[Upcoming Movie 2016] Lady/Agasshi: PD Park Chanwook Starred by Ha JungWoo & Kim MinHee

[rubie]

May 25, 2016

New movie 'The Handmaiden'

The stars of the new movie "The Handmaiden" -- Jo Jin-woong, Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri and Ha Jung-woo (L to R) -- pose for a photo during a publicity event in Seoul on May 25, 2016. The movie will be released in South Korea on June 1. (Yonhap) (END)

[irilight]

Thank you @rubie for this thread and all that you offer here....

I just came across this haunting OST
 

 

 

[rubie]

June 2, 2016

Park’s latest works highlight strong women
‘These days, there are only a few films where such characters appear, which made me more eager to produce such films. Furthermore, society is very patriarchal and male-centered.’

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

Director Park Chan-wook [STUDIO 706]

Director Park Chan-wook has set a new bar in his career with his latest film, “The Handmaiden,” which opened in Korean theaters yesterday.

When he filmed “Stoker” (2013) in Hollywood for the first time, he regarded the work as the start of a new chapter of his art form. 

Following the psychological tension he showcased in his previous films including “Thirst” (2009), in his new film Park focused on the tension between the two female characters in a more sophisticated and refined manner.

Korea in the 1930s serves as the backdrop for “The Handmaiden.” Lady Hideko, played by Kim Min-hee, and Sook-hee, played by Kim Tae-ri, share a delicate emotional connection. 

Park has created characters that are more vehement and daring than those of the original novel, “Fingersmith,” written by Sarah Waters.

“I wanted the female characters to be independent and lead the main story line,” the director explained.

Q. Which part of “Fingersmith” most intrigued you?

A. I felt that I was stabbed in the back when I learned the twist of the novel. I especially liked the two female characters. Also, I wanted to portray the character of Gentleman as a weightier role in the film. As the novel described the time period vividly, I also pursued the same in my movie. I have not done a costume drama before, so it was an interesting challenge.

Why did you choose the 1930s as the setting for the film?

The period I sought required the existence of maids and the modern facilities such as asylums. So it turned out to be 1930s. The conflict between tradition and modernity was inevitable in that era. I was able to deliberate on how the conflict has affected the mind sets of the present generation and how things have changed. 

Why did you use the same format of the novel, which uses the interchanging perspectives of the subject and the object?

I find it as the most attractive aspect in the novel. I was inspired to make such structure into the theatrical form, which rendered a whole different style. “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance” (2002) has a similar format. I think I am very much interested in those kinds of structures. If the same incident is told from another viewpoint, the unseen stories come up and hidden meanings are uncovered. I wanted to make it a 3-D movie, but due to lack of budget, I had to give up on that plan. For this film, I prepared each part in different shots by varying the camera angles, movements and so on. Meticulous work was required for these differing shots.

What were the elements in the novel that you thought necessary to include in the film?

The changing perspectives, the first twist in the plot and the relationship between the two women. These were the essential parts that must be put on screen. In addition, the scene where the maid uses a silver thimble and grinds the teeth of the lady was necessary to include, too.

How did you plan to make the film overall shocking with the additional twist, just like “Oldboy” (2003)?

“Fingersmith” is a widely read book worldwide, so I decided to make a new twist that does not exist in the novel. It reflects how I thought of the plot as progressing while reading the novel and imagining a new twist of my own. Thus, the later part of the film will surprise those who read the original text.

Which sentiment did you try to emphasize when the lady and the maid were assured of their feelings toward each other?

It is an intimate relationship like the friendship between two women. Maybe, their psychological motivation could be perceived as solidarity between sisters. Anyway, I wanted to portray more of pure love between the two.

Why did you describe the film as your most unusual yet multidimensional film?

It has a lot of dialogue and characters. Also, this is my first costume drama, and it has a happy ending with didactic morality. I had difficulty writing dialogue that was appropriate for the historical period and that was not too heavy for the viewers to understand. The archaic expressions of the era are funny and witty, but also devious, which makes it confusing for today’s generation. Hence, I had to balance the level of dialogue.

What parts did you pay attention to most when creating the setting?

First of all, the architecture has to be conspicuous on screen because it acts as an essential element in the film. The style of residence is decorated with a mixture of Western and Japanese style, with a hint of Korean traditional patterns. Second, the place has to mirror the inner aspects of characters as well as the time period. For example, since the Western-style room and the Japanese-style room are adjoined, the gestures of the characters are quite ambiguous. When the character goes into a room with Japanese-style flooring called tatami, wearing formal Western attire, he takes his shoes off. It is very humorous but it expresses the conflict produced by the inter-cultural period of the 1930s.

