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Lee Byung Hun 이병헌 Byunghun Lee

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January 3, 2019   Source:   Lee Byung Hun's Instagram   Congratulations Byung Hun-ssi.  You now have more than 100, 000 followers on Instagram.  

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Photo: mediajapan // Rakuten Woman      

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January 1, 2019   New Year Greetings from Lee Byung Hun-ssi     Source:  Lee Byung Hun's instagram

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Kudos to BNTNews for this Special Interview article, one that we haven't been able to read in a long time  user posted image

 

November 12, 2015

[bnt interview]

‘Inside Men’ Lee Byung-hun, “Action Speaks Louder than Words”

Source: BNTNews

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[by Kim Hee Kyung, translated by Yoonjung Yi] “I don’t feel pressured to see how I may appear on screen. As an actor, that is ultimately a happiness of finding my other self.”

Lee Byung-hun, the main actor of film ‘Inside Men’ that is due for release on November 19, recently sat down for an interview with bntnews. His grave tone and deep eyes were more fascinating than any other euphemism. 

‘Inside Men’ revolves around Ahn Sang-goo (Lee Byung-hun), a political gangster that helps a leading candidate for presidency and owner of a big conglomerate. 

No one ever questioned Lee Byung-hun’s exceptional acting skills. However, when he was asked about whether or not if the movie will be a box office success, he answered with a smile “I honestly don’t know.”

“I’m not just saying, but I really don’t know how this movie will turn out. Once you get into your character, you lose your objectivity. That is especially true to the casts and directors about their works.” He added, “I am cautious to say, but finished works must be premiered on theatres, and I want to bring the best outcome as possible to people who worked with me.”

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In the film, Ahn Sang-goo acts as a leading force of malice in the society that brings chaos to the Korean politics, but he later becomes the righteous man that takes revenge on people who betrayed him. While the original webtoon features serious and tough Ahn Sang-goo, Lee Byung-hun instead portrays a heart-warming, but sometimes just a little slow, character. This charming character of Ahn Sang-goo was carefully discovered after endless discussion between the actor and the director. 

“After filming the movie, Jo Seung-woo, the director, and I went to grab some beer. Then, the director asked if I remember what I first said after reading the script. Apparently, I said that Ahn Sang-goo is the least charming character. I cannot remember the details, but the power of the storyline is so powerful that might be difficult for audiences to keep up with the movie. Therefore, we thought if we add a humorous character to ease the viewing experience. Finally, we gave more dimension and life to the character Ahn Sang-goo, which allows the audiences to breathe.”

During the two hours, ‘Inside Men’ unfolds the dark sides and evil human nature in politics and a battle of wits. The overpowering vibe of top actors may wear out the audiences, although the plotline is solid. Yet, Lee Byung-hun said that the movie was supposed to be much longer, and was sorry to let go of the scenes that were cut out. 

“The movie was shortened from 3 hours and 40 minutes to 2 hours and 10 minutes. We had a lot of discussions and thinking during the editing phase, especially with the characters and scenario. In the end, our crew decided that the movie was speedy and strong. Although there might be some downsides, and the time frame may be confusing, but I think we did well at the end. Yet, I am not fully content as being an actor.”

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In the film, Ahn Sang-goo stood by the justice in order to take revenge on the complete darkness that abandoned him. What kind of character would Ahn Sang-goo be? Lee Byung-hyun shared something that teared down our prejudice in movies. 

“As an actor, I do not think playing the good or evil part matters. The only film I acted as complete evil was ‘The Good, The Bad, The Weird’. Ahn Sang-goo is not a character than can be defined as black and white, but he is in the grey area. His profession may be extremely bad, but he has a good heart and he does some good things.”

Lee Byung-hun did not simply became a world star due to the ‘Hallyu wave (The Korean Wave)’. Through countless works like ‘I Saw the Devil (2010)’, ‘Masquerade (2012)’ and ‘G.I. Joe2 (2013)’, Lee Byung-hun proved to show a completely new side of him in every film, while remaining absorbed in his roles. In ‘Inside Men’, Lee Byung-hun let of his charisma, and went all the way down when he had to, in order to please the audiences. 

“I will never be able to be Ahn Sang-goo, but I try to stay as close and real to the character. It is a natural process for any actors, once they start filming. In a way, it is an inner battle with myself. Eventually, I find myself thinking like the character.”

Lee Byung-hun is one of the most high-profile actors in Korea. The only way we are truly allowed to judge him is through his acting skills. Although he messed up in the past, we all know that we are curious how he will do in the future. (photo by Hohohobeach)

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July 4, 2015

I SAW THE DEVIL, reckless revenge [Korean Movie Review]
Kim Ji-woon’s brutal revenge thriller I Saw the Devil (2010) is not for the faint of heart.

Review by The Movie Beat

The Film: Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik) is a ruthless serial killer who picks the wrong man’s fiance to brutally murder. The dead woman’s fiance is Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun), a skilled fighter who works for the National Intelligence Service. When he finds out about the murder, he takes the law into his own hands and sets off on his path for revenge.

I Saw the Devil has gone down in the books as one of the great revenge films to come out of Korea, if not in all of world cinema. Directed by Kim Ji-woon (A Tale of Two Sisters) (A Bittersweet Life), this is a sleekly shot, brutal tale of revenge that battled the censorship boards in Korea before its release. After three re-edits, it was finally approved to have an 18+ rating and suitable for a wide theatrical release in 2010. Even with the edits, the film contains intense sequences of violence that can probably make even the more hardened film goers wince at times.

Veteran actor Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) (Crying Fist) pulls of a perfect performance portraying the psychotic killer. He truly has us convinced that he is evil incarnate and the last man you ever want to accidentally bump into.

Lee Byung-hun’s character first appears in a black and white suit and looks exactly like his character right out of A Bittersweet Life (2005). He has excellent combat skills that he puts to good use as he dishes out some relentless beatings upon the killer. His pursuit of the ultimate vengeance was a cool concept, but I was slightly off-put by the destructive and unintended side effects that ensued and that he ultimately causes more harm to others. Also, the actions of the police and detectives leave you shocked at their inability to handle the crimes being committed left and right. Whether this was an intended comment on the skills of the police in Korea or not I do not know.

Impressive performances aside, there are some great technical achievements on display as well. One of which is the superb lighting. It is unusual to make a comment on something like the lighting but many scenes were so well lit that it is worth praising. The use of reds and yellows in dark settings as Choi Min-sik embodies the devilish killer gives off the feeling that he really is from hell. The film is also tightly edited and there is a lot of tension brewing in scenes that will surely have you jump at times.

I Saw the Devil is an extremely popular revenge film around the world for the reasons stated above. If your a fan of Park Chan-wook’s revenge trilogy (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) and are not turned off by graphic violence, then I Saw the Devil comes highly recommended. It is slightly too long, but it is an intense ride that I will surely take again.

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rubie Fan Level: 30

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Haven't made any MVs for almost 2 years now. Haven't had that many pics for banners either. But patiently we hope things will be better after the storm. Slowly but surely.

Hope we will see LMJ tomorrow at the VIP Premiere and a lot of their friends coming to watch, too. 'Inside Men' seems to be doing a lot better than the previous movie. 

Sharing the clip made 2 years ago. Feels bittersweet watching.. as it's from ELBH 3rd anniversary, the last ever celebrated..

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November 16, 2015

Can't help feeling a bit jittery today, especially nearing the VIP Premiere in a couple hours. Hopefully there will be a lot of celebrity friends attending the screening of 'Inside Men.'

'Inside Men' now in the Korean Top Ten list, 3 days before opening on November 18.

Source: KoBiz

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