Lee Byunghun says "'Devil' makes you think of what you get out of revenge"
Senior Reporter: Kang Myoung-Seok Photographer: Chae ki-won Editor: Lucia Hong Editor : Lee Ji-Hye
Korean actor Lee Byung-hun [Chae Ki-won/10Asia]
The latest movie "I Saw the Devil" is not this year's best picture. However, it is certain that “Devil” is the year's most controversial picture. Throughout the movie there are many brutal scenes combined with director Kim Ji-woon's unique sense of humor, which has been receiving mixed reviews from the Korean film industry. Along with the results of the movie, one may wonder why actor Lee Byung-hun chose this project. Why would Lee, who has successfully made his debut into Hollywood, make a choice that is dangerous as a commercial film? 10Asia sat with Lee to ask him that question.
10: What is your thoughts on "I Saw the Devil?" I heard you were quite shocked after seeing the final production of the movie during the screening.
Lee Byung-hun (Lee): It's not to the point where I was shocked. (laugh) I did feel that it was different from when I had first read the scenario because the film doesn't reveal all of the cruelty and violence. I thought that this project was unlike any other revenge film and I felt this powerful strength from just reading the script. And then in the process of filming it, I thought, oh, this might turn out to be quite hardcore. I felt a bit burdened after the screening because I started to wonder how the audience had accepted the movie and I remembered the dark and serious atmosphere from set. I was in the waiting room with actor Choi Min-sik and director Kim after the screening and we didn't say a word to each other. Choi Min-sik said one thing to me though and it was "Hey, got a light?" (laugh)
10: How did you feel when the movie received a limited screening rating?
Lee: At first I thought someone was playing a joke but then I found out that it was true and I became curious about the movie from the audience's point-of-view. I was wondering how on earth the movie had turned out.
10: Choi Min-sik said that if he became more immersed in his role, he might have gone to prison. (laugh) How did you shake off your role? You had to do a lot of cruel things for this movie.
Lee: I didn't have any big problems with it. Every actor is different to some extent and I didn't really have any big problems other than the fact that my character's mannerisms would pop out from time to time. However, I still think about the movie a lot because of the lingering feeling I have from it. It's not because the film is cruel and violent but the feelings that I felt from it are still there even after I'm done shooting the movie. The hollowness and emptiness of wondering what had happened lasts for a long time.
10: What was the reason in choosing a movie that gives you that empty feeling?
Lee: I think this is a movie that shows how a person loses a sense of who they are after losing the one they love. It seemed like the unexplainable emotions that my character Soo-hyeon felt could be worth being questioned by others and that is why the scenario was appealing to me. Any other film that is based on revenge gives a sense of satisfaction but this movie gives viewers the feeling that they are getting lost in a maze as the story develops. The audience will wonder what one gets out of revenge after looking at Soo-hyeon.
10: Soo-hyeon continuously seeks revenge on murderer Kyung-chul even though everyone around tries to stop him. Why do you think he does that?
Lee: People usually think they have to get revenge on those who have wronged them. But I think people's mannerisms change during the course of revenge. I feel this movie shows that through Soo-hyeon. A guy loses his financee who is killed in an extremely brutal way by a murderer. Everyone says that person should be ripped apart to death. Soo-hyeon also feels that he has the right to do so but in the process of seeking revenge he disrupts himself on the inside. "Devil" shows the entire details of a revenge and that is why the audience might be repulsed by it. I feel that Soo-hyeon shows why one must feel a thrill out of it but also why not.
10: You didn't have many lines but had to portray your character through slight changes to his facial expression or action. Was there anything in particular that you had to keep in mind for that?
Lee: I always thought that even in everyday life, there isn't much variety to a person's facial expressions. As for actors, it’s their job to show emotions on the outside and deliver it to the audience so I feel that they somewhat exaggerate those expressions. But with movies, even if you put on an expression which is not as strong as expressions you put on in everyday life, the emotion will be delivered just by showing that emotion. Because at those moments, our faces are shown through the extreme close-ups on the screen. I believe that if that big face contains an emotion, it'll be delivered. I think it's more important to maintain the energy in the movie rather than focusing on what expression to show.
10: "IRIS," "I Saw the Devil," "The Good, the Bad, the Weird," and "G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra" are full of action sequences. But they're all completely different in terms of atmosphere and style. Why do you keep choosing to take on these sort of movies?
