{"id":32792,"date":"2019-11-14T13:16:22","date_gmt":"2019-11-14T13:16:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevoiceoflondon.co.uk\/?p=32792"},"modified":"2019-11-14T13:16:22","modified_gmt":"2019-11-14T13:16:22","slug":"interview-with-lee-byeong-heon-in-london-pioneering-a-stylish-korean-comedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/interview-with-lee-byeong-heon-in-london-pioneering-a-stylish-korean-comedy\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Lee Byeong-Heon in London: pioneering a stylish Korean comedy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI was a very introverted, quiet kid. I didn\u2019t laugh or talk much, that eventually made me seek comfort in watching comedy films\u201d, says director Lee Byeong-Heon, with a shy grin on his face. <\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike the bold, blunt jests he puts in his films – what he\u2019s best known for – he\u2019s speaking in a rather calm manner.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a big fan of horror movies. Blood makes my body stiff and hurts (laughs).\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Lee\u2019s reluctance towards splatter is enough to tell, humour is his secret weapon. And that hit the very spot in Korean box-office.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Credit to Shaw Organisation, Encore Films<\/p><\/div>\n

Extreme<\/span><\/i> Job<\/span><\/i><\/a> (2019)<\/span><\/p>\n

An action-comedy, tells the story of a detective team of five going undercover as fried chicken restaurateurs that happen to get overnight success. It was a massive hit amid 16 million people in South Korea. <\/span><\/p>\n

Yet it isn\u2019t surprising to see Lee with such success as his first commercial film, <\/span>Twenty<\/span><\/i><\/a> (2014), a coming-of-age comedy – a trio of twenty-year-old bafoons figuring out their identities and the future ahead – manifested his career. <\/span>It was ringing a bell to the beginning of a new era in Korean comedy. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTwenty is more about a year-long period of grace before they actually become the grown-ups between the age of 20 and 21. And the film was to show how they rebel against it since they\u2019ve seen how scary things are out there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Lee made a visit to London for his first screening of <\/span>Extreme Job<\/span><\/i> in Europe, as part of the London Korean Film Festival 2019 (LKFF). After the international<\/span> success of <\/span>Parasite <\/span><\/i>(2019)<\/span> – <\/span><\/i>\u00a0winning the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival – Korean cinema has been, once again, put under the spotlight.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is the 100th anniversary of South Korean cinema this year. I think that Cannes has given Korean cinema a great gift\u201d, director Bong Jun Ho added after the awards. <\/span><\/p>\n

In respect to what Bong said, <\/span>the LKFF<\/span> called attention to the century-long history of Korean cinema, by bringing in retrospective titles to British cinema, expanding the spectrum to the screenings that have never been introduced to the western public.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never taken the western audience into consideration while I filmed. Well, Korean comedy hasn\u2019t been making conspicuous success in the foreign market, which I think it\u2019s due to linguistic, cultural barriers. And especially, the comedy genre is the toughest out of all to move beyond that.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Yet, Lee\u2019s belief in this matter seems ambivalent. His sceptical view in catering to a foreign audience has changed since he got to London. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter seeing the western audience and student filmmakers who have shown interest in my work, I had to admit, I was wrong about that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Lee further adds, with this as a momentum, he will perhaps be influenced in his future doings, constantly pinching and rubbing his nose as if he\u2019s trying not to show too much excitement. Though he couldn\u2019t hide a faint gleam in his eyes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Director Lee Byeong Heon, at KCCK (Korean Culture Centre UK)<\/p><\/div>\n

Comedy seems to establish its place as a key trend in terms of ticket-power – a Konglish word, meaning, one holds the power to boost ticket sales.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not to mention Extreme Job, scoring second-best in the box-office, Parasite being a black comedy or <\/span>Maggie<\/span><\/a> (2018) being an independent, art-house comedy; both made a hit over a year, which entails an unusual tendency amongst Korean spectators. <\/span><\/p>\n

When Lee is asked of Extreme Job\u2019s record-breaking gain, his attention lays on something else.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was told that Extreme Job made its way up to 16 million, at the back of my head, I felt something\u2019s wrong. I mean, I was amazed by it, don\u2019t get me wrong. But, the fact that so many people came to the cinema and watched my film, seemed like they were seeking a breakout. Similar to escapism.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

His concern is, the phenomenon -the comedy genre making immense hits in South Korea- is perhaps telling us, something deep inside the society is \u2018rotting\u2019. <\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the general view in comedy that is a shallow, superficial – sexist, even – genre, his personal view on comedy is rather philosophical.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Starting off as an independent filmmaker, his career has been built upon the firm ground of mass production that occurred in comedy, between the late 1990s and early 2000s in Korea. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs large capital had flowed into the market, numerous comedy movies were gushed out all at once. I happened to watch most of them since I grew up in such a cinematic habitat.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Lee depicted it as a period of transition in Korean cinema – so-called, commercialisation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut, thanks to that, I\u2019ve got an eye for spotting what\u2019s authentic, when the market was flooded with pseudo-films.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The director feels that he\u2019s still being influenced by the movies from those times, often unconsciously shown throughout his films in the forms of hommage.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI still see things I don\u2019t recognise when I\u2019m re-watching Extreme Job. Like, \u2018oh, maybe I was influenced by this and that.\u2019\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Lee\u2019s voice subtly tones up as he goes deep into the primary inspiration of his filmmaking as though he\u2019s gone back to the origin of his passion. His zest for comedy is imprinted on every word he shared.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Credit to Sarah Foulkes<\/p><\/div>\n

What does \u2018comedy\u2019 mean to you? – probably, the most important question out of all, to him, specifically. He chuckles. Then, he begins with a more relaxed look on his face.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m more interested in people and things going on around us than mainstream blockbusters. So, in order to give a narrative to such trivial, genuine stuff, I think, \u2018laugh is a key\u2019 to it.<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to blockbusters, it\u2019s mostly about explosions, buildings collapsing or a tsunami looming…but, to talk about people\u2019s ordinary lives, there aren\u2019t many visual materials to show. Then eventually, it\u2019s all about \u2018talks\u2019 – tiki-taka* of words – which is why I\u2019m so conscious about the use of words.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I like how time flies while I\u2019m watching a comedy, with a care-free, laid-back air. And, because of that, I want to be good at it as much as I love it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What will be his next step? <\/span><\/p>\n

He doesn\u2019t share what his plan is, though \u2018Extreme Job\u2019 is to be remade by <\/span>Kevin Hart<\/span><\/a>, with Universal Pictures, to indulge Hollywood\u2019s hunger for the fresh adaptation to the genre. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t own access to the production process, really. It all belongs to the distributors and production company.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Lee makes his stance crystal-clear: he\u2019s not going to be involved. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll I wish to them is, recreating it in their own vibe, with much fun.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

After the director says this boldly, he bites his lips as dry as his answer is; he doesn\u2019t seem thrilled. Perhaps he\u2019s into creating his own worldview rather than seeing others re-adapting his movie – his next step remains vague, yet it\u2019s sure that it will be something unconventional.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His most recent work, \u2018<\/span>Be Melodramatic<\/span><\/a> (Melo is my nature)\u2019 – a romantic TV comedy series aired on <\/span>JTBC<\/span><\/a> Channel – marked its end on 28 September.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lee\u2019s attempt to conquer TV production hasn\u2019t made substantial success compared to Extreme Job; yet with his stylish wits, puns and \u2018talks\u2019, it built a strong fanbase of those in their 30s, establishing a new sub-genre, \u2018Chat Blockbuster\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step by step, Lee is expanding his spectrum, from the cinema to television; pioneering a fashionable Korean comedy to embrace not just the Korean audience, but now the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0See Also:<\/strong><\/p>\n