No Other Choice? Why Korean auteur Park Chan-wook reunited with Lee Byung-hun for a comedy
Park Chan-wook’s film reunites the director with Lee Byung-hun after more than 20 years for a darkly funny tale with social commentary
Park Chan-wook, the celebrated South Korean auteur behind such esteemed works as Oldboy and The Handmaiden, is not a filmmaker one typically associates with comedy.
“There were so many comical elements to it, so I was a little bit puzzled,” Lee admits at a recent interview with the Post. “The very first question I asked Director Park was, ‘Did I read it right? Is this supposed to be funny? Is this your intention?’”
The story deals with a man who loses his job and decides to kill several of his rivals for a new one, putting him in a prime position for getting the new gig.
The dark premise is surprising from a director known more for blood-curdling cries of rage than for overt emotion. Yet, as Park himself exclaims, his private persona is quite different: “I laugh a lot, I cry a lot!”