Lee: I don’t have any specific reasons or plans. I'm the kind of person who decides on a project if I like what I read. But "G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra" was a strategic choice. In the United States "G.I. Joe" was extremely popular among the public and I was told to just do it by many people. My agent in particular strongly suggested I do the movie. Advice that if I want to work on a Hollywood production, it is necessary to choose one like this played a big role. But I've selected other works entirely based on my emotions. I was in the highest state of confusion when I was working on "The Good, the Bad, the Weird," "I Come With the Rain" and "G.I. Joe." I separate my acting experience from before and after I starred in those movies. I used to put a lot of serious thought into choosing my next project before I starred in those movies but afterwards, I just throw myself into them. Now I'm more of a 'just do it' kind of guy.
10: How did that change come about?
Lee: I had a lot of concerns when I was filming "I Come With the Rain." I thought about it for a year because the production was delayed but I was also given the scenarios for both "G.I. Joe" and "The Good, the Bad, the Weird." I decided to work on "I Come With the Rain" at the time and I really wanted to do "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" too but it didn't fit my schedule. That is why I agreed to do the movie if they can work around my schedule and if I could star in the movie after I finished doing the first one. The director had agreed to it but it didn't happen. (laugh) I went back and forth between the sets for both movies so I ended up thinking I might as well just do "G.I. Joe" as well. (laugh) And I started wondering how many more years I have left to work passionately on various projects as an actor. It's better to do something and regret it later than regret not doing it at all. That is why I chose to do all three.
10: But those decisions saw great results.
Lee: Some people say that there's no question I'm an incredible strategist. (laugh) They say that it was great that I chose to do movies that were artistic and commercial at the same time. But I honestly chose those projects with the just do it attitude. So I think it all goes down to being lucky. There are important moments where actors have to make decisions and I think the result of those choices change the vibe that person gives off.
10: You are currently traveling several countries for your career. What are your goals for Hollywood?
Lee: First of all, I'm going to be working on the sequel for "G.I. Joe" which is scheduled to begin filming early next year. The industry there will then say this and that about me but I don't want to do a movie just because it's a Hollywood film. I know that I act the best in Korean and while I'm in Korea I will go abroad to shoot a movie if I am given a good opportunity. That is what I want to do.
10: What are you goals as an actor?
Lee: To become a trustworthy actor who seems to have some sort of other quality. I want to become an actor that people will want to see me in a movie just because I am in it even though they have no idea what it is about.
10: Wouldn't you say you have achieved that to an extent?
Lee: But "Devil" is just so violent. (laugh)
Senior Reporter : Kang Myoung-Seok two@ Photographer : Chae ki-won ten@ Editor : Lucia Hong luciahong@, Lee Ji-Hye seven@ <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia
Photographer: Chae ki-won ten @ Editor: Jessica Kim jesskim @ <Ⓒ 10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia 1 l 2
katt,,dvd i saw the devil dh kuar blm ar??
ismaha Post at 20-8-2010 13:17
Filem baru je ditayangkan di Korea sejak last week. Kalau nak tunggu DVD mungkin hujung tahun sebab belum selesai tayangannya.. untuk international festival lagi, etc. Tapi.. susah sikit nak cakap.. maybe cerita tak lepas di Malaysia sebab terlampau violent habis2an.Di Korea pun nyaris2 tak boleh release oleh censorship mereka. It's very brutal, bloody and violent movie. Kita pun tak sangka Director KJW really go all the way dengan movie ni.
The Influence opens August 19, starring Lee Byung Hun and Han Chae Young
Seoul, Korea – Made into four films and six graphic novels, Korea’s first genre of branded entertainment, The Influence, now has a date for the cinemas: August 19.
The Influence was a popular topic in the industry earlier this year, being the new genre of branded entertainment with crème de la crème casting of Lee Byung Hun and Han Chae Young and directed by Lee Jae Gyoo, who also brought us Damo and Beethoven Virus. The four film episodes were revealed over a period of two months and are now up for viewing at Lotte Cinemas in Art Gallery Avenue, Konkuk University Entrance Screens, and the Seomyeon Screens in Busan.
