Park Chan-wook participates as a screenwriter and producer… From direct filming to acting guidance
In the story of two men in ‘Old Boy’, the massacre of the people is ‘revenge is mine’
The use of color reminds me of ‘The Handmaiden’… Director Kim Sang-man’s ‘action action’ stands out
A beach filled with thick fog. Two people chase and pursue each other. Because of the narrow field of view where you can’t see even an inch in front of you, you can’t tell where the other person is. Only the sound of crashing waves and crunching steps on the sand fills the air.
In the movie ‘Jeon, Ran’, which ranked 3rd on Netflix worldwide (based on Flix Patrol) immediately after its release on the 11th, Jong-ryeo (Park Jung-min), who leads the government army, and Cheon Yeong (Kang Dong-won), the leader of the volunteer army, compete head-to-head in the fog. It’s a scene. It somehow resembles the scene in director Park Chan-wook’s movie ‘Decision to Break Up’ where Hae-joon (Park Hae-il) runs to a fog-filled beach chasing his beloved Seorae (Tang Wei). The sight of Cheonyoung crying while holding a dead palm reminds me of Haejun wandering around the beach and screaming because he couldn’t find Seorae. Film critic Lee Ji-hye said, “If you watch the sea fog fight scene, which depicts the duel as if it were a landscape, you might be mistaken for a work by director Park Chan-wook.”
‘Jeon, Ran’ is directed by director Kim Sang-man, who was the art director for Park’s work ‘Joint Security Area JSA’ (2000), and the advertising designer for ‘Sympathy for Lady Vengeance’ (2005) and ‘It’s Okay to Be a Cyborg’ (2006). It’s a work of art. Although Director Park did not take the lead directly, he participated as a screenwriter and producer.
Director Park participated in the adaptation and personally came to the filming site to guide the actors’ acting. It is said that the scene incorporating pansori elements was also director Park’s idea. At the press conference on the 2nd, people said, “He looked at the scenario in detail and gave me advice” (Director Kim) and “He listened to the pronunciation and corrected it directly on the first day of filming” (Kang Dong-won), so this work was selected as the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). Director Park’s influence in being selected as the opening film cannot be ignored.
The movie depicts the process of Jong-ryeo, the son of a powerful family in Joseon, and Cheon-yeong, his servant, taking revenge on each other. Jong-ryeo thinks that Cheon-yeong killed his family, and Cheon-yeong misunderstands that Jong-ryeo prevented him from being a slave. It reminds me of ‘Kind Lady Vengeance’ in that it deals with revenge, and ‘Old Boy’ (2003) in that it focuses on the story of two men. The mise-en-scene also stands out, with the use of colors such as red military uniform (Palm) and blue coat (Cheonyoung) reminding me of ‘The Handmaiden’ (2016), which mainly used black and white contrast.
It is also noteworthy that it deals with class conflict. For example, an incompetent ruling class like Seonjo (Cha Seung-won) ignores the voices of the poverty-stricken people and the slaves they rule, while a talented ruling class like Cheon-yeong struggles to escape the class system and hates the ruling class. Film critic Cho Jae-hwi said, “Jong-ryeo, who was torn between the two, ultimately sides with the ruling class and massacres the people in ‘Vengeance is Mine’ (2002), when Park Dong-jin (Song Kang-ho), the CEO of a small business, says, ‘I know you’re a good guy. “It reminds me of the line, ‘I’m going to kill you, do you understand?’” he said.
Director Kim’s unique directing skills stand out in the cool action scenes shown in the fight scenes between the Joseon volunteer army and the Japanese army. Techniques such as ‘bird’s-eye shot’, which involves shooting as if looking down from above, and ‘step printing’, which creates an afterimage by filming the subject at low speed, were used. Director Kim said, “Director Park barely interfered with directing. “I watched from afar,” he said. “I thought it shouldn’t be action for the sake of action.” “The sword fight was also staged as a scene where the characters’ emotions collide.”
Reporter Hojae Lee [email protected]
-
- great
- 0dog
-
- I’m sad
- 0dog
-
- I’m angry
- 0dog
-
- I recommend it
- dog