Is there a reason that the library of Uncle Kouzuki (Cho Jin-woong) is more glamorously decorated?

The library plays a role in the film like another character. It is the place where Kouzuki reigns and many things happen as well. Except for Sook-hee, the three main characters meet and separate in that specific space. The grand and overwhelming atmosphere of the room reflects the inner self of the uncle as well as Lady Hideko. It is the place where she has been strictly disciplined.

Isn’t Kouzuki an unconventional character considering other characters in films set in the Japanese colonial period (1910-45)?

He is not the kind of person who seeks profits by being pro-Japanese. Instead, he thinks Japan is beautiful and Korea is ugly. His tastes well match with Japanese style. Ironically, even though he despises Korea, he eats Pyongyang-style naengmyeon, or cold noodles, for a late-night meal. He possesses multiple characteristics.

How would you compare this film to music, as you are a fan of classical music?

I wrote the script with allusions to chamber music. Like the minutely organized chamber music, the dialogue is intimate but clashes and resolves again. As there are four main characters, it reminded me of Franz Peter Schubert’s pieces for string quartet. Two women characters take the role of the main violins, Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo) as the viola, Kouzuki as the cello. In some scenes, the characters swap roles and take on another position and instrument. Before shooting the film, I handed out some CDs such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Robert Schumann in order to stimulate the actors’ imaginations.

Why did you select the theme of women again after your previous film, “Stoker?”

After filming “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” (2005), I began to have interest in female characters. In “Thirst” (2009), Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), a devout Catholic priest, has many feminine aspects as well. I wanted to see a female character, who is independent and active, and even frightening, so probably unconsciously I created such characters for my films. These days, there are only a few films where such characters appear, which made me more eager to produce such films. Furthermore, society is very patriarchal and male-centered, which ironically made me focus more on women’s issues. I live with my wife and daughter, and such surroundings act as a stimulus for me in designing interesting female characters.

Will this film also be a popular movie for the public?

I always make my films to be entertaining movies. Sometimes when it matches with the tastes of the public, it becomes an entertaining film, but sometimes it doesn’t. But this time, I did not plan to produce the film to be merely entertaining. As a fan of the original novel, I wanted to portray my wish for the plot line when I was reading it in the film. And I hope moviegoers will feel the same.

What do you mean by saying “Stoker” was the start of a new dimension of art in your filmography?

After finishing filming “Thirst,” which took up a large part of my life, I felt like an emptied drawer. When I began to feel that I have to get into a new field, I got call from Hollywood. That is how I filmed “Stoker.” I did not have a specific direction for the film. Maybe, I could go back to my original style of dealing with guilt and redemption. 

Will your next film be the Hollywood movie?

I don’t know. It is my wish to go back and forth in between Korean film and Hollywood film. Everything does not go as you wish. The only thing that I know for sure is I do not want to become gentler as I get older. 

Left: Director Park Chan-wook works with the actors and staff on the set of “The Handmaiden.” Right: The official poster for the movie, which opened in theaters nationwide yesterday, showing the four lead actors, clockwise from bottom: Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Cho Jin-woong and Ha Jung-woo. [CJ ENTERTAINMENT]

BY CHUNG HYUN-MOK [kim.hyangmin@joongang.co.kr]

[rubie]

June 2, 2016

‘The Handmaiden’ takes box office by storm

(CJ Entertainment)

Award-winning filmmaker Park Chan-wook’s new film “The Handmaiden” hit the local box office and drew a record-high number of moviegoers for an “18” rating on the date of release Wednesday.

“The Handmaiden,” starring actors Ha Jung-woo and Cho Jin-woong and actresses Kim Min-hee and Kim Tae-ri, attracted 289,496 viewers Wednesday, annihilating “X Man: Apocalypse” and “The Wailing,” which drew 62,310 viewers and 44,953 viewers, respectively, according to data from Korea Film Council. 

The first-day record of “The Handmaiden” exceeds that of “Inside Men,” which drew 230,949 filmgoers, the previous record-holder among Korean movies rated for adults only, as well as that of “Lady Vengeance,” which attracted 206,653 viewers, the highest among Park’s work. 

(CJ Entertainment)

“The Handmaiden” has been highly anticipated locally, as it was nominated for the main competition section at the prestigious 2016 Cannes Film Festival last month. 