With dedicated performance on part of the actors, well-edited scenes, and a mysterious atmosphere throughout, The Influence online set a new record every day. The question now is whether or not the theater release will perform on a par with the interest shown earlier this year. The film, rated M15+, differs from other branded entertainment in the sense that it features top-notch actors. a renowned director, and a top-notch Chungmuro film crew to create a film for moviegoers. Definitely something to look forward to!
[MOVIE REVIEW] A shocking look at the corrosive power of evil
After his fiance is killed by a psychopath, Su-hyun (Lee Byeong-hun) decides to find out
and torture the psychopath in extreme ways. Provided by Peppermint and Company
Buy tickets to “I Saw the Devil” directed by Kim Ji-woon, and you’ll step into a cinematic butcher shop.
The hardcore violence tops all previous Korean slasher films and is sure to get “Saw” fans’ blood flowing (unfortunately). In fact, a minute and a half of cannibalism reportedly had to be cut for Korea’s censors to agree to rate the film.
A serial killer named Cheol-jung (Choi Min-sik) brutally kills the fiancee of National Security Service Agent Su-hyun (Lee Byeong-hun) and throws chunks of the body into a river. Blinded by revenge, Su-hyun pursues Cheol-jung.
The plot begins in a very conventional way. What sets it apart is the nonstop blood splatter from beginning to finish. Choi even joked at a press conference that viewers should “bring umbrellas.”
The deranged killer uses a metal cane, an axe and a gallstone in his murders, as if squashing insects. He leisurely tunes a guitar in front of a mutilated corpse. As someone once said, humans are scarier than ghosts. The amoral psychopath wandering the streets looking just like anyone else sends a chill down the spine.
Already renowned thanks to his hit “The Good, the Bad, and the Weird,” director Kim has now forever made his mark on the Korean slasher genre. Answering questions about the amount of blood in his film, Kim said: “The movie only reflects current society.” Just last week, there were two murders, one in Chungnyangni near Seoul and one in South Gyeongsang, and the news of serials killers on the run has driven Korean civilians into panic.
The gore is indeed overwhelming, but unlike in the “Saw” films, it is not purely pornographic. At first, we cheer Su-hyun’s quest for revenge, but it quickly becomes clear that he has no intention of stopping, even at an eye for an eye. The cycle of bloodletting repeats itself, having lost its purpose.
The attentive, loving look on Lee Byeong-hun’s face as he sings to his fiancee at the beginning of the film is transformed into a blank stare, filled with cold, unquenchable hatred. In taking his righteous cause too far, he loses his humanity and becomes brutalized. The message, it seems, is that evil can turn any of us into a devil if we let it.
So, “I Saw the Devil” is better compared to “Oldboy” or “Battle Royale” - films in which extreme violence is used in the service of an idea that proves just as disturbing, if not more so, than the blood itself.
It is a well made film that features excellent performances from Choi Min-sik and Lee Byeong-hun. Choi’s frightening treatment of irreversible madness is incomparable, and Lee puts his action movie skills honed in “G.I. Joe” to good enough use.
Still, the movie’s unflinching realism - particularly its treatment of rape and violence against women - troubled me deeply.
Perhaps Kim’s message is that I should be happy that it still could.
Shortlist unveiled for Seoul International Drama Awards
SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- The Seoul International Drama Awards' organizing committee on Friday unveiled a shortlist of candidates for a slew of awards to be bestowed next month at the annual international event.
The awards ceremony, set for Sept. 10 and hosted by The Korean Broadcasters Association, drew 172 entries from 43 countries.
Six dramas were nominated for Best Director: "Homecoming" from Taiwan; "The Summit" from Canada; "Desperate Parents 2" from France; "Park Road" from Denmark; "Father & Son" from Ireland; and "The Pleiades" from China.
Lee Byung-hun, who played a security agent against North Korean infiltrators in the KBS hit drama "IRIS," is one of the seven candidates vying for Best Actor. Other contenders are James Cromwell of "The Last Days of Lehman Brothers" (Britain); Ivailo Hristov of "Ruth" (Bulgaria); Carl-Kristian Rundman of "Easy Living" (Finland); Mark Harmon of "NCIS" Season 7 (U.S.); Julio Chavez of "Be Kind to Me" (Argentina); and Dougray Scott of "Father & Son" (Ireland).
