Hollywood has a law, if a director loses three consecutive films at the box office, he can basically leave this line. According to this law, for Park Chan Wook, 2000 was a year of destiny. Prior to this, his "Moon...Sun Dream" and "The Trio" were not favored due to low-cost alternative themes. Ming Films (Park Chan-wook's film company) couldn't help it, and shot several scripts handed over by Park Chan-wook one after another, and simply asked him to take a commercial film in a showdown. Park Chan Wook, who was in a career barrier, weighed and weighed and finally accepted the proposal. This kind of suggestion is a great humiliation to a director who pursues artistic ideals. In history, many directors refused to sign a film like their own. They regarded it as a stain on their artistic career. But Park Chan Wook did not feel depressed and ashamed because of this. After all, the excellent script attracted and inspired his strong desire to create. The script of "JSA Joint Security Area" is adapted from a novel. The story is caused by a shooting incident, which explores the unresolved historical issues of North Korea and South Korea. Park Chan Wook uses a multi-view shooting technique similar to "Rashomon", starting with the different beliefs and values of the soldiers of the two countries, passing through the confusing and true and false memories, and pushing them to the indisputable fact that their blood is thicker than water. . It can be said that the film came into being. The downfall of the military government and the implementation of the film classification system gave the green light to this very sensitive political film a few years earlier. And in 1999, Jiang Di-gyu’s "The Spy of Life and Death" proved the strong market prospects of the Korean political film, and the film no longer demonized the North Korean government for the first time. All kinds of bold attempts and opportunities have paved the way for the birth of "JSA". Even if Park Chan-wook more directly blames the Korean government, "JSA"'s inherent emperor will not be detracted by this. For this fate-determining work, he can say that he spared no effort. The actors invited Song Kanghao and Shin Hajun from the powerful group, and Lee Young Ae and Li Bingxian from the idol group. These people worked together to add a lot of color to the film. Their superb performances have made themselves the queen team of Park Chan Wook's subsequent films without exception. In terms of shooting methods, Park Chan Wook boldly tried shooting methods that he had never used before, and at the same time restrained his usual methods. Although this kind of compromise was subverted in "I Want Revenge", "Old Boy" and "Cut", it is undeniable that a considerable part of it has been inherited and carried forward (called "high-cost B-level film" by it. "Old Boy" is the best example).
Many people later criticized Park Chan Wook for being a mediocre director. The success of "Old Boy" was due to the excellent original Japanese manga. And "JSA Common Security Area" has benefited from the excellent acting skills of many stars and the clean editing of the production company (the company name is forgotten). This statement is biased. As the best storytelling director in South Korea, Park Chan Wook not only tells the story carefully to the audience, but more importantly, he strips his feelings away from the incomparable truthfulness and purity. It was these truths in the story that shook every numb heart. In the black and white photo at the end of "JSA", four soldiers of the same ethnic group but belonging to two countries have different expressions enough to touch every viewer. It turns out that the nation can be torn apart like this, only one meter apart, one side can smile calmly, while the other side is so nervous and solemn. For a nation, this is unforgivable sadness.
Follow-up: I watched "JSA" twice in the past two days, and also watched "Stories of the Korean War" by an American war photographer. He commented on this war from an American perspective. The American soldiers turned angry and full of humanity when they reversed the ugly image in the movie of our War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. Of course, just like in "JSA", there are always conflicts and contradictions in the events in the eyes of Song Kanghao and Li Bingxian. This documentary has their own views on the definition and outcome of the war. What to defend human rights and freedom, what to consider negotiating for the sake of peace, speak ethically. In fact, if you think about it carefully, how many of the patriotic educations we have received are not ethical?
As the two Korean directors I like, Kim Ki-duk and Park Chan-wook belong to two completely different styles, one freehand and the other realistic. Comparing "Coastline" and "JSA" with similar themes, the former is certainly due to government pressure, and the military uniforms in the film do not belong to any South Korean arms at all. In the latter, Park Chan Wook has no details, and has made a detailed textual research on the military uniforms and equipment of the DPRK and South Korea. From the point of view of the film style, Kim Ki-duk emphasizes the portrayal of the soul, and many props actually play more symbolic meanings. Such as the fish in "Drifting Desire Room", the door without walls in "Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter", and the cue in "Empty Room". He doesn't pay attention to the rationality of the story, and everything serves his personal philosophy. When he arrives at Park Chan Wook, he will dissolve all kinds of emotions in the story itself, with large blocks of bright colors enclosed in fine lines, and the calculations are accurate without any difference. Later I thought, is their style related to their early experiences? Kim Ki-deok learns painting and Park Chan-wook learns philosophy. I think it makes sense.
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