call from Japan’s Ministry of Transportation, the Korean air traffic controller realized that the plane was hijacked and ended up landing the plane in Korea while impersonating the Pyongyang air traffic controller. What is interesting is that the kidnappers disguised themselves so thoroughly that they did not realize that they had been deceived even after arriving at Gimpo International Airport. Considering this background, ‘Good News’ has ample justification to be made into an exciting black comedy historical film.
Director Byun Seong-hyun explained, “It is based on the true story of a passenger plane hijacking in 1970, but it does not completely follow the true story, but rather incorporates the story I wanted to tell, a story that is common in today’s generation. I directed it by recreating real characters and worked with the actors.” He continued, “I tried to make it different because I had already depicted the 1970s in ‘Kingmaker’,” and “The basic base was the same, but I was careful to keep the historical research and not follow it like a documentary. We agreed to make a bold new reinterpretation.”
Sol Kyeong-gu, who is working with director Byun Seong-hyun for the fourth time following ‘The Scoundrel’, ‘Kingmaker’, and ‘Gil Bok-soon’, appears in the play as ‘So-and-so’. ‘So-and-so’ is an unidentified problem solver whose name and origins are all shrouded in mystery. He uses his extraordinary intelligence, quick response, and flexible coping skills to secretly solve major and minor problems for the country. Sol Kyeong-gu said, “(Director Byeon Seong-hyeon) gave me the script and said, ‘Would you like to do it?’ and I said I would do it first, but his name was ‘So-and-so’ and I was a little embarrassed after reading the script because he didn’t mix with the other characters at all.” He continued, “As I continued to talk with the director, I had to go back and forth between abnormal and normal, and I wanted to be able to see that moment. The overall appearance was also mixed with those in power. He raised curiosity by saying, “He is a person who just wanted to receive three names, someone who does not mix at all and is eventually consumed and disappears.”
In addition, Ryu Seung-beom, who played the role of Park Sang-hyun, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, the center of power in 1970, raised expectations, saying, “I was fascinated by the genre of black comedy. The scenario in which the director’s hidden intentions were depicted in genre expressions was very fascinating.” He said, “It was an interesting and powerful scenario that used genre and cinematic characteristics to express what the director wanted to say to the world.”
In particular, director Byun Seong-hyun was surprised by saying that he invested a whopping 12 hours to cast Ryu Seung-beom. He showed great tenacity, saying, “I was rejected by Ryu Seung-beom at first. Normally, when an actor refuses, I should go and acknowledge it, but I just sat there. We drank together for 12 hours and tried to cajole him. Ryu Seung-beom doesn’t drink much, so I took advantage of his drunkenness and eventually got his consent and went home.” In response, Ryu Seung-beom explained, “I think there was a misunderstanding, but I wanted to take a break. It was because I was worried about preparing for this work right after the previous work was over, so I didn’t have any doubts about ‘Good News’.”
In relation to this, director Byun Seong-hyun said, “The head of the Central Intelligence Agency is a character that always appears in works dealing with the 1970s era. This time, we needed an actor who could express it in a new way. Isn’t Ryu Seung-beom the epitome of a ‘charismatic villain’? The moment the subject matter became heavy, the only actor who could bring out the flavor of the genre was Ryu Seung-beom,” he said, raising expectations.
Audiences who have already seen the film through the Busan International Film Festival and other venues guaranteed the quality of the work, saying things like, “I’m still suffering from ‘Good News.’ I want to see it at least three more times,” and “It’s fun to watch in theaters, but it’s a shame it’s only available on OTT.”
‘Good News’, a refreshing historical film treated as a black comedy, is currently available on Netflix.
Reporter Heo Jang-won hjw@tvreport.co.kr / Photo = Netflix’s ‘Good News’
