(interview② continued) Actor 류승룡 said he once declined to appear in "Bikwang."
On the afternoon of the 25th at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, an interview was held with lead actor 류승룡 for the film "Bikwang" (director/screenwriter: Lee Ji-won, provided by: ㈜ContentsGeo, ㈜Playgram, distributed by: ㈜Playgram, ㈜ContentsGeo, produced by: ㈜Ace Factory, ㈜Geo Film).
"Bikwang," which opens on Oct. 2, is a tender family chronicle about top-star couple Jung-gu (played by 류승룡) and Nam-mi (played by Ha Jiwon) whose marriage collapses after Jung-gu's daughter Dong-ju (played by Kim Si-a) suddenly appears, and eight years later Jung-gu risks everything to uncover the truth to save Dong-ju after she becomes embroiled in a shocking incident.
류승룡 plays Jung-gu, a father who fights to the end to protect his daughter in "Bikwang." When asked why he often plays "poignant" characters, he said, "It's not intentional. I take the projects that come along; I also turn some down, but there are clearly projects I prefer. It's those that when I first read them have a line that moves me, that makes me think, 'Ah, this will do.' Beyond the logline, there's an emotion you feel. I hope it's felt as 'fun,' like 'The Target: The Final Shot.'"
He added, "I hope 'Bikwang' gives the feeling that it's been a while since we've seen a dense, classic film. With today's tremendous technological advances, there are many films that are a feast for the eyes and ears. After filming 'Moving' and watching the advancing AI and recent works, the more that happens, the clearer the kinds of projects I want to do become. I like Jeju olle and woodworking. Maybe because it's quirky, the faster things move, the more you gain from the slow bipedal pace. In that way, as technology advances, if a film concentrates story, care and sincerity like the old 'Nouvelle Vague,' audiences might actually welcome works without CG," he said candidly.
He said, "Last year I watched a film called 'It Was Just an Accident' that won an award at the Cannes Film Festival. I heard its production cost was only 1 billion won. But I was completely engrossed. You see it's almost without CG, relying on imagination and the power of story. In that sense, 'Bikwang' used CG only about as much as on my skin, and was shot that way. I think I will prefer such works going forward."
When asked what about 'Bikwang' moved him, 류승룡 said, "The director's letter moved me the most. The director began directing with 'Bungee Jumping of Their Own,' so he's from a really old-school era of filmmaking. He's a living witness to film. He wrote five pages about why he makes films, why he chose 'Bikwang,' and why he wanted to work with me as an actor. At the right moments he shed tears in a way that was astonishing. That spread into my heart. The director said he really cried, but I don't know," he said with a laugh.
Over the years 류승룡 has repeatedly played 'father' roles—'Miracle in Cell No.7' with Kal Sowon, 'Psychokinesis' with Shim Eunkyung, 'Kingdom' with Kim Hye Jun, 'Dakgangjeong' with Kim You Jung, and 'Moving' with Go Youn-jung—becoming known as a 'father-of-daughters' actor. Having taken a range of father roles until recently, he admitted, "When I received the 'Bikwang' script, I thought, 'Maybe dad should take a break for a bit.'"
류승룡 said, "Because at that time 'The Guest' was also a father role, 'Psychokinesis' was a father, and 'The Night of Seven Years' was a father. There are times like that. After doing so many father roles, I told them, 'I'm sorry, but I'm in this kind of situation now.' Then the letter arrived. I had to go abroad for a short time then; that morning I was asked to please read it if I could, so I met and received the letter. As the plane took off and I read the letter, the person seems to get smaller as the plane rises. I'm an F again. As the sun set, I could see tear stains. So I decided to do it the moment the plane landed," he explained, drawing laughter.
Just as the five-page handwritten letter showed, director Lee Ji-won's exceptional passion stood out during filming. 류승룡 said, "Watching the film, memories refreshed like popcorn popping, cells dividing one by one. Dopamine popped. Though it's 2D, it felt like 4D. 'Oh, that day was like that,' 'That day was really hard,' and another thing I felt was that everyone gave their all. If asked to do it again, I don't think I could do it like that. The director also poured his heart into it. He ran tremendously. Toward the end he ran so much he fell and broke his leg, yet even with a cast and on crutches he persevered through injury," he marveled.
[photo] ㈜Playgram
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