Chan-wook Park

Park Chan-wook (; born 23 August 1963) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. He is considered one of the most prominent filmmakers of South Korean cinema as well as 21st-century world cinema. His films, which often blend crime, mystery, and thriller with other genres, have gained notoriety for their cinematography, framing, black humor, and often brutal subject matter.

After two unsuccessful films in the 1990s which he has since largely disowned, Park came to prominence with his acclaimed third directorial effort, ''Joint Security Area'' (2000), which became the highest-grossing film in South Korean history at the time and which Park himself prefers to be regarded as his directorial debut. Using his newfound creative freedom, he would go on to direct the films forming his unofficial ''The Vengeance Trilogy'': ''Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance'' (2002), a financial failure that polarized critics, followed by '' Oldboy'' (2003) and ''Lady Vengeance'' (2005), both of which received critical acclaim and were financially successful. ''Oldboy'' in particular is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, and helped establish Park as a well-known director outside his native country.

Most of Park's work following ''The Vengeance Trilogy'' was also commercially and critically successful both in South Korea and internationally, such as ''Thirst'' (2009), ''The Handmaiden'' (2016), which earned Park the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language, and ''Decision to Leave'' (2022), which won the Best Director award at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. He directed the English-language miniseries '' The Little Drummer Girl'' (2018) and ''The Sympathizer'' (2024).

Early life

Park was born 23 August 1963 in Seoul. Both his parents were native Seoul residents of five generations. His father, Park Don-seo, was a professor of architecture and former dean of Ajou University's College of Engineering. His grandfather, Park Seung-seo, was the former president of the Korean Bar Association.

Park studied philosophy at Sogang University, where he joined the photography club and film club. Originally intending to be an art critic, Park, upon seeing ''Vertigo'', resolved to become a filmmaker. After graduation, he wrote articles on film for journals and soon became an assistant director of films like ''Kkamdong'', directed by Yu Yeong-jin, and ''Watercolor Painting in a Rainy Day'', directed by Kwak Jae-yong (''My Sassy Girl'').

Career

Park's debut feature film was '' The Moon Is... the Sun's Dream'' (1992). After five years, he made his second film, ''Trio''. Park's early films were not successful at the box office, and he pursued a career as a film critic to make a living. In an interview in 2017, he said "Many people think my directorial debut film is JSA, but I want to keep it that way".

In 2000, Park directed ''Joint Security Area'', which was a great success both commercially and critically, even surpassing Kang Je-gyu's '' Shiri'' as the then most-watched film ever made in South Korea. This success made it possible for Park to make his next film more independently. ''Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance'' is the result of this creative freedom. Park's unofficially-titled '' Vengeance Trilogy'' consists of ''Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance'' (2002), '' Oldboy'' (2003) and ''Lady Vengeance'' (2005). It was not originally intended to be a trilogy. Park won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival for '' Oldboy''. The films concern the utter futility of vengeance and how it wreaks havoc on the lives of those involved. ''Lady Vengeance'' was distributed by Tartan Films for the United States theatrical release in April 2006. American director Quentin Tarantino is an avowed fan of Park. As the head judge at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, he personally pushed for Park's '' Oldboy'' to be awarded the (the honour eventually went to Michael Moore's ''Fahrenheit 9/11''). ''Oldboy'' garnered the Grand Prix, Cannes's second-highest honour. Tarantino also regards Park's ''Joint Security Area'' to be one of "the top twenty films made since 1992." Since 2004, Park has been an owner of the filmmaking company Moho Film, which participated in the production of ''Snowpiercer'' (2013) and ''The Handmaiden'' (2016). In 2006, Park was the member of official section jury at the 63rd Venice International Film Festival. In February 2007, Park won the Alfred Bauer Prize at the 57th Berlin International Film Festival. The award, named after the festival's founder and in praise of works that introduce new perspectives, went to Park for his film, ''I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK''.

