[Movie 2010] I Saw The Devil 악마를 보았다

Kim Ji Woon: Lee Byung Hun VS Choi Min Sik

I SAW THE DEVIL
악마를 보았다

"Akmareul boattda" In the wake of his successful Western The Good, The Bad, The Weird, Kim Jee-woon was originally planning to shoot a US remake of the 1970s era French thriller Max and the Junkmen. However when progress on that project began to slow, he turned to a smaller project that he had been developing in parallel. I Saw the Devil is a violent thriller about a psychopath who kills for pleasure, starring Choi Min-sik of Oldboy fame. However when he kills the fiancee of a top secret agent, the bereaved agent (played by Lee Byung-hun) turns into a monster himself in order to extract revenge. Reportedly so grisly that many top distributors wouldn't touch it, the film will likely reach theaters in late summer or early fall.

Synopsis: Jang Gyeong-cheol is a dangerous psychopath who kills for pleasure. He has committed infernal serial murders in diabolic ways that one cannot even imagine and his victims range from young women to even children. The police have chased him for a long time, but were unable to catch him. One day the daughter of a retired police chief becomes his prey and is found dead in a horrific state. Her fiance Kim Soo-hyeon, a top secret agent, decides to track down the murderer himself. He promises himself that he will do everything in his power to take bloody vengeance against the killer, even if it means that he must become a monster himself.

by Tom Giammarco and Darcy Paquet / koreanfilm.org / chosun.com

CLASH OF FIRE-LIKE MADNESS AND ICE-LIKE LUNACY
By HAN Sunhee (August 10, 2010)

According to director KIM Jee-woon, I Saw the Devil is “a film that talks of a clash between fire-like madness and ice-like lunacy.” Directing a total of five feature films starting from The Quiet Family to The Good, The Bad, The Weird, KIM had each time challenged himself to a different genre. Now for his sixth film, he has chosen a cold-blooded thriller. The screenplay written by PARK Hun-jeong, who also wrote The Unjust and directed The Showdown, was first suggested to KIM Jee-woon through actor CHOI Min-sik (Old Boy). The rumor had spread fast it will be the most horrible and cruel story in Korean film history as far as ‘violence’ goes. As it was announced that the leading role will be played by CHOI Min-sik and LEE Byung-hun, the film instantly drew much attention from in and out of the country.

‘Fire-like madness’ from the film is the serial killer Gyeongcheol played by CHOI Min-sik, while ‘ice-like lunacy’ is Su-hyeon, National Intelligence Service agent played by LEE Byung-hun. Gyeong-cheol brutally assaults Su-hyeon’s fiancé and dismembers her body. From rage and despair of failing to protect his own lover, Su-hyeon decides to get back at Gyeongcheol. Roving around Seoul and Gyeonggi-do in search of his enemy, Su-heyon feels he will not be satisfied with simply taking Gyeong-cheol’s life. He wishes to return the fear and pain his fiancé had to go through in the cruelest and most persistent way. On their first encounter, Su-hyeon warns Gyeong-cheol, “Remember, it will only get worse.” Gyeongcheol replies, “That’s interesting. Bring it on.”

While KIM Jee-woon’s previous films had focused more on the genre-specific styles rather than the characters, I Saw the Devil is expected to be a movie with outstanding powers of the actors that form an extreme contrast. CHOI Min-sik who announced his name to the world with Old Boy, had not appeared in any large scale mainstream commercial films for the last 5 years since he performed in Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. Having worked with CHOI 12 years ago in The Quiet Family, KIM Jee-woon praises CHOI as “the best actor to act a character like fire.” In the new movie, CHOI Min-sik is prepared to become a devil wearing a human mask. Known as ‘KIM Jee-woon’s persona’ for his performance in A Bittersweet Life and The Good, The Bad, The Weird, LEE Byung-hun acts an emotional and delicate man who’s grieving his dead lover but who’s at the same time a cold-hearted person putting down his anger and rage to fight against the evil.

