Translated by Chocoholic and posted in Official Board by Joanne

AREA (8/1/05)-BYJ talks about ¡®Oe Chool(April Snow)

Chocoholic translated this from Japanese to Korean and posted it on the Freeboard on Daum.net's byjfan Café (cafe.daum.net/byjfan). This is a part of article on a Japanese magazine AREA (8/1/05)

Chocoholic wrote:

I translated a part of article in AREA.

Continuously evolving BYJ.......^^

[i]-----In the process of shooting lasting for a long time, was there any change in the aspect of your spirit?

For me, who liked perfection, and had been thinking that there would be right answer in any occasions, the work which changed by situation or atmosphere at the sites was difficult. However, that moment was agonizing, there was pleasure of learning by physically feeling the acting method on the site which was different from the ones I did until now. Speaking frankly, when I was doing perfect preparation, I felt that I had not enjoyed the situation myself. However, in this time, there created composure to enjoy the situation itself. Of course, I do not think that I will do all the next works from now on like this one. However, I think I could appropriate make harmony between my appearance until now and composure I was able to get from new experience.


[i][b]-----Can Mr. BYJ agree with dangerous and anxious love the main characters fall into?

I think this film is a love story of two people who are placed in an extreme situation rather than a film depicting an adulterous affair. However, it is a situation filled with contradictions any one could encounter while they live. Even though they definitely believe that they themselves would never be shaken, they encounter contradiction not knowing it, agonize & become at loss.Although Insoo despaired of his wife at first why did she do that severe thing (?), annoyingly he himself fell into such situation. Then in it, he could understand both his wife and Seoyoung.

I also was able to think about love again. Were the emotions of Insoo and Seoyoung love after all? However, I myself could not fine the right answer. Let alone the right answer, it was difficult to make the outline, and for me who were trying to give the right answer to everything, understanding that emotion was not easy.

While I was agonizing, the thing I had changed was that I became to have sentiment to recognize such confusion. I was able to have composure that there might not be a right answer. I think that one cannot agree or deny love or emotion of people by looking at the situation on the surface¡¹

In ordinary times, when the shooting was over, I used to think that I could acted a little better or let's take a rest a little as I worked hard when there remained lingering attachment. However, in this time, I felt the ending of the shooting was the same as the beginning of it. I think it is because I thought about love a lot as I agonized over how to live as an actor and as a human being..¡¹


Copyright by Daum Communications Corp.

Translated & posted in BYJ Quilt by Myonne



Talks on “April Snow” by Bae Yongjoon

――AERA exclusive： Message from Bae Yongjoon――

…………………………………………..
There are many things I want to ask him. What is Bae Yongjoon thinking now afterhe finished shooting of his second film “April Snow”?
He kindly replied by writing which spelled the inside of his heart.

Written by Rumi Hayashi
(Books Editorial Section, in Seoul)
………………………………………………


“While I was shooting this film, I thought a lot of things. ‘How should I live?’ ・・・While asking such questions to myself, it became a good opportunity for me to reflect upon myself, as an actor and as a human being.”

The reply which spelled such earnest words of Bae Yongjoon came to me in early July.

The film “April Snow” (Original Korean Title :“Outing”) wrapped up on June 18. However, he was hospitalized due to ‘accumulation of overwork’ on following the 19th. Although he left the hospital two days after and his condition was not so serious to be worried, this episode revealed how he had poured his whole energy into this work.

＊＊＊How is your physical condition? Are you OK now?

BYJ：“I am sorry to have you all worry about me. I have regained my health now. I really appreciate your concern. Thank you very much.”


＊＊＊You have finished the shooting of the film now. What do you want to do most now?

BYJ： I will take a little rest for sorting out myself which has been Insoo ( the name of his character in the film), and probably will soon start to prepare for the next work. I really want to go on a trip somewhere, but don’t know if I can do or not.”


