Korean Acting Star Jeon Doyeon Juggles Mother And Hired Assassin Roles In ‘Kill Boksoon, But Found ‘Terminator Was A Stretch Too Far
In the year Jung Do Eun, who won the Best Actress Award at Cannes in 2007, got the chance to show off her talent for her role in Lee Chang Don's tragicomedy "Secret Sun." . In the "Kill Box".
In the special Berlinale section of the Berlin Film Festival, this Netflix-backed action film was made especially for Jung by one of Korea's best young directors, Byun Sung-hyun.
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What was your goal when you decided to kill boxing?
Byun Sung Hyun: My previous work was a political film. And after filming, I didn't have any specific goals other than to create something with the amazing actor Jung Do Eun. I didn't give him any lyrics or script. I am wondering if they will be together in the next movie.
I am focused on how to make the most of this talented player. Apart from being highly respected, she lived this life as a mother. Looking at it, I created a story that reflects this dichotomy. He has acted in many profound and significant films. I want to remove any message this conveys and instead tell a story that has never been done before. You can say that this movie is completely made by him.
Was Jung Do Eun part of the script writing process?
By Yoon: Jung did not write the narrative or the story. I can write killer lines, but there are lines only a mother can say. I modified J.O. and recorded some of his lines.
Jung: As an actor, my work is open to the public. However, my personal life is kept secret. Director Byng came to my house and saw me talking to my daughter.
How do you see this role being a good fit for your career?
Jung: I became known to the public for the film Mysterious Sun [which won the Best Actress Award at Cannes in 2007], and after that I was restricted. Dark, deep and difficult tasks appeared on my path. I want to break this limit, but I can only wait for the right part. Boxson's character showed everyone what this actor is all about.
It was a long wait.
Jang: I'm ready. I think it's the absentee directors.
Maybe we can put that in context. This is a women's film. But are the mother and killer role models?
Byng: For a long time, action movies only featured male characters. And I think the audience is getting tired as time goes on. They don't necessarily want you to play a female character. But I think it definitely gives the audience and the industry an opportunity to expand their perspective on how they see the characters.
Did you have to rehearse a lot for this role?
Jung: Maybe not for everyone. But yes, I practice a lot.
By Yun: Usually action movies don't use long takes. This means you can use multiple pairs. However, when we were storyboarding it was clear that there would be long action scenes where the actor would have to be himself, because we would be focusing on his face. I really needed to get there. Many of the scenes are very intense and physically demanding.
Define the atmosphere and universe you want to create. Dark and loud, but complex and interesting.
By Yun: I wanted to create a graphic novel atmosphere. Partly because my previous film [The Kingmaker] was very grounded. I wanted something imaginative, but not too fancy.
I wanted to do that from the first scene with the fight on the bridge. This particular bridge is very famous among all Koreans. So these frivolities set the tone for the entire film.
The corporate universe we saw in John Wick must be hiring assassins. But I want to give you a unique taste of Korea. The killer in John Wick is great. [In "Boksoon Murder"] The people you meet every day were tougher.
And since there are two stories about the killer and his mother, I have to keep the right distance between the two worlds in Bokyeon. If we show the killer's universe backwards, we avoid the reality of her life as a mother. And vice versa.
You seem to play a lot with puns, only a few of them translate.
Byung: Yes, it was supposed to be a pun between Kill and the character's name Gil (G and K are the same letter and pronounced the same in Korean). Elsewhere, in scenes where the killers are meeting or having lunch, I want the conversation to be very casual: "Oh, I heard he died last week on a business trip," something you just do. Listen in a regular office. Employees talk about their daily life and work. In John Wick he is heard talking about "killing someone" or his gifts.
In ["Boxon Kill"]'s confrontational scenes, the dialogue is neither serious nor threatening. It's like, "You know, please understand that I have to spend money," and other people say, "Yes, I understand."
Using words like "show" to mean "executive" also plays into the deception of the mother and daughter killer.
Ben: Yeah, definitely. Using words like "show" and "script" makes it sound like you're walking into a major entertainment company or movie distributor and talking to a company executive. I included a lot of industry jargon when characters were told to turn off their phones while filming a scene. Another expression is "good job" which is used a lot in Korean movies.
And where is the Korean entertainment industry headed?
By Yoon: Korean content is loved by everyone. And of course there is good content in Korea. But my personal appreciation and respect for taste would lead to more content being created in the early 2000s. Honestly, that's what I want to achieve. I also believe that the demand will increase over time and the quality of content from Korea will increase.
Jung: After I was cast as Secret Sun, I was asked if I would like to audition for the next Terminator. After starring in a film like [horror arthouse title] Secret Sunshine, it wasn't the most anticipated call. But I must say it was not easy because of the language barrier. As an actor, I really care about the language I use for this character, what kind of speech I use. I don't think I will be doing an international project anytime soon.
So no Hollywood agents?
Chong: Right!
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