"Detention" Director John Hsu turns The Game depicting the dark side of Taiwanese history, the era of white terror, into a movie [Director's Interview Vol.128]

This live-action film adaptation of a popular horror The Game was nominated for 12 awards at the 56th Golden Horse Awards, also known as "Taiwan's Academy Awards," and won a total of 5 awards. With just this introduction, you can tell that ``Detention'', which will be released on Friday, July 30, 2021, is no ordinary movie. Director John Hsu (Xu Hanqiang), who won the Best New Director Award, is not a freebie.

Female student Fan Leixin (Wang Jin) wakes up in an empty school at night. He tries to leave school with his junior, Wei Zhongting (Zhong Jinghua), but a series of strange things happen and their path is blocked. Why are the fans locked up?

The fusion of classic school horror and the coming-of-age story of a young man and woman reveals a true historical tragedy in Taiwan that is much scarier than a ghost. During the "white terror era" under martial law, the government in Taiwan suppressed dissidents, and unreasonable imprisonment, torture, and execution were repeated on a daily basis.

The common belief that The Game adaptations often fail is sadly not entirely wrong. However, this work accurately grasps the essence of The Game and brilliantly translates it into a story and production that could only be possible in a movie. The original The Game, which depicts the negative history of one's own country, is amazing, but the movie version is even more inventive and ambitious.

Adapting from The Game to a movie, and depicting the dark side of Taiwanese history, the era of White Terror. How did “new director” John Su accomplish this tightrope walk? In an exclusive interview, we asked him about his commitment to the original work and history.

Index

• The charm of the original The Game“Kekko -Detention-”
• From The Game to movies, screenwriting techniques that transcend media
• Visual expressions unique to movies and commitment to filming locations
• Respect for classic movies and audience reactions
• Transitioning from comedy to horror, plans for next work

The charm of the original The Game“Kekko -Detention-”

Q: I heard that the director was originally a fan of the original The Game`` Return School -Detention- ''. How did you feel when you first received the offer to make it into a movie?

Sue: I loved this The Game so much that after I played it, every time I met my film friends, I would go around and say, ``Someone please make a movie of it.'' Then, by chance, an offer came my way. I was really surprised, but because I loved it so much, I felt a lot of pressure when I accepted the role.

“Detention” © 1 Production Film Co. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Q: As a director, what was it about The Game``Detention'' that attracted you?

Sue: When the trailer (for The Game) was released, it was only announced that it would be set in Taiwan in the 1960s. So I played the game without knowing the story at all, but the first thing that impressed me was the graphics. The Day After, the horror elements were really scary. What was most wonderful about it was that it delved into history so deeply and touched people's hearts. I myself was deeply moved by the pain of history. In recent years, there has been little mention of that era in Taiwan's mainstream media and entertainment. It was a big shock for me to see that light being brought to light again by an indie The Game.

From The Game to movies, screenwriting techniques that transcend media