When the news came that he was hospitalized, Mr. Sozo Teruoka, a film critic,(43) thought “ Ah, it’s what I have worried・・・“　Mr. Teruoka, who acted as the Tokyo Film Festival programming director and who detailed on the Korean films, is an old acquaintance with Director Hur Jinho.


++++++Joining with Director Hur Jinho

“Director Hur is a type who contemplates on the shooting site. I imagine that Bae Yongjoon, pushing the back of such Director Hur forward , pulled the film as a whole to completion with his utomost efforts. Upon reaching the goal, his fatigue must have come out at a stretch. “ said Mr. Teruoka.

The shooting of this film was prolonged as long as five months. As a new film starring by Bae Yongjoon , whose popularity now exceeds the range of one actor, ’April snow’ is to be released this September in 7 countries in Asia. The export price to Japan is said tobe 6.5 million dollars, the highest in Korean movie history ever. The sale of the advance tickets vigorously exceeds 100,000 sheets, which is more than those of the mega hit film of Hollywood.

Not only the box-office record but also the quality and contents of this film may influence the future of the ‘Hanryu (Korean Wave)’ boom and the development of the Korean film industry.

We should note here that he himself selected to appear in Director Hur’s work as his second work in filming world.

The works of Director Hur, such as “Christmas in August (1998)” and “Spring Days Passing(2001)”、where he depicted sadness of love and delicate emotions of human beings with his unique atmosphere, have been highly evaluated not only by domestic film connoisseurs and critics but also by those of various parts in Asia. He is one of the directors who have a big support from film population and who can be expected also in box-office performance.

Mr. Teruoka evaluates the selection of Bae Yongjoon as follows:
“In the Korean film world, he is able enough to read perfectly what he should do and what he can do now.”


＋＋＋＋”Expectation for what I have not experienced yet.”

Expectation for this film has been growing among the film connoisseurs who like caustic criticisms in Korea. ‘Cine 21’, a weekly movie magazine with the most circulation (100,000 copies) in Korea, issued the special edition of “April Snow” at the end of May. Mr. Nam Dongchol, chief editor, said,“Bae Yongjoon ssi made a good choice. It is a good work to be expected.”


＊＊＊What is the reason why you wanted to appear in Director Hur’s work ?

BYJ：I had never decided to appear in any works without reading scenarios. This time, however, I opted for the performance without waiting for the completion of the scenario. Director Hur Jinho is a person who is totally different from me in character as well as in work style, because of which I felt a great expectation. I think I intuitively expected for what I had not experienced yet at all.”

The character Bae Yongjoon acts is a lighting director named Insoo. It is a complicated role who knows the adultery of his wife in a sudden traffic accident but ironically enough, who lapses into love with Seo-young, the wife of the partner of his wife’s affair. Director Hur Jinho is known for disliking artificiality and making impromptu direction.


＊＊＊It seemed hard for you to get used to his unique direction, didn’t it?

BYJ：In my case, so far I have always prepared and analyzed the character thoroughly before devoting myself into the performance. And then I have gradually created the situation which I think is correct. However, the method of my understanding and approaching the role this time was completely different from what I had done. I even had to make efforts not to prepare and to just ‘feel’ the air flow・・・・It really was a difficult process for me.

At the press conference at the location site in Samcheok City of Korea in March this year, Bae Yongjoon said that he was mentally and physically ‘ exhausted’, and revealed that he had lost 4kg in weight in one month.

In contrast, at the beginning of June when it was close to the end of shooting, Bae Yongjoon seen at the filming site of Samchoek, did not impress such worries. In the scene where he walks on the beach with the counterpart role, Son Yejin, in the sunset; in the scene where he stands still alone in front of the motel where the two persons spent their time together・・・・. Sometimes he talked with Director Hur and quietly entered the role. I found his figure there had something spontaneous and relaxed which cleared something unexplained . He was quietly melting into the atmosphere on the spot.

＊＊＊Is there anything that has changed in your mentality in the process of that long-term shooting?

