Escape from hellhole

EVER since I watched Ryoo Seung-Wan's The Berlin File three years ago, I have become a big fan of the Korean director. The intense emotional thriller kept me on the edge of my seat.
Since then, I have seen Ryoo's other films such as The Unjust (2010) and Crying Fist (2005), and my ­admiration has only grown.
Imagine my delight when I got the chance to catch his ­latest film, The Battleship Island, as well as interview Ryoo ­himself and three cast ­members – Hwang Jung-min, So Ji-sub, and Song Joong-ki – who were in Kuala Lumpur to promote the film.
The Battleship Island is based on events that took place during World War II on the small Japanese island of Hashima (nicknamed Battleship, from which the film gets its name), located off the coast of southern Japan, some 15km from the city of Nagasaki.
The island is also the site of a massive coal mine, where captive ­Korean and ­Chinese prisoners of war were forced to labour in the worst ­conditions imaginable.
The film ­opens with the ­attention-grabbing scene of a young boy killed while toiling in the mine.
After his funeral, three other boys try to ­escape from the labour camp, but they are not so lucky.
Then, the film focuses on three men – a musician father, a street gangster, and a freedom fighter – who unite the Korean workers to revolt against their Japanese captors, and escape the hellish island.
I was told Ryoo put his heart and soul into this ­ambitious, big-budget film, and the results are outstanding.
The cinematography is ­stunning, and the action scenes will give you an adrenaline rush.
However, the edginess that he displayed in his previous films is somehow missing here.

He also employs moments of cheap patriotic sentiments in order to bring tears to the eyes of the audience.
Unsurprisingly, the film is not without its fair share of ­controversies.
The Japanese feel that Ryoo has distorted history with the story, while the Koreans feel that the director was too kind to the Japanese, and took offence to his portrayal of some of the Koreans as 'selfish monsters'.

I really believe the Malaysian press should have been given a chance to ask Ryoo about these issues during the media event, and to hear his ­explanations.
Instead, the organisers arranged for the emcee to pose softball questions to the ­director and the cast.
When the floor was finally opened to the media, the limited time only allowed for three media organisations to ask their questions.
Perhaps, Ryoo is skilled at making controversial films, but not skilled at answering ­controversial questions.
During a later press ­conference, the director ­revealed that he and his team had spent four years ­researching and making this film, including interviewing people who suffered in the ­labour camp, and even visited the island itself.
The actors also said that they cherished the experiences they had while shooting the film, and continuously sung praises of the director.
All three – Hwang, So and Song – had to undergo a strict diet in order to portray malnourished prisoners.
Descendants of the Sun star Song, who plays freedom fighter Park, said he was impressed by Ryoo's ­ability to handle the large-scale ­production.
So (Oh My Venus), who plays street gangster Choi, was so eager to work with Ryoo that he accepted the role without even reading the script, and said that he had no regrets about his decision.
While it was the first time both Song and So had worked with Ryoo, for Hwang (The Wailing), it was his third collaboration with the director.
"I will not do it again," Hwang joked, recalling the vigorous shoot he had to endure.
Hwang steals the show as the selfish musician Lee, who will go to any lengths to make sure that he and his young daughter escape the island.
Incidentally, Hwang's character plays the clarinet, and it was revealed that Hwang himself has been playing the instrument for five years, and was able to utilise his musical talents in the role.

The Battleship Island is currently showing in cinemas.