In 2009, Park directed the vampire film ''Thirst'', starring Song Kang-ho, which won the Prix du Jury (alongside ''Fish Tank,'' directed by Andrea Arnold) at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. He considered directing ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' but ultimately turned it down. In 2011, Park said his new fantasy-horror film ''Paranmanjang ( Night Fishing)'' was shot entirely on the iPhone. The film was co-directed with Park's younger brother, Park Chan-kyong, who had no prior directing experience. It was nominated for Berlinale Shorts during the 2011 Berlin Film Festival and won the Golden Bear for Best Short Film.

In 2013, Park directed his first English-language film, '' Stoker''. He said he learned to accelerate the production process and completed filming in 480 hours. Although Park does speak English, he used an interpreter on set. On why the script attracted his attention, Park said: "It wasn't a script that tried to explain everything and left many things as questions, so it leads the audience to find answers for themselves, and that's what I liked about the script... I like telling big stories through small, artificially created worlds". On 2 March 2013, Park appeared on a panel discussion about the film ''Stoker'' held at the Freer Gallery of Art in the Smithsonian's Museums of Asian Art. In 2014, Park directed a short film commissioned by luxury brand Ermenegildo Zegna, co-written by himself, Ayako Fujitani, Chung Chung-hoon and Michael Werwie, scored by Clint Mansell, and starring Jack Huston and Daniel Wu. It screened at the Rome International Film Festival and the Busan International Film Festival.

In September 2014, it was announced that Park would adapt '' Fingersmith'', a historical crime novel by Sarah Waters. The film entered production in mid-2015 and ended on 31 October 2015. That film ended up becoming ''The Handmaiden'' and premiered in competition to rave reviews at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, where Artistic Director Seong-hie Ryu won the Vulcain Prize for the Technical Arts, and the film was nominated for both the Palme d' Or and Queer Palm. At the 2016 Buil Film Awards, ''The Handmaiden'' won for Best New Actress (Tae-ri Kim), The Buil Readers' Jury Award and Best Art Direction (Seong-hie Ryu). The film holds a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and saw box office success in several countries, including South Korea, the United States and the United Kingdom.

In October 2014, it was announced that Park had signed on to direct the sci-fi body-swap film, ''Second Born''. In January 2018, it was stated that Park would direct a TV miniseries adaptation of '' The Little Drummer Girl'', a novel by John le Carré. It aired on BBC One in October of that year and stars Michael Shannon, Florence Pugh and Alexander Skarsgård. At the 24th Busan International Film Festival, Park said that he is writing scripts for feature films, for theater and for TV, including a new installment in the ''Vengeance Trilogy'', and an adaption of Donald E. Westlake's novel '' The Ax''. Park had first discussed adapting the book in 2009, when he received approval from Costa-Gavras who owned the rights and directed a previous rendition of the novel.

In May 2020, it was announced that he was working on his next film's screenplay, tentatively titled ''Heeojil gyeolsim'' (''The Decision to Break Up''). It is described as a melodrama and will star Tang Wei and Park Hae-il. In October 2020, the title of the film was revealed as ''Decision to Leave'', with the story described as a murder mystery romance. The film was set to begin shooting later that month. In April 2021, A24 optioned Viet Thanh Nguyen's 2015 novel ''The Sympathizer'' for a TV adaptation, with Park directing. He was awarded Best Director at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival for his work on ''Decision to Leave''.

In August 2024, Park began filming his adaption of ''The Ax'', titled '' No Other Choice'' (). Park wrote the screenplay with previous collaborators Lee Kyoung-mi, Don McKellar & Lee Ja-hye. The film would also see Park reunite with actors Lee Byung-hun and Cha Seung-won.

Filmmaking

Park Chan-wook's films have gained notoriety for their cinematography and framing, black humor and often brutal subject matter.

In a May 2004 interview with ''The Hollywood Reporter'', Park listed Sophocles, Shakespeare, Kafka, Dostoevsky, Balzac and Kurt Vonnegut as influences on his career.

His list of 61 favorite films for LaCinetek includes multiple entries of works by Luchino Visconti, Abel Ferrara, Michelangelo Antonioni, Mikio Naruse and Alfred Hitchcock. He has named Taxi Driver by Martin Scorsese as one of his favorite films, a "monument of film history".