BYJ： I have always aimed for perfection and thought there should be a correct answer in any case. So honestly speaking, the work which continuously changes according to the situation and the atmosphere on the spot was really tough for me. But, even if it was hard at the moment, I found it joy to learn and feel, with my own body, the acting method on the spot, which is quite different from those so far.

++++++Memorable Scene of Tears

BYJ：Honestly speaking, I think when I tried to make perfect preparations, I could not enjoy the situation there to the full. This time, however, I came to have some room to enjoy the situation itself. Of course, I don’t think I will apply the same approach to all the future works, but I think I can harmonize appropriately what I was so far with what I obtained through new experiences this time as a kind of room in mind.


For the past 11years since his debut, meticulous role-making has also been his trademark. At the same time, his particularity can also be said that by twining his prudence and boldness skillfully, he has been steadily expanding his scope as an actor.In front of his fans he thoroughly devotes himself to be gentle and sincere ‘Yon-sama’, but he dislikes more than anything living peacefully in the fixed image as an actor.
In his debut movie “Untold Scandal” (2003) as well, he insisted on his principle and well acted the role of a playboy. He dared to challenge the role which an ordinary actor would hesitate to play, and made a successful debut in the film world.

Mr. Teruoka says he feels ‘resolution’ in such Bae Yongjoon.

“Although he is now a representative of ‘Hanryu(Korean Wave)’ stars, I don’t think he was a strongly star-oriented person originally. As a basis, he must have such feeling that he was very fond of movies and shooting sites. “

As a matter of fact, the very start for him, a young movie lover, to enter the entertainment world was when he began to work as a part-time staff in a film production company. Even now, he sometimes tells us that he would like to make films as a director some day in future.

-――What was the pleasantest and the hardest thing for you in this shooting?

BYJ：What I remember best is the scene where I had to shed tears ,drinking alcohols.

Until then I had never shoot the scenes drinking real alcohols, for my face would be tinted red and lose concentration if I drank.

This time, however, I actually drank and shot the scene. Because I really felt I should drink. It was the scene where the character lost his trust in the relationship with his wife and the pain and the sense of loss overwhelmed and collapsed him in drinking.

In the beginning I was worried I could do well. But when I actually began to drink, I felt I could not bear the sorrow and naturally tears rolled down on my face. Along with the situation of the role, I felt my emotion sprung and gone up spontaneously. The hardest scene to be turned out to be the easiest one where I could act quite smoothly.

**************************************
( To be continued to PART TWO)

+++++Challenge to a taboo of ‘adultery’

There is a passionate love scene with Son Yejin, who plays the role of Soyeong. Even if it should be in an unavoidable situation, an ‘adultery’ or ‘extramarital affair’ in Korea where an adultery crime still remains to be punished legally , is a bigger taboo than in Japan.

――Can you, Bae Yongjoon ssi yourself, agree to such dangerous and painful love as the hero and heroine in the film lapsed into?

BYJ：I think this film is a love story of the two persons who are unexpectedly put into the ultimate situation rather than the work depicting an adultery.

But, it is, at the same time, the situation filled with contradictions, which everyone may meet with while we are living our lives. Even if we are sure we will never be shaken, we run against such inconsistencies unawares, agonize, and wander about.・・・

At first Insoo as well despaired of his wife, thinking why she did such a cruel thing to him, but ironically enough, he himself lapsed into the similar situation. And in such situation, he is to come to understand his wife as well as Soyeong.

I myself could have a chance to think over about love. Was the feeling between Insoo and Soyeong a true love after all?・・・・

However, I myself could not find a correct answer, either. Far from a correct one, I even had difficulty in grasping the outline of it. It was quite hard for me, who had always tried to find a correct answer for everything, to understand the feeling.

While agonizing, I have gradually changed to feel like accepting such confusions. There came out some room in me to admit there might be no correct answer. I came to think that by seeing the situation on the surface, no one can affirm or deny their love or feeling.

