Program Note
Unlike Kang Cheol-jung in Public Enemy (2001), Seol Kyung Gu’s Chief detective, Hwang, of the special crime unit’s surveillance team, is a warm-hearted leader who values team play and embraces newcomers. Leading his team to arrest a criminal with nothing to go on, Hwang scours all the CCTVs in Seoul for any clues and finds the head of a criminal institution. Directed by Joh Ui-seok and Kim Byeong-seo, Cold Eyes is a remake of the Hong Kong film Eye in the Sky (2007) starring Simon Yam. Many crime films depend on individual abilities to investigate as a vital process, but Cold Eyes shows a new way of solving crimes through CCTV footage. The investigation techniques are cutting-edge as the crimes evolve quickly, and it brings further evolution to criminal films, requiring actors to adopt new methods. Seol Kyung Gu has played detective roles several times, and this film serves as the starting point from where his character development. (HUH Namwoong)