The Journey to Gyeongju, which topped the Korean film box office as soon as it opened, successfully concluded the second installment of the 'killer GV' amid high praise from director Bong Joon-ho.
The Journey to Gyeongju (screenwriter/director: Kim Mi-jo; presented by: Lotte Entertainment, Michigan Venture Capital Co., Ltd.; distributed by: Lotte Entertainment; produced by: Studio High Five; co-produced by: Euphoria ENT) is a family revenge drama about four mothers and daughters who embark on a "killer" trip after eight years of waiting for their youngest daughter Gyeongju, who did not return from a school trip.
The Journey to Gyeongju opened on the 26th, and at Lotte Cinema World Tower the second installment of the 'killer GV' featuring director Bong Joon-ho took place. This GV drew attention as the world-renowned master Bong Joon-ho served as moderator, and it sold out in advance. In particular, the meaningful reunion of Bong Joon-ho with actors Lee Jung-eun and Park So-dam, who led the global phenomenon of the film Parasite, heated up the atmosphere at the venue.
After the screening, Bong Joon-ho, who appeared to enthusiastic applause, praised The Journey to Gyeongju, saying, "It is a fine textbook-like work that shows what can unfold when good actors meet a good script and direction." He also pointed out the free movement across various genres and tonalities, saying, "The weight of the incident and the characters' emotions are deep, but at times the director's boldness confidently delivers explosive laughter."
Director Kim Mi-jo said, "Because it is an inefficient revenge that would never succeed, not even catching a gnat, I thought the heterogeneity of tone and manner was inevitable. Even slight changes in music or cut length greatly altered the tone, so during the editing process we agonized deeply over matching the tone," revealing the intense work process.
Deep character backstories from the actors followed. Lee Jung-eun, who played the role of Ok-sil and whom Bong Joon-ho described as "a character who cannot contain pain or anger," said, "I wondered throughout filming whether she could really carry out revenge to the end," conveying her immersion and total commitment to the character. Kong Hyojin, who drew praise from Bong Joon-ho for the firstborn Jang-ju — "the way she brushes the mother's hand after it touched the broken car glass delicately shows the mother-daughter relationship" — explained, "As the eldest who watched over the mother for eight years, I acted with the setting of being overly concerned for the mother's well-being," describing the detailed character-building process.
Regarding Park So-dam, who plays the second daughter Young-ju, Bong Joon-ho said, "Her cold acting followed by the storm of sobbing in the later scenes is painful but heart-rending," and Park So-dam described the character's inner life, saying, "She is the most sensitive and lonely character who puts on armor to hide her emotions." Lee Yeon, who plays the third daughter Dong-ju and was praised by Bong Joon-ho as having "rough and tough qualities but whose delicate moments as a wounded person stood out," added, "I acted thinking that acting first rather than thinking in every moment might be a way to feel less pain," hinting at the four actors' intense acting deliberations.
Meanwhile, The Journey to Gyeongju, which opened on the 26th, is holding the No. 1 spot on the Korean film box office on its second day with a barrage of positive audience reviews.
[Photo] Lotte Entertainment
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