By Son Ji-hyoung (json@heraldcorp.com)

[rubie]

June 6, 2016

Number of ‘Handmaiden’ moviegoers grows at record pace

(CJ Entertainment)

Korean thriller “The Handmaiden” topped the 2 million viewers at an unprecedentedly fast pace for 18-rated movies since its Wednesday release.

The number of moviegoers for “The Handmaiden,” starring actors Ha Jung-woo and Cho Jin-woong and actresses Kim Min-hee and Kim Tae-ri, surpassed 2 million as of 1 p.m. on Monday, less than six full days from its release, according to data from the Korea Film Council. 

This broke the record formerly held by crime movie “Inside Men” from last year, another homegrown 18-rated flick that exceeded 2 million viewers seven days after its release.

By Son Ji-hyoung (json@heraldcorp.com)

[rubie]

June 13, 2016

'Translating subtitles is like translating poetry'
This is the last of a four-part series on the importance of translation in globalizing Korean culture. ― ED. 

By Park Jin-hai The Korea Times

Na Hong-jin's "The Wailing"

  
Park Chan-wook's "The Handmaiden"

Darcy Paquet

Darcy Paquet, an American film critic and translator who has worked on English subtitles for over 100 Korean films, says movie subtitles in English have come a long way.

"The situation now is better than, for example, the late 1990s. Some of the films I see are translated quite well. But other times you come across some that don't, which is very frustrating, because the Korean dialogue is interesting but the subtitles are not," said Paquet during a recent interview with The Korea Times.

The Massachusetts native, who has been living in Korea for nearly 20 years, has been introducing Korean films to international movie fans and working on translations of numerous award-winning Korean films.

Most recently he worked on director Park Chan-wook's "The Handmaiden" and director Na Hong-jin's "The Wailing," both of which were invited to this year's Cannes Film Festival last month.

Paquet says it's not mistakes and grammatical errors that ruin subtitles.

Taking the example of actress Kim Hye-soo's famous line in the movie "Tazza: The High Rollers," whose word-for-word English translation reads like "I'm an Ewha Womans University graduate," he says sometimes he think subtitles are too simple.

"The original dialogue is very specific, but the English subtitles were very abstract. I think abstract is usually boring. You need to try hard to put specifics into the dialogue to make it interesting," he said. "Even if many foreigners watching don't know the school, people understand this must be a prestigious university and you get more of the feeling of the original. It sounds strange if you make it very abstract and easy to understand."

He says translating subtitles is somewhere closer to translating poetry than novels.

"You have such a small space. In translating poetry you try to make it rhyme. You have such restrictions on how you can do it, and if you want to express everything, you have to be really creative on how you do it," said Paquet.

He says most people would feel frustrated translating subtitles, even more so than translating novels, because the translator has to make compromises. "If there are two ideas in the sentence, many translators just cut one idea and translate the other idea. I think what translators need to do is to become better at squeezing more information into a small amount of space," he said.

He mentioned "Manshin: Ten Thousand Spirits," a documentary about shamanism directed by Park Chan-kyong, Park Chan-wook's younger brother, which he said is the most daunting job he has done. He adds that his recent translations for "The Handmaiden" and "The Wailing" have been just as painstaking.

With Park's film "The Handmaiden," actor Ha Jung-woo speaks very quickly, he said. "There was a lot of information and the dialogue was really interesting, so we wanted to include as much as possible. We really had to struggle to just to fit everything into the space."

As for Na's film, the dialect has given him a hard time.

"I love the way actress Chun Woo-hee speaks in that final scene. Her language was very simple but very weird. It's not standard speech. It's part dialect," he says. 

"Sometimes you can do halfway. Dialect is part vocabulary, part intonation and part delivery. But, you can't write down intonation. You only use words."

The solution he came up with was to use older words people don't use so much in speech these days.

"As for dialect, you can hint at it and you can give it kind of a feeling of it, but you can't make the feeling of dialect as strong as in Korean. If you try to do that, then it comes out sounding really awkward and distracting," he explained.

Paquet says it helps to talk with directors.

"When often there are two ideas to translate it, I don't know which one is better," he said. "If the director says which one is better, it is closer to the director's intention. So I like working with directors."

With "The Handmaiden," his first work with Park, he says he went through many drafts for the subtitle translations.

"Park Chan-wook is a perfectionist in terms of film," he said, adding that they started working on it before the film was finished in anticipation of its invitation to Cannes.

"A lot of dialogue was changed at the last minute, so we had to update subtitles a lot. I sat down together with the director and looked at every dialogue line by line. We would try to come up with good solutions together."

