Usually it is the US that remakes a successful film from another country, sometimes only a few years later, sometimes remarkably soon after the release of the original, because it has been surprisingly successful outside the borders of its country of origin. Clearly, the American film industry has the great self-confidence to lead a foreign production to true success with the public by adding one or two more stylistic touches to its interpretation of the material. At least in theory, because the supposed makeover has not always worked out as hoped. In the case of Believer, however, South Korea is the modernizer of a film from China called Drug War, which was made just six years earlier. The South Korean filmmakers can't really be accused of a lack of ideas, but they are known for their stylish noir thrillers.

It is precisely this toolbox of stylistic devices that the makers apply to the remake, as the original is marked by its Chinese origins. The investigators proceed strictly procedurally, everything is done to break up the network of the drug cartel and to get to the people behind it, morally and righteously. The whole thing is staged in the same style, snappy, dry, without gimmicks. That the bad guy could get away with it in the end? Unthinkable, as director Johnnie To let slip in an interview at the time; in his estimation, the Chinese censors would not have let it pass, and so such an ending was not even filmed. It was precisely in these points that the South Korean colleagues seemed to see potential for making the material more extravagant, more ambivalent and also more willing to show off. Violence and sexual undertones are clearly more present in Believer, the characters are more charismatic in their portrayal and sometimes much more shrill, but without slipping into the kind of slapstick that sometimes turns off quite a few Western viewers of Asian cinema.

In addition to the theatrical version, which was able to surpass the one million and three million moviegoer mark in record time in its home country and mobilize a total of five million people, an extended cut was also released on home video. Its added value has to be considered differently, because it contains some filler material that no one misses in the theatrical version and probably had to give way to save time. Then again, there is an interesting new scene between Rak and Director Bryan, which is interesting for the cat-and-mouse game, as to who this ominous Mr. Lee is. And certainly the most decisive innovation is the clearer, because prolonged ending, which ironically again turns out in such a way that the Chinese censors would nod contentedly. Those who can live with ambivalence are well served by the theatrical version.

Comparison between the theatrical version and the extended cut.

15 differences, consisting of

13 extended scenes
2 scenes with alternative footage

The extended cut runs 476.4 sec. or approx. 7 minutes 57 seconds longer than the theatrical version

Extended Scene
0:13:08: There is more background info on the big industrialist who was Mr. Lee's "teacher" and was killed by him. He built his empire by importing drugs into Japan. The South Korean government looked the other way because the negative consequences of his goings-on affected the Japanese people. His success did not go unnoticed by the underworld, but greed for money kept him from getting out. There is no evidence of this. Lee-san had given him the idea of Leica, and that had developed enormous economic power.
88,44 sec.

Extended Scene
0:33:48: A rather absurd, pantomimic performance is offered, as the mistress of the gangster boss Jin Ha Rim catches something imaginary in her role as a cat.
11,96 sec.

Extended Scene
0:52:52: The text message is read out loud, a meeting is to be held in three days. Won Ho says to reply to Mr. Lee, they'll have the material there in two days and then they'll grab him. Afterwards Won Ho asks why Seo Young Rak doesn't take drugs, the world sucks. He answers that he only sells.
41,44 sec.

Extended Scene
0:58:08: Rak's mother's kimchi was very good and they would have liked to tell her. When the two of them think about it like this, they think of a lot of things they are sorry for.
14,12 sec.

Extended Scene
1:04:11: Park Seon Chang provokes the two drug producers and they gesture back just as vulgarly. Rak then signals to them that he will see to it that they can continue. He turns the stereo back up and tells Park Seon Chang that they do not want to be disturbed. He says goodbye ironically and with a clear hand gesture.
25,72 sec.

Extended Scene
1:12:46: Both versions show some more ball throwing in slightly different form. Very trivial.
4,64 sec.

Extended Scene
1:25:18: Park Seon Chang is called by director Bryan. He tells him that he can't contact the salt factory himself because Rak is in charge of it. However, he now wants to take care of it himself. After the phone call, he is cursing to himself.
28,52 sec.

Extended Scene
1:26:37: Rak and Park Seon Chang are walking down another corridor. In a dark foyer, Park Seon Chang returns the suitcase and tells Rak that he doesn't like him and that he should now beg for his life. Rak walks up a long flight of stairs and is met in a hall-like room by Director Bryan. Screens in the room play blurry footage of sex. Bryan explains that the man there is 72 years old and has had the erection of his life for five hours, all thanks to three milligrams of the drug. A little pinch for a lot of pleasure. If the world is hell on earth, don't you have to give people a heavenly pleasure every now and then? Rak then shows Bryan the drugs and emphasizes their quality. He then asks him who Mr. Lee is and if it is Director Bryan himself. The latter cryptically replies that everyone dies sometime and that Rak should remember the words Bryan said earlier. He then turns on the soundtrack of the recordings and sex noises are heard. Bryan leaves the room.
165,44 sec.

Extended Scene
1:35:26: Bryan is enjoying the phrase "Korea hell" and that it would be an apt description. At some point, you realize that no matter where you look, all you see is hell.
27,96 sec.

Extended Scene
1:43:11: For whatever reason, the view of this struggling woman is missing. Seems trivial, but something triggers our immense urge to depict her. Here you go:
0,72 sec.

Extended Scene
2:00:17: The two walk toward each other in yet another shot. Then a record player can be seen.
14,76 sec.

Extended Scene
2:01:49: Jo Won-ho says that even when he located Leica, he hoped that Rak was not Mr. Lee. When the latter asks why, Jo Won-ho says: out of pity. Rak does not understand the answer.
21,36 sec.

Alternative Material
2:02:44: When Rak asks what he wants to do now, in the theatrical version Jo Won-ho looks silently at the ground, in the extended he says they should end it and pulls out a gun. Rak asks what should follow then. Jo Won-ho looks mute and you can see the record player.
The EX runs 28,44 sec. longer

Theatrical Version	Extended Version

Alternative Material
2:05:24: The final scene in the theatrical version leaves open who ultimately won in the shooting duel and also punctuates the whole finale with soundtrack. In a long tracking shot, the camera flies away from the house and the credits roll. The extended version, on the other hand, still shows Jo Won-ho coming out of the house, and then the credits roll.
The Theatrical Version runs 62,4 sec. longer

Theatrical Version	Extended Version

Extended Scene
2:06:15: In the middle of the credits, there is another shot of the car driving down the road for a while in the snowy region. This also closes the narrative arc to the beginning of the film, when Jo Won-ho begins his car trip to this region.
65,28 sec.