The seven nominees for Best Actress are: Adrienne Pauly of "The Killer Queen" (France); Abbey Hoes of "Maite Was Here" (Netherlands); Machiko Ono of "Goldfish" (Japan); Margot Ros and Maike Meijer of "Tower C" (Netherlands); Erin Karpluk of "Being Erica" Series 2 (Britain); Yuko Tanaka of "The Pleiades" (China); and Susan Roces of "A Christmas Hope" (Philippines).
This year, the organizers created the new Korean Wave Special Prize category that was selected through a vote by local and foreign correspondents here and people in the drama industry. "The Slave Hunters" swept the section with the Grand Prize,Best Actor, which was shared with "IRIS," and Best Director.
Best Actress was shared by Ko Hyeon-jung of "The Great Queen Seondeok" and Han Hyo-joo of "Shining Inheritance."
1. The Man from Nowhere 4,996,828,500
2. The Last Airbender 6,343,380,000
3. I Saw the Devil 2,217,525,500
4. Inception 1,964,135,000
5. Perfect Education7 1,467,319,000
Weekend Box Office: August 20-22
Reporter: Lucia Hong
South Korea's box office estimates for the weekend of August 20-22, 2010 [Korean Box Office Information System (KOBIS)]
Reporter: Lucia Hong luciahong @ <Ⓒ 10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia
"The Man From Nowhere" hangs onto No. 1 spot
Reporter: Lucia Hong Editor: Jessica Kim
Korean action pic "The Man From Nowhere" held onto to its title as the No. 1 movie in the country for the third straight week between August 20 to 22. According to the Korean Box Office System (KOBIS) on Monday, "Man" attracted 640,755 moviegoers over the weekend, bringing its total gross to almost 26.8 billion won since opening in local theaters on August 4.
"Man," starring Korean actor Won Bin and child actress Kim Sae-ron, is about Tae-shik (Won Bin) who isolated himself from the world and leads a lonely life until he the girl next door named So-mi (Kim) . When he finds out that So-mi and her mother are kidnapped, Tae-shik goes on a hunt to find his new friend.
Meanwhile, M. Night Shyamalan's latest fantasy flick "The Last Airbender" entered the local box office charts in second place with 621,701 viewers, while Korean thriller "I Saw the Devil," starring Hallyu star Lee Byung-hun and Choi Min-sik, dropped one spot to No. 3 with 283,439 admissions.
Hollywood film "Inception" also slipped one slot from the previous weekend selling 262,013 tickets and Sylvester Stallone's action movie "The Expendables" entered the charts in fifth place with 189,239 admits. Other movies in the top 10 included "Toy Story 3," "Ghost House," "Salt," "Magic Chunja" and "Step Up 3-D."
Reporter: Lucia Hong luciahong @ Editor: Jessica Kim jesskim @ <Ⓒ 10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia
"Slave Hunters" top 'Hallyu' content at Seoul Drama Awards
Jessica Kim
Last year's smash hit MBC TV series "The Slave Hunters" will receive the most recognitions for its contribution to the 'Hallyu,' or Korean Wave, at this year's Seoul International Drama Awards (SDA). The Seoul Drama Awards Organizing Committee announced through a press conference on Friday that the drama itself, its producer Gwak Jeong-hwan and the show's main star Jang Hyuk played the largest role in contributing to the spread of Korean content overseas.
Lee Byung-hun, who played the main lead in last year's drama "IRIS," was also chosen for the honor while actresses Ko Hyun-jung and Han Hyo-joo will jointly be recognized for their roles in "Queen Seon-deok" and "Brilliant Legacy," respectively. Kim Young-hyun and Park Sang-youn will be distinguished for their efforts as writers for "Queen Seon-deok."
The SDA, into its fifth year, established the 'Special Prizes for Korean Wave' segment for the first time this year, handing out honors in five categories including production, producer, writer, actor and actress. Among Korean dramas shown between April of last year to April this year and exported to more than ten countries, the committee drew up a short list composed of recommendations by the Corea Drama Production Association(CODA), Korean Television Actors Association, and Korean TV & Radio Writers Association.
The committee then produced its results based on a survey on close to five hundred foreign and domestic journalists, as well as foreign buyers. The awards will be handed to the respective winners at the SDA ceremony on September 10. The event will be part of eleven days of festivities which includes performances of drama soundtracks, a conference on international content and a forum on East Asian writers.