Favorite languages of directors

Paquet added that the kind of language director Park likes is different from the language of Hong Sang-soo, another respected director he has worked with.

"You can feel the difference in Korean as well. Park's dialogue is very unusual and I think he does it on purpose. Sometimes he writes sentences in the way that people don't speak," he said. "It sounds unnatural but at the same time surprising and interesting. It's expressive. So the English ends up being similar words. It doesn't sound very natural but it sounds expressive. You have to choose between a more simple and natural feeling line of dialogue and something that is closer to the original but that feels a little bit awkward."

Although Park's movie is an adaptation from the British novel "Fingersmith" by Sarah Waters, he says he didn't use the same dialogue.

Most of the time it was better not to do exactly the same, he says because the film was different from the book.

The word "pigeon," used in the original book to symbolize the character's innocence, was changed into "lamb" in Park's movie.

"They appear on the screen in a flash and I don't think that you should make the viewers sit and think about the meaning of the word," he said.

Paquet has been running koreanfilm.org, an English-language website for Korean films, since 1999, posting reviews as well as a number of other international publications. He also teaches a cinema class at Korea University's International Summer Campus (ISC) program.

He says people around the world are still impressed by Korean movies.

"If you think about Korean cinema's place, it is very small compared to dramas and K-pop. It doesn't have that kind of popularity. The last five years have not been especially strong for Korean cinema compared to ten years and fifteen years ago. But, I think there are well-made films," he said. "From international perspectives, Korean movies don't travel very very far but only a few exceptions ― I think The Handmaiden and The Wailing both ― would probably be seen by a lot of people internationally."

Although he says Korea is full of talented movie makers, it is hard to make films in Korea ― the kind of films that could grab attention at international film festivals. Korea is high on technical skills but the business structure is a problem, he says.

"There are some issues with the system. I think it is easier to make films ― the kind of films that are successful at Cannes ― in Europe, because there is support for kind of big-budget art house films. Whereas in Korea, art house films are very low budget and it's only director Park Chan-wook and Bong Jun-ho," he said.

"Few directors have the power to make very cutting-edge films and look beautiful and cinematically very well made. If the government provided more financial support for filmmakers, like Europe does, then they could make films that would be more successful. That is the biggest thing."

jinhai@ktimes.com

[rubie]

September 21, 2016

Leading S. Korean directors to visit U.S. for film promotion

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20 (Yonhap) -- Two famous South Korean directors -- Park Chan-wook and Kim Jee-woon -- will visit Los Angeles next week to promote their latest films ahead of their imminent releases in North American theaters, the Korean Cultural Center here said Tuesday.

Park will come to Los Angeles on Monday to attend a special preview of his new erotic thriller "The Handmaiden," the center said, adding that Kim will also visit here the following day to attend a preview of his latest espionage thriller "The Age of Shadows."

In this photo released by the Associated Press on May 14, 2016, South Korean director Park Chan-wook (C) poses for photographers with actors Ha Jung-woo, Kim Tae-ri, Kim Min-hee and Jo Jin-woong (from L) at the screening of his film "The Handmaiden" at the 69th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France. (Yonhap)

"The Age of Shadows," whose accumulated number of viewers in South Korea crossed a 6-million mark as of Tuesday since its opening on Sept. 7, is scheduled to simultaneously hit the screens in some 40 other North American cities, including New York, Chicago, Toronto and Vancouver on Friday.

Park's thriller depicting a conspiracy to seize a mysterious heiress' assets is also set to be released in North America on Oct. 14.

On Monday, Park, along with actress Kim Tae-ri, who starred in "The Handmaiden," will hold a news conference at the Korean culture center, and then attend a preview for professors and students majoring in cinema at the Sundance Theater in West Hollywood, the center said.

He is also scheduled to meet with American filmmakers during another preview for his film at Soho House here, it said.

    

South Korean director Kim Jee-woon speaks during a press preview of his new film "The Age of Shadows" at a Seoul theater on Aug. 25, 2016 (Yonhap)

On Tuesday, Kim will also meet with professors and students at a preview to talk about the production behind his latest film, according to the center.

Kim's movie attracts keen attention here as it has been selected as the South Korean entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards this year, it added.

[rubie]

September 27, 2016

Park Chan-wook owes much of 'The Handmaiden's' success to three main actors

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- The success of the erotic thriller "The Handmaiden" owes much to the choice of three "respected" actors and the original British novel, its director Park Chan-wook said Monday during a news conference here to promote the film.

