Kim Ji-eun and Song Kang-ho talk about spider webs and the essence of movies – The Hollywood Reporter

The latest film from veteran Korean director Kim Ji-woon spider web It was an exploration of cinematic aesthetics and meaning. A satire about a filmmaker who is convinced that reshooting the ending of his movie would make it a masterpiece, exploring the beauty of cinema and the emotional journeys of the people behind and in front of the camera.

Director Kim said at a special talk session held during the Busan International Film Festival on Saturday, “The pandemic has made me think more about filmmaking.” spider webLeading actors including Song Kang-ho (parasite) and Im Soo-jung (story of two sisters) also participated. “spider web It made me think a lot about when I first fell in love with movies and dreamed of making films. That changed everything for me. ”

The film, which originally premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May and was released locally last week, has received mixed reviews from critics and moviegoers, ranging from brilliantly satirical to pretentious and pointlessly vague. We have received great reviews. But Kim isn’t concerned about the ambivalent public reaction to the film.

“There are certain things in life that move me, even if I can’t explain why in logical terms. It’s weird and weird,” he said. Throughout his directorial career, which has wandered between different genres, Kim has continued his explorations relentlessly, presenting works such as: bittersweet life and story of two sisters It introduces a whole new aesthetic to Korean cinema. “I think it’s the director’s role to capture those ambiguous moments and present them in a cinematic way,” he added.

Song Kang-ho, who plays the male lead in the film, a delusional artist, also said he felt the same way.

“I act to become a stranger or weirder version of myself,” Song said. “To me, that’s the absolute essence of creativity. When someone says, ‘That’s crazy,’ that sounds like a compliment to me.” That means it is new and cannot be defined in normal terms,” ​​he added.

Over the years, Kim and Sung have repeatedly collaborated – Kim’s debut work has been critically acclaimed foul king To Kimchi Western The Good, the Bad, and the Weird historical action thriller The era of shadows.

“We’ve made five movies together in the last 25 years,” Song said. “That probably means we won’t see each other for the next five years,” he added with a laugh.

“It’s a very special journey to star in director Kim’s films. I always take part in the journey with a mixture of excitement and trepidation,” Song said. “There is always a new destination, and with it comes joy and pain.”

Since debuting in 2000, foul kingThe black comedy about a failed bank teller turned professional wrestler has given director Kim a unique place in the Korean film industry, as both a writer and one of the highest-grossing directors in local box office history. He achieved his position in the film industry. Despite his extensive experience and fame, Kim still finds his directorial role lonely and difficult, he said.

“When I shoot a movie, I always feel like a gambler betting everything on one game,” he said. “It feels like you’re putting everything on the line when you make a decision and give the OK sign. The pressure to instill confidence in actors and constantly hide their fears can feel very isolating at times. ”

Like the male lead in the movie, Kim also said that he may have been a tough director on the actors.in spider webIn particular, he said he wanted to capture the raw desire of artists and actors and their reckless ambition to create once-in-a-lifetime masterpieces.

“Audiences are often inspired by seeing an actor’s most dramatic emotions,” he said. “So on set, I wanted to see them push themselves to the limit.”

For Im Soo-jung, who plays the ambitious female lead Min-ja in this movie, her role is spider web It was a challenge and a clear contrast to Kim’s previous roles as a quiet, schizophrenic teenager in previous horror films. A story of two sisters.

“[That earlier character] She never revealed her mental state, and that’s where the mystery arose,” Lim said. “Minja’s expression of desire was explosive. I had to come on set with a concentrated level of energy for every scene in which Minja acted. He was very familiar and knew all the muscles and facial expressions I would normally use in a particular scene, so he helped me set the tone and bring out a new face in me.”

For Son, the male protagonist’s constant doubts about his own talent reflected his own insecurities as an actor.

“At some point he asks, ‘Do I really have no talent?'” Song said. “For me, talent aside, I always struggle with asking myself what’s next. [my performance] Accurate and appropriate. I believe that the essence of great scenes and acting comes from the process of asking questions. ”

Overall, the film’s storytelling experiments, a film within a film, and a visual style that oscillated between color and black and white pushed the boundaries of traditional Korean cinema.

“As I said before, even though I get older, I want my films to retain a youthful feel,” Kim said. “spider web It reminded me of many of those feelings. ”