Park has a history of successful collaborations with various talented individuals in the film industry. Among these collaborations, the longest-standing partnership is with Editor Kim Sang-bum. Their relationship dates back to when Park, then a college student, joined the directing department led by editor-in-chief Kim Sang-bum. It is worth noting that Editor Kim Sang-bum's late father, Editor Kim Hee-soo, was involved in Park Chan-wook's debut film, '' The Moon Is... the Sun's Dream'' as editor. Since the film ''Joint Security Area'' (1998), Editor Kim Sang-bum has edited all of Park Chan-wook's works, except for ''Stoker'' (2013), up until ''The Handmaiden.'' For his editing work in Park's latest film ''Decision to Leave,'' Kim Sang-bum won José Salcedo Award for Best Editing in Valladolid International Film Festival.

Park has also collaborated with music director Jo Yeong-wook since ''Joint Security Area'' (1998). The two have since worked on several other projects together, including ''Oldboy'', ''Sympathy For Lady Vengeance'', ''The Handmaiden'', and ''Decision to Leave''. Park has also worked closely with art director Ryu Seong-hie, who was filming ''Memories of Murder'' when Park asked her to work on ''Oldboy''. She has since worked with Park on ''I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK'', ''Thirst'', ''The Handmaiden'', and ''Decision to Leave''.

Another notable collaborator of Park's is cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon. The pair first met during the production of ''Old Boy''. The two have since worked on several other projects together, including ''Sympathy For Lady Vengeance'', ''I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK'', ''Thirst'', and ''The Handmaiden''. Chung is known for his exceptional use of lighting and camera work, and his visual style has been a strong match for Park's atmospheric and visually stunning films. He has frequently collaborated with screenwriter Jeong Seo-kyeong on several projects, such as ''Sympathy For Lady Vengeance'', ''I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK'', ''Thirst'', ''The Handmaiden'', and ''Decision to Leave''.

Park has a talent for attracting top-tier acting talents. Some of Korea's most well-known stars, such as Choi Min-sik and Song Kang-ho, have been integral parts of his casting selection. Song Kang-ho, in particular, has appeared in six of Park's feature length films. Park Hae-il and Shin Ha-kyun have also worked with Park on multiple occasions, three and four, respectively. Their collaborations have been highly regarded by audiences and critics alike.

Personal life

Park was raised in a devout Catholic family in Korea, and describes himself as an atheist. He was raised in an environment that fostered culture and intellectual pursuits. His father, Park Don-seo, served as a professor of architecture and former dean of Ajou University's College of Engineering, while his grandfather, Park Seung-seo, held the esteemed position of former president of the Korean Bar Association. Additionally, Park's younger brother, Park Chan-kyong, is active as a multimedia artist.

Park was introduced to his future wife, Kim Eun-hee, by a mutual friend when she was a student at Ewha Womans University. At the 15th Marrakech International Film Festival, Park paid tribute to his wife Kim Eun-hee for her support throughout his career. Park's daughter, Park Seo-woo, studied at the Korea National University of Arts, and worked as a member of the art team for ''The Handmaiden''.

He voiced support for the Democratic Labor Party and was also a member of its successor, the New Progressive Party. He supported Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung in the 2017 South Korean presidential election.

Filmography

Feature films

Short films

Television

Bibliography

Awards and nominations

State honors

Listicles

See also

* List of Korean-language films
* Cinema of South Korea
* Contemporary culture of South Korea

Notes

References

External links

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Park Chan-Wook to make korean horror Movie using only iPhone
at Korean Horror Movies

Park Chan-wook: monographic website
(Italian & English)
* (Korean)

HanCinema Director Page


at FEARnet

SuicideGirls interview with Park Chan-wook
by Daniel Robert Epstein

July 2009 Interview with Park Chan-wook
at the ''Korea Society'' (Audio)

Park Chan-wook
on Naver

{{DEFAULTSORT:Park, Chan-Wook