A total of 172 dramas from 43 countries submitted their entries to this year's SDA, the largest to date. Separately, a popularity vote is currently underway online in which fans can pick their favorite Asian actor and actress through the websites of Yahoo! Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan.
The winners of their respective countries will claim their prizes at the awards ceremony next month.
Jessica Kim jesskim@ <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia
Lee ByungHun & Im SooJung grace the cover of fashion magazine
Top Korean actor Lee Byung Hun and actress Im Soo Jung graced the cover of the fashion magazine Bazaar Korea in their role as Cinema Angels.
The Cinema Angel Project is a small foundation set up by actors and actresses who sought a way to promote balanced development of Korea’s film industry. It been working with Bazaar every year.
The featured actors for this year’s Cinema Angel Project are Lee Byung Hun, of I Saw the Devil fame, and Im Soo Jung, who will be on the tube later this year in First Love. The two have yet to share a scene in film or on a TV series, but both were quick to agree to the project. They were eager to join the effort, saying, “We were seeking such an opportunity to help. It is something we have wanted to do as actors here in Korea.”
Lee and Im showed their professional side at the photo shoot and were also amiable and agreeable, making the atmosphere on the set a great place to work for all involved.
The year 2010 marks the fourth year of the Cinema Angel Project. Sponsored by Burberry, all proceeds will be given to the Cinema Angel Foundation with Lee, Im, and Bazaar’s stamp on them.
Cinema Angel Foundation has in the past supported Korean indie films that were unable to open in theaters because of financial and situational deficiencies, which have been a real setback for the Korean film industry.
Lee Byung Hun and Im Soo Jung’s angelic appearance and interviews will appear in the September issue of Bazaar.
'Chicogrande' to open San Sebastian
Kim's 'Devil' joins fest's competish section
By JOHN HOPEWELL, EMILIO MAYORGA
MADRID -- Mexican helmer Felipe Cazals' "Chicogrande" will open the 58th San Sebastian Film Festival.
Part of Mexico's commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution, "Chicogrande" is set against Pancho Villa's unexpected 1916 raid on New Columbus, N.M. outpost, and U.S. Gen. Pershing's punitive expedition into Mexico to punish Villa, a divisive figure whom some regard as one of the heroes of the Mexican Revolution and others as an unprincipled cattle thief.
Cazals' latest film, which plays in competition, follows on the Canana-produced omnibus feature "Revolucion," first seen at Berlin, which offers bracingly revisionist takes on the Revolution.
The biggest film event in the Spanish-speaking world, San Sebastian has also added three more films to its main competition: "I Saw the Devil," Liu Hao's "Addicted to Love" and Sophie Heldman's "Colors in the Dark."
A hard-boiled thriller, "Devil" is directed by South Korea's Kim Jee-woon ("A Bittersweet Life"), whose rambunctious spaghetti Western-style "The Good the Bad and the Weird"was a hit at Cannes 2008, establishing Kim as one of Asia's most sought-after helmers.
Both "Addicted" and "Dark" are, curiously, films from young helmers -- Shanghai-born Liu, who won a following with "Two Great Sheep" and "Chen Mo and Meiting," is still only 40, "Dark" is Heldman's first feature. Both pics turn on a growing obsession for the baby boomers: later years' love.
"Addicted" has a retired worker attempting to reignite his first love with a woman who now suffers from Alzheimer's; "Dark" toplines Senta Berger ("Cross of Iron") and German New Wave stalwart Bruno Ganz as loving but aging and suicidal spouses.
"I Saw the Devil" invited to compete at San Sebastian film fest
Reporter: Lucia Hong Editor: Jessica Kim
Movie poster of thriller "I Saw the Devil" [Showbox]
Korean thriller "I Saw the Devil" has been invited to compete under the Official Selection category at the 58th Edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival next month, according to official website of the fest on Tuesday.
"Devil," helmed by famed Korean director Kim Jee-woon, will be competing against 16 other movies by internationally recognized directors for the Golden Shell and Silver Shell awards at the fest to be held at San Sebastian, Spain from September 17 to 25.