"I thank the three respected actors for appearing in this film and received great benefit from their work," he said.

The world-renowned filmmaker visited Los Angeles as part of his promotional tour that also took him to Toronto, Canada, and Austin, Texas, ahead of the film's North American release on Oct. 14. Accompanied by Lim Seung-ryong, head of the film's production company Yong Film Inc., and Kim Tae-ri, a rookie actress who is part of the main cast, the director attended a special preview of the movie and other promotional activities.

Park Chan-wook (C) listens to question from a reporter after a special screening of his latest film "The Handmaiden" at the Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles on Sept. 26, 2016. (Yonhap)

Park was hopeful that his latest work would be received well in Los Angeles.

"Many people around me said this is the best in my filmography," said the "Oldboy" director during the news conference held at the Korean Cultural Center here for newspapers representing Korean residents in the United States. "Although some hardcore fans said they were disappointed because it contains less violence and feels warmer than my previous works, many, including female audiences, liked it. It received favorable reviews in Toronto."

   Loosely based on Sarah Waters' award-winning novel "Fingersmith," the film starring Kim Min-hee, Cho Jin-woong, Ha Jung-woo and Kim Tae-ri relocated the Victorian Britain setting to 1930s colonial Korea. It tells the story of a young maid hired by a con man to help seduce a wealthy heiress, only to fall in love with her.

Premiered at the 69th Cannes Film Festival, the film has been sold to distributors based in 176 countries. It surpassed the previous record of 167 set by Bong Joon-ho's English-debuting film "Snowpiercer" in 2013.

Park has said he was greatly attached to the novel after reading it, recommended by the wife of Lim, the producer of "Oldboy" and the latest film.

Among Fingersmith's many charms, its vivid characters and shocking reversal captivated the screenwriter-filmmaker also known for "Stoker" to Western film fans.

"It was an excellent choice," he said of his decision to make a film adaptation from the British novel. "I thought love can be more touching when it overcomes all obstacles such as the antagonistic relations between Korea and Japan and the class system."

He hoped the film's message would be delivered well to foreign audiences despite its hefty lines.

"It has the most lines of all the films that I have made. I'd like to ask foreign viewers who need English subtitles to see it at least twice to better understand it."

[rubie]

September 27, 2016

THE AGE OF SHADOWS and THE HANDMAIDEN Head to the States
Latest from KIM Jee-woon and PARK Chan-wook Book US Playdates

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

It’s already been a big year for Korean films and US-based Korean cinema fans who have had more opportunities than usual to catch acclaimed Korean works, with films such as NA Hong-jin’s THE WAILING and YEON Sang-ho’s TRAIN TO BUSAN scoring nationwide releases and healthy grosses, but this fall holds more in store with incoming releases for both KIM Jee-woon’s The Age of Shadows and PARK Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden.

After bowing to strong reviews at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals and scoring seven million admissions and counting in South Korea, KIM’s period action-thriller The Age of Shadows, which is the first Korean production of Warner Bros., was released by CJ Entertainment America on September 23rd in 40 theatres across the country. The first weekend also included screenings at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. More dates will be added in the weeks to come.

Following its debut at the Cannes Film Festival in competition this May, PARK’s The Handmaiden bowed in North America at the Toronto International Film Festival and also made a quick stop at Fantastic Fest in the lead up to its release on October 21st courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. The rollout will begin with three theatres in New York and Los Angeles. Amazon Studios will also release the film online at an unspecified date. 

[czakhareina1]

Park Chan-wook's 'The Handmaiden' to open in North America

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook's latest erotic thriller "The Handmaiden" will open in North America this week, the film's local distributor said Tuesday.

The film will be shown at five cinemas in Los Angeles and New York starting Friday, CJ Entertainment America said, adding that negotiations are under way to bring the film to other cities in the region.

Loosely based on Sarah Waters' award-winning novel "Fingersmith," the film starring Kim Min-hee, Cho Jin-woong, Ha Jung-woo and Kim Tae-ri relocated the Victorian Britain setting to 1930s colonial Korea. It tells the story of a young maid hired by a con man to seduce a wealthy heiress, only to fall in love with her.

Premiered at the 69th Cannes Film Festival, the film has been sold to distributors based in 176 countries. It surpassed the previous record of 167 set by Bong Joon-ho's English-debut film "Snowpiercer" in 2013.