Usually, after finishing the shooting, sometimes I still feel regrettable, thinking I should have acted better, and sometimes I think of having a short rest since I have done my best. This time, however, I felt the end of shooting as a beginning of something. As an actor and as a human being, I would like to think more about how I should go on living and about love.

By the way, Korean motion-picture world which had showed aggressive progression of irresistible force depressed a bit this year. The number of spectators of the first half this year decreased for the first time in ten years. To be sure, “Marathon”, an excellent work with box-office record of 5 million spectators was produced, but some expected works made poorer performance in box-office. Still, the lineups of the second half looked quite powerful, but at the end of June there was a big commotion where Director Kan Woosok, who is known as the producing director of “Silmido”, criticized some big actors by name against their pressing the film production financially by claiming the large performance fee.

The sense of crisis that if dependent on the stardom system, the current prosperity of Korean films would be short-lived like the once popularity of Hong Kong movies, are prevailing in the Korean film industries.
Of course, I believe the Korean movies which bloomed with their democratization will not be such a brittle thing, but it also cannot be denied that some of those film released in Japan, which occupy 70 % of their export ,were sold at unreasonably high prices just because some popular actor or actress are on.


++++” Please look with a fresh eye”

The made of a movie can be checked only on the screen.
But, I feel Bae Yongjoon now has a confidence that he did what he could do.


――This film will be released in various parts of Asia. So it will be a very important work for Korean movie world as well. How are you going to appeal it?

BYJ：This question should go to Director Hur, shouldn’t it? hahaha・・・
First of all, I appreciate it very much that many people have much affection and interest for this film. But I think not only our work but all the Korean movies at once are in an important position which should lead the present Korean film world.

After seeing the works of Director Hur Jinho, you find there remains some lingering imagery for a long time. Even if you see them a lot of times, you will find different impressions every time. In this film I would like you to think about the ironical situation where Insoo and Soyeong were placed, and about their delicate emotions. If you can sympathize them, it would be a pleasure for us.

And I am glad if you see me with a fresh eye, saying ‘ Ah, Bae Yongjoon has a new look by carrying out such actions and showing such feelings!’,


****************************************** (To be continued to PART 3)

(Trans.) AERA: Talks on "April Snow" by Bae Yongjoon PART 3

Hi, this is the last part.
**************************



＊＊＊His Next Work: Role of Gwang Gae Toh Dae Wang in Kokuryo
――Evolving Bae Yongjoon

It takes about 4 hours by express bus to go to Samchoek from Seoul. How many tourists from overseas would visit this city in the past, which is facing Tonhe(East Sea; Japan Sea) in Gwan Wong Do ?

The population of the city is as small as 80,000. However, this city which had been unknown in Japan, completely changed itself after it became a location site of “April Snow”.

According to the City Sightseeing Development Division, about 10,000 people came to Samchoek to visit the shooting site from February to June this year. The 80 percent is from Japan, and almost all women. Other ‘family’ of Bae Yongjoon (He calls his fan ‘ family’) from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan as well visited there one after another.

Even now when the Japan-Korea relationship got worse on Takeshima(Dokto), history textbook, and Yasukuni Shirine problems , people in Samchoek say,

“Grass-root(citizen) exchanges should be needed just in such times.”(City sightseeing Development Division)

In June, when the shooting entered the finishing stage, the lobby of the hotel where Bae Yongjoon stayed was crowded with about 30 Japanese women. Most of them were the ‘masters’ who had visited Samchoek 3 or 4 times.

Bae Yongjoon greeted them waving his hand at the entrance of the hotel whenever he went out to and returned from the shooting, which stimulated their hearts all the more.

“If I go to Samchoek, I will meet Yongjoon ssi without fail. Thinking so, I have come here again.” said a woman (46) from Yokohama. This is her 5th visit to Samchoek. She had a room-share with her friend in ondoru pan (Korean floor heater hotel) to cut down the travel expenses.
“My daughter supports me, and my son and husband are dumbfounded. But for Yongjoon ssi, I probably would not come all the way to the provincial town like here.
I feel much more familiar with Korea at a stretch.”
There are some women who stayed at ondoru hotel in Samchoek for as long as two months.