The award is approved officially by the International Federation of Film Producers Association, an organization composed with 31 members from 25 of the leading audiovisual production countries, for best cinematography and screenplay.
Critically acclaimed Korean director Bong Joon-ho previously won the Golden Shell award for his 2003 film "Memories of Murder," starring top Korean actors Song Kang-ho and Kim Sang-kyung.
While director Kim Jee-woon has attended numerous film festivals for his works such as "A Bittersweet Life" and "The Good, The Bad, The Weird," this will be the first time attending the Spanish film event.
"Devil," starring Lee Byung-hun who plays a secret agent who plots revenge against a serial killer played by Choi Min-sik, has garnered much attention from both fans in Korea and overseas. Since opening in local theaters on August 12, the pic has attracted over 1.2 million moviegoers which amounts to a gross of about 9.3 billion Korean won.
The films was pre-sold to France, England Taiwan and Turkey during the Cannes film market in May and has also been invited to this year's Toronto International Film Festival under the Special Presentations category, which recognizes major films from famous directors.
Reporter: Lucia Hong luciahong @ Editor: Jessica Kim jesskim @ <Ⓒ 10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia
August 24, 2010 'The Slave Hunters' Wins Seoul International Drama Award
The KBS drama “The Slave Hunters” has won the Grand Prize in the category of Hallyu drama, which was a newly established award from this year, in the Seoul International Drama Awards 2010. The organizing committee of the Seoul International Drama Awards held a press conference in the Seoul Press Center on August 20 and selected the Grand Prize winner among Hallyu dramas, and “The Slave Hunters” was ultimately chosen as the best Hallyu drama.The actor Jang Hyuk, who appeared in “The Slave Hunters,” and the actor Lee Byung Hun, who appeared in the drama “IRIS,” were chosen as the best actors.
The drama “The Slave Hunters” was also awarded in the category of the best director (Kwak Jeong Hwan PD), so the drama made an achievement of winning three awards. Actress Ko Hyun Jung in the MBC drama “The Great Queen Seondeok” and Han Hyo Joo in the SBS drama “Brilliant Legacy” were awarded as the best actresses. And the writers of the drama “The Great Queen Seondeok,” Kim Young Hyun and Park Sang Yeon won the Best Writer awards.
The organizing committee had first decided the nominees among dramas aired from April 1, 2009 to April 30, 2010 (excluding dramas aired in the morning time) considering the recommendations from the Corea Drama Production Association, the Korean Television Actors Association, and the Korean Radio & TV Writers Association, and then they examines those selected nominees, which had been exported to more than ten countries, thoroughly and finally decided the award winners. Since its first opening in 2005, the Seoul International Drama Awards, the awards ceremony for dramas in all over the world hosted by the organizing committee of the Seoul International Drama Awards and the Korean Broadcasters Association (president Kim In Kyu), was in its sixth year.
For this year’s awards, the biggest number of dramas ever from 43 countries as many as 172 dramas, were entered in this year’s award, the award ceremony will be held at the KBS Hall at 6:35 pm on September 10. The awards will be presented by categorizing as the Drama Category, which will be specified by the awards for Single Drama, Mini-Series, and Drama Series, and the Individual Category, which will select the Best Director, Best Writer, and Best Actors and Actresses, and also the Jury’s Special Awards will be presented.
In the drama category’s awards for mini-series, seven dramas including Korean drama “The Slave Hunters,” Japanese drama “Jin,” American drama “NCIS Season 7,” and English drama “Being Erica Season 2” will compete for the winner. And, the total six dramas including Korean drama “The Great Queen Seondeok,” Chinese drama “The Tomb of Changkoong,” and Spanish drama “Infidelity” have been nominated for the awards in drama series.
In the individual category, seven actors including Lee Byung Hun in the “IRIS,” James Cromwell in the “The Last Days of Lehman Brothers” (England), Mark Harmon in the “NCIS Season 7,” and Julio Chavez in the “Be Kind To Me” (Argentina) have been nominated for the Best Actor award. And, eight actresses including Machiko Ono in the “Gold Fish” (Japan), Abbey Hose in the “Maite Was Here” (the Netherlands), and Adrien Pauly in the “The Killer Queen” (France) have been nominated for the Best Actress award.