In South Korea, it drew about 4.3 million viewers, the most for an R-rated film shown in the country.

yonhap news

[irilight]

Park Chan-wook, director of "Oldboy," on new film "The Handmaiden"

 

“The Handmaiden” is a suspenseful tale about a couple of con artists, a beautiful aristocratic woman and a love affair. 

 

 MAGNOLIA PICTURES

 

South Korean director Park Chan-wook received international acclaim for his stomach-churning thriller “Oldboy” in 2003, and now the renowned filmmaker is back with “The Handmaiden,” based on the novel “The Fingersmith.” 

“The Handmaiden” is an erotic, high-tension thriller and love story between two young women set in Korea during the Japanese occupation. Park, through an interpreter, talked to CBS News about the film and the legacy of “Oldboy.” 

You based the screenplay on the novel, “The Fingersmith.” What about the book attracted you?

I like the fact that in the novel, you’re going through a narrative from one person’s perspective and as a reader, you’re following the story from that person’s perspective, then you come to the shocking conclusion where the story goes and then you go all the way back to the beginning of the story, but this time from a different perspective. You witness the same events and find all these pieces of the puzzle and put it together.

Park Chan-wook on the set of “The Handmaiden.” 

 MAGNOLIA PICTURES

 

How did you come up with the idea to put it in colonial-era Korea?  

A BBC miniseries had already adapted the book so when we were thinking we need to set it in a different environment, because we’re Korean, it was natural to think of Korea first. When we thought about setting the story in Korea, there were some elements we needed: class structure of ladies and maids and mental hospitals. These were the most important elements of the story, and looking at different stages of Korean history where these two elements could coexist was the time of Japanese occupation. It ended up helping us and allowing for a number of different layers to come into the story.  

If you look at the big picture, this is a love story between a Japanese person and a Korean person and in the original novel, it has a difference between classes, but with this setting, I was also allowed to give the two people a difference in nationalities, which is yet another obstacle for them to find love between not just two different nations but two that are enemies. I thought that would make the dynamic very interesting.

Why didn’t you choose to cast any Japanese actors in the film?

Because this character Hideko is somebody who has come to Korea and has grown up surrounded by Koreans and she’s somebody who is very fluent in both Korean and Japanese. For her, Japanese language is something that feels forced on her because she’s forced to do these readings of erotic literature which she finds disgusting and horrible.

It has a negative image for her, so in this context, rather than cast a Japanese actress and training her to speak Korean, considering this is a film that will be released in Korea for the Korean audience, first and foremost, casting the Korean actress and training her in Japanese language would make more sense.

Having said that, I wanted to make as much of an effort as I could to make sure even fully a Japanese audience, the issue of language would be as small as possible and that meant I had her rigorously trained in Japanese language so that as much as she could, she would sound authentic.  

South Korea is very conservative and in this film there’s lesbian sex and violence. How was the movie received?

I actually observed a phenomenon where young girls would take their moms to the movie and contrary to their expectations, their mothers would say, “This film is beautiful. It’s about love.” And in Korea, grannies who get together for lunch and a movie -- I’ve heard that a lot of them are getting together to see this. And while it is true that Korean society is quite conservative, it is also very dynamic and constantly changing.

Compared to how much I was concerned right at the beginning, this movie came up against no opposition and no hatred. I don’t think it’s particularly because I made a really good film or anything like that. This is a big commercial film in Korea, but it’s not the first film to address homosexual love.

What did you think of the American adaptation of “Oldboy”?

It’s a well-known fact that in America a lot of audiences don’t like seeing foreign language films and don’t like having to read subtitles when they go see a movie and about the situation, it’s not something to complain about because it’s not going to change. It’s just the way things are and if through a remake, more Americans can learn about my original film because they’ve seen the film and realize it’s a remake, then that’s great.

But what about the film itself?

I haven’t seen it yet. When it was released, I had so many things going on at the time so I missed the opportunity. When I was studying film, Spike Lee was one of my heroes. He was one of the most pioneering filmmakers of the day and all the actors in that film were actors I really liked as well. It made me really want to see it. It still makes me want to see it.

But whether it’s good or bad, I imagine I’ll have a strange feeling if I get the chance to see it. It would be kind of like seeing myself in a distorted mirror, to see a distorted image of myself and to see this movie that takes the world I created and changes things here and there. I think it would feel strange. It’s like a woman putting on the same makeup every day and having a stranger put it on for her and put a mirror in front of her and say, “Here -- have a look.” That’s the kind of feeling I imagine. 

“The Handmaiden” opens in U.S. theaters Friday. 

 

source: CBS News