'Assassins' director Heo Jin-ho said about casting Park Chung-hee, the former president, and Yu Geun-sook, the first lady, "I thought it would be uncomfortable if famous actors played them."
On the morning of the 10th, an interview with director Heo Jin-ho about the film 'Assassins' took place at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno District, Seoul.
The film 'Assassins' (director Heo Jin-ho, produced by Hive media corp, distributed by Hive media corp) expands on the suspicions and backstory of the first lady shooting that shocked Korea on Aug. 15, 1974, using cinematic imagination. It added some imagination to the facts surrounding the shooting of the late first lady Yu Geun-sook, the wife of Park Chung-hee. Director Heo Jin-ho, who opened a new horizon for Korean melodrama with 'Christmas in August' and also directed 'The Last Princess', 'The Map Against the Sky' and 'A Normal Family', has once again created a highly accomplished work through meticulous and precise direction.
Taking a historical event that shook Korea as its motif, the film expands the event's underside with cinematic imagination, adding tight suspense and deep emotional textures to complete a high-density mystery pursuit drama. It was officially invited to the gala section of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, receiving recognition for its quality, and it delivers intense immersion and a deep aftertaste.
Yoo Hai Jin plays Cheol-gu, a detective who witnessed the first lady shooting at the scene; Park Hae-il plays Jae-hwan, a Dongseong Ilbo reporter and director general of the social affairs department; and Lee Minho plays Young-il, a rookie Dongseong Ilbo reporter pursuing the truth of the case.
'Assassins' features many famous actors such as Jung Woosung, Uhm Tae-woong, Park Sunghoon, Oh Jung-se, Park Hae-jun, Shin Hyun-been and Lim Won-hee. While the glamorous lineup has drawn praise for offering much to see, some have said that the very distinct personalities detract somewhat from immersion.
Director Heo Jin-ho said, "I don't like it either. When that actor appeared there, it created a focus on the actor, and I worried about that," adding, "But while casting one chairman role, I wanted to tell a story based on historical fact. I didn't expect actor Jung Woosung to act with tears welling up like that. Many actors appear, including Jung Woosung, and those characters can be forgotten, but I wanted them to be remembered at least once. All had short scenes, but in some cases we met and talked two or three times. I wanted the characters to carry weight, and because of that there were many. My monitor screening reaction was, 'It's fun to watch actors.' It was okay," he said with a laugh.
However, the film took a completely different approach by casting actors with almost no recognition to play former president Park Chung-hee and first lady Yu Geun-sook. About this, director Heo Jin-ho said, "I felt some hesitation. It would have been uncomfortable for a well-known person to take that role," and added, "The person who played Park Chung-hee did 'The Last Princess' and 'The Map Against the Sky' with me, and also played Park Chung-hee in 'The Last Princess.' If actors like Sul Kyung-gu or Lee Sung-min had played Park Chung-hee, it might have felt a bit uncomfortable."
Meanwhile, 'Assassins' opens on the 23rd.
[Photo] Hive media corp
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