The host will prepare additional events, in which fans for the dramas from home and abroad can participate, in the places like the COEX Fountain Square in Samsungdong, Yeouido, and Myungdong from September 1 until September 9, before the award ceremony begins. In the COEX Fountain Square, the sets for the dramas such as “Legend of the Patriots,””The Great Queen Seondeok,” and ”My Girl Friend Gumiho” will be built and the exhibition hall featuring the four award winners of best actors and actresses in the category of Hallyu drama will be operated. In addition, there will be fan meeting event with actors including Kwon Hae Hyo, Park Chul Min, and Lee Han Wui in the same place, and the event, in which the production staff members and the cast members of TV programs including “The Slave Hunters” and “Chitchat of Beautiful Ladies” have a chance to meet fans, will be prepared.
The preview of the famous American drama “NCIS Season 7” and popular Chinese drama “Jin Da Ban” will be held and various concerts were already arranged as well.
According to director KIM Jee-woon, I Saw the Devil is “a film that talks of a clash between fire-like madness and ice-like lunacy.” Directing a total of five feature films starting from The Quiet Family to The Good, The Bad, The Weird, KIM had each time challenged himself to a different genre. Now for his sixth film, he has chosen a cold-blooded thriller. The screenplay written by PARK Hun-jeong, who also wrote The Unjust and directed The Showdown, was first suggested to KIM Jee-woon through actor CHOI Min-sik (Old Boy). The rumor had spread fast it will be the most horrible and cruel story in Korean film history as far as ‘violence’ goes. As it was announced that the leading role will be played by CHOI Min-sik and LEE Byung-hun, the film instantly drew much attention from in and out of the country.
‘Fire-like madness’ from the film is the serial killer Gyeongcheol played by CHOI Min-sik, while ‘ice-like lunacy’ is Su-hyeon, National Intelligence Service agent played by LEE Byung-hun. Gyeong-cheol brutally assaults Su-hyeon’s fiancé and dismembers her body. From rage and despair of failing to protect his own lover, Su-hyeon decides to get back at Gyeongcheol. Roving around Seoul and Gyeonggi-do in search of his enemy, Su-hyeon feels he will not be satisfied with simply taking Gyeong-cheol’s life. He wishes to return the fear and pain his fiancé had to go through in the cruelest and most persistent way. On their first encounter, Su-hyeon warns Gyeong-cheol, “Remember, it will only get worse.” Gyeongcheol replies, “That’s interesting. Bring it on.”
While KIM Jee-woon’s previous films had focused more on the genre-specific styles rather than the characters, I Saw the Devil is expected to be a movie with outstanding powers of the actors that form an extreme contrast. CHOI Min-sik who announced his name to the world with Old Boy, had not appeared in any large scale mainstream commercial films for the last 5 years since he performed in Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. Having worked with CHOI 12 years ago in The Quiet Family, KIM Jee-woon praises CHOI as “the best actor to act a character like fire.” In the new movie, CHOI Min-sik is prepared to become a devil wearing a human mask. Known as ‘KIM Jee-woon’s persona’ for his performance in A Bittersweet Life and The Good, The Bad, The Weird, LEE Byung-hun acts an emotional and delicate man who’s grieving his dead lover but who’s at the same time a cold-hearted person putting down his anger and rage to fight against the evil.
There are many films of violence and revenge, but I Saw the Devil differentiates itself from other common stories of paybacks. In this film, revenge does not mean the victim moving towards the simple goal of finishing the perpetrator’s life. In order to return the pain he had received, Su-hyeon controls his emotions and repeats clasping and letting go of the opponent. Instead of avoiding Su-hyeon’s attacks, Gyeongcheol enjoys the situation and faces him squarely, and in that sense I Saw the Devil keeps up the tension through steady confrontation. The director describes the film religious as the evil is punished, and a story of suffering as it shows the pain of a man.
With its provocative and cruel expressions, perhaps I Saw the Devil will add its title to the ‘Korean Extreme’ list by overseas audiences. However ethical questions may be asked on whether such extreme punishment shown in the movie is in fact correct. To them CHOI Min-sik answers. “What is violence to humans? How is it expressed cinematically? Such points will entertain our audiences.”
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Post time 21-8-2010 11:47 AM
SAW THE DEVIL VIP Premiere 
Box Office 2010.08.20 ~ 2010.08.22 (won)
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