Fan Club Goodies

14 Nov 2006 - Film2.0 Interview with Lee Byung Hun

Between Reason and Sensitivity translated by joyeux

Lee Byung Hun's smile is refreshing. Showing off his whites, he makes the teenagers' hearts' flutter. At the same time, Lee Byung Hun is serious. In 'A Bittersweet Life', his image is rather solemn. In 'That Year's Summer', Lee Byung Hun, in his courteous, soft smile, is grave inside.

While attending Joong Ang graduate school, Lee Byung Hun studied about when movie actors acted, what ratio they used between reason and sensitivity. It can be thought of as the theme/thesis, but there was already a similar thesis used, so he didn't use that for his paper. It couldn't be his thesis, but between reason and sensitivity's tug of war is what this movie actor spent the past 15 years debating about, and also experiencing.

This was the same this summer between the humid weather and filming of mellow movie, 'That Year's Summer'. Last year, in '3, Monster' and 'Bittersweet Life', dark and solemn characters were portrayed, and after a while, finally, in this movie, he will show some mellow acting, while his reason and sensitivity will exchange with each other constantly by making this 'Suk Young' character. When he first read 'That Year's Summer's' scenario, sensitivity was crying out in his ear. To analyze the character, argue about the director's, who is in charge of directing, capability, argue the show's performance, and so forth, while reading the scenario, thoughts that there was more to do for reason, he was no exception to this cycle. "When picking a work, after reading the script, I always put into serious consideration my feelings on the movie," is what his reaction was to the feelings. "After reading 'That Year's Summer' for the first time, the feeling was similar to the feelings I had when I watched 'Cinema Heaven' for the first time in mu younger years. That fraility, but unforgettable feeling, no, that emotion I still feel to this day, is what I want to portray." That is why this actor decided without any doubts that he wanted to become Suk Young.

Atferwards for one month, reason's strength controlled him. At first, he was satisfied with the emotions he felt after reading the script, but Suk Young wasn't a character he could understand with reason alone. Suk Young was a mocking, humorous, sometimes a really polished college student who reluctantly came to the country side and met a pure, country girl, Jung In (Soo Ae). The time came to test their love- departure's time found its way over. Suk Young, with Jung In decided to go to the capital, Seoul, and keep their love, thus going over the first obstacle of departure. However, because of the times' situation, the two had an unwanting departure, and Suk Young was put down with his situation of having to neglect the woman he loved. In the movie, Suk Young is currently an old, in-his-sixties teacher. Lee Byung Hun had to overcome acting the difference in age gap as a teacher in his sixties to a cheerful college student and take in the hard situations of saying 'I don't know' in front of the person he loves. With this difficult and versatile character, Lee Byung Hun, with Director Cho Geun Shik, for a month, studied all they could for this character. Debating several times, trying to make his character with reason, his conclusion is, "Suk Young is not a character in a movie, but the way a person really is. Until now, the characters I've portrayed in movies and dramas alike were not truly 'people'. However, Suk Young isn't like those 'fake' people, but an actual person with many sides to him." After thinking this way, it was easier to understand Suk Young. It was more comfortable to know that acting as a person in his twenties and sixties just came and went. If in the twenties, act as a person in his twenties. If in the sixties, act as if in the sixties. After an exhausting one month of analyzing character, Lee Byung Hun was finally able to truthfully take in Suk Young.

As the crank-in time comes in, again sensitivity is pushed over reason. It is natural to research and study your character around, but Director Cho Keung Shik's style cries out Sensitivity. "Director Cho puts more thought into the scenery than the actual scene written out on the script. There were many times when I had to adlib my acting into scenes." Because of this, even though he tries not to bring too much attention to his adlibbed acting, he had to really dive into his Suk Young character. There was a scene where Suk Young sang to Jung In a song that has been used throughout the movie, but this scene was never written in the script, but was used because Lee Byung Hun was spotted singing it, watching others film their parts.

As he spent his time as Suk Young, he's been able to experience many things as movie actor Lee Byung Hun. The term, 'Hallyu Star' has tagged along behind him for three years, and even now as his status as a Hallyu Star becomes bigger, his fans are staying by, watching him film. He says, "Really, there is not shade at all during the filming, but my Japanese fans stayed during the filming and kept watch. There was even people who stayed in motels, but when morning comes and the time comes for me to start filming, or in the evening when I come back from filming, the fans stay all day, watching me just to say, 'Hello' or 'You did a lot'!" as he puts in good words for his fans. During the past 15 years, he's met so many fans, but seeing his most recent fans doing and enduring so much for him fills him with so much gratitude. Even as the word 'Hallyu Star' tags behind him, the love for his fans go deeper as a change that doesn't seem like a change come to him. "To myself I say, 'Nothing's changed' but even though I tell myself that a lot, I can't help but notice the many eyes that follow me around, and that feeling can just never change," is his very truthful confession. What he couldn't experience during the filming that he experienced at a Japanese airport, he thought, "Wow, this isn't a joke. I really have to work harder." Because of thoughts like these, he felt himself shrinking at times.

Because of these worries he has, when he picks his movies or just anything in general, he thinks about them a lot and feels he has to be very responsible for what he does, was another confession he made. However at the same time, this feeling of responsibility becomes like a vitamin or an energy booster. "Responsibility makes me work harder and makes me stronger at times."

Lee Byung Hun, because of acting, said about the difference between reason and sensitivity is, "As much as an actor goes into his character, he has to act as if the reason is an established form during the making of the film." During the fifteen years of his movie acting career, Lee Byung Hun has acted very fittingly into his roles, making the characters not just characters but actually himself. However, his movie actor Lee Byung Hun and natural Lee Byung Hun's conscious is gradually coming together. "When I think about it, when someone asks me if I'm happy, as a movie actor, I am happy all the same as when I am my natural self. As time goes on, my movie actor side and natural side cannot be apart."

As he is waiting for the opening of 'Geu Hae Yuh Reum,' Lee Byung Hun is meeting with new scenarios. What kind of scenario would be a stimulus for his emotions is still something that is unknown to him. However, one thing for certain is the fact that to become a happier movie actor, Lee Byung Hun will need to always try his best. That way, the Lee Byung Hun who throws away the movie actor title can be happy as well.

Writer: Song Joo Yeon & Picture by Kim Dong Wook, captures courtesy www.leebyunghun.com

Interview featured in Film2.0, translated by joyeux at EverythingLBH.com