There are many films of violence and revenge, but I Saw the Devil differentiates itself from other common stories of paybacks. In this film, revenge does not mean the victim moving towards the simple goal of finishing the perpetrator’s life. In order to return the pain he had received, Su-hyeon controls his emotions and repeats clasping and letting go of the opponent. Instead of avoiding Su-hyeon’s attacks, Gyeongcheol enjoys the situation and faces him squarely, and in that sense I Saw the Devil keeps up the tension through steady confrontation. The director describes the film religious as the evil is punished, and a story of suffering as it shows the pain of a man.

With its provocative and cruel expressions, perhaps I Saw the Devil will add its title to the ‘Korean Extreme’ list by overseas audiences. However ethical questions may be asked on whether such extreme punishment shown in the movie is in fact correct. To them CHOI Min-sik answers. “What is violence to humans? How is it expressed cinematically? Such points will entertain our audiences.”

Credits: cinematoday



Official Website isawthedevil.co.kr * naver cafe * cine21.com * asianmediawiki





MAIN MOVIE TRAILER STREAMING

TEASER released May 24, 2010 Youtube l Youtube l STREAMING

[Movieworld] KJW-LBH-CMS 'I Saw The Devil' filming BTS STREAMING // download original link

Poster Photoshoot STREAMING // Filming BTS STREAMING

Friends at 'I Saw the Devil' Filming Set STREAMING // Download original flv clip

View BTS & LBH-CMS interview at Youtube // nate.com













Thanks to the initial highlight by melusine at EverythingLBH
Lee Byung-Heon, Choi Min-Shik for Kim Ji-Woon's Next?
by X, November 23, 2009 2:01 AM

The last time we talked about Kim Ji-Woon's upcoming projects, it was regarding his first venture into Hollywood, a remake of Claude Sautet's 70s caper Max et Les Ferrailleurs. Hoping to cast Clive Owen and possibly Sienna Miller in the leading roles, Kim wanted his Max and the Junkmen to start shooting in January, as winter was the perfect atmosphere for his noir ambiance. Seems like the film has hit a snag - we still don't have much in the way of the details, but it might just be casting issues delaying the first shoot past that all important Q1 2010 deadline, pushing things to late next year - so Kim is now focusing on his next project at home, which is tentatively entitled 아열대의 밤 (lit. Subtropical Night).

The film continues the recent noir thriller trend, with a man chasing the serial killer-cum-psychopath who killed his fiancee, and plenty of brutal action ensuing afterwards. Choi Min-Shik was cast in the psychopath role, one of the most inspired choices of recent memory - and a return to major projects for Choi, who's had a pretty rough three-four years, and recently returned to Chungmuro with Jeon Soo-Il's low budget indie 히말라야, 바람이 머무는 곳 (Himalaya, Where the Wind Dwells). Also, Lee Byung-Heon has received an offer to play the "chaser" avenging his fiancee's death. His management confirmed the offer, but also said that because of Lee's Hollywood commitments (G.I. Joe 2), Kim would have to adapt his schedule in accordance. So, again, no ink spilled yet, but if these three get together, this baby could turn as hot as its working title suggests. More on this in the coming months.

Credits: media.daum.net, sports.khan.co.kr, copied from twitchfilm.net

Cast & Character
Thanks to the fan highlight at GBW cafe.daum 6090


Lee Byung Hun - Soo Hyun (NIS Agent)


Choi Min Sik - Kyung Chul (Psychopath)


Oh San Ha - Joo Yun (Soo Hyun's fiancee)


Jeon Kuk Hwan - Det. Jang (Joo Yun's father)



Director Kim Ji Woon
The Quiet Family, The Foul King, A Tale of Two Sisters,
A Bittersweet Life, The Good The Bad The Weird

Choi Min Sik

Lee Byung Hun