＋＋＋＋Thowing kisses at ‘family’

Even if they said they ‘ can meet Bae Yongjoon’, it was not so easy. It all depended on the situation of the shooting. Sometimes the shootings ended at dawn.

On the last night of the shooting, the fans stood in a line waiting for him in front of the hotel from 11 o’clock at night. It was at half past three in the morning that Bae Yongjoon returned there. His fans who had been waiting, cheered and clapped hands for him. Bae Yongjoon seemed to be filled with emotions in their applause and responded to them by throwing kisses.

Anyway, it is so exceptional for him to be surrounded by spectators for so many months.


＊＊To be honest, what kind of feeling did you have?

BYJ：I really thanked them, and at the same time, I felt very sorry. Because the shooting started in the mid of winter, and I was worried about the health of those ‘family’ who were waiting for and watching me long in the cold. Even so, I could do nothing for them. But I think the ‘family’ who were watching me during the shooting was a source of my power.


By the way, I wonder that Bae Yongjoon, who has a huge fan in various parts of Asia, has therefore a wider view over Korea and Japan, and over Asia.

Mr. Li Yong Choi(33), who is studying the Japan-South Korea and Japan-North Korea relationships in the doctorate course of Keio University indicate such a viewpoint. He has been staying in Japan for seven years, and his major is to analyze the social background through the images screened in Korea.

In March he was surprised to read the text on the Takeshima(Dokto) problem which Bae Yongjoon announced at his official site after agonizing by the request of Korean media.

“He surely is standing on the viewpoint that we should understand mutual positions, not from our one-sided view. I was admired to see that he appealed for the necessity of deepening each other’s trust in whole Asia, not to mention in the Japan-South Korea relationship, by getting beyond the national borders. “


+++++I will do what I can do modestly.

Mr. Li notes that Bae Yongjoon chose Drama ”Tae Wang Sa Sin Ki (Story of Four Gods andGreat King)” as his next work of “April Snow”. It is a new work to be produced by Producer Kim Jong Hak (direction) and Son Jina (scenario) pair, who made “Sandglass “(95) which is called a monumental work among Korean dramas. The main character which Bae Yongjoon is to act is’ Tam Duck’, Gwang Gae Toh Dae Wang in Kokuryo.

There have been intense confronting disputes between Korea and China over where ancient Kokuryo belonged for the past several years. Also, the dispute has been continuing over the contents of the monument of Gwang Gae Toh Dae Wang between Japan and Korea.
In such circumstances, I wonder how Bae Yongjoon and others will challenge this acncient drama.

“ I wonder it will become a grand work which hypothesizes there existed a common culture beyond the borders in ancient East Asia. I want to expect the sensitivity of Bae Yongjoon ssi who is going to go on beyond the national borders. “

This drama whose shooting is to start in October will be produced with broadcastings in various places in Asia in their vision.

‘Though in several countries in Asia the nationalism which emphasizes the history of its own country has become strong, the work which Bae Yongjoon ssi himself selected is sure to become what escapes from the narrow-mindedness of such egocentricism.’, thus does Mr. Li expect.

I wonder what ground Bae Yongjoon himself considers his activity on, in the midst of
such spontlight.

―――Your conducts and utterance of opinions have influence upon many people
beyond the national borders now. What is the standard of your activity which you think is important ?

BYJ：As many people watch and have much concern on me, I feel more responsibility. But I think I am going to consider what I can do modestly. Since I am an actor, the first thing I should do is to do my best to play the role through acting. And I think it important for me not to lose balance , enriching the duty given to me.

Also, I should conduct, thinking how, even if little by little, I can return the love I have received from you. I just hope that I can do good works together with those who kindly watch me while I do my best what I am given. If I could, there is no other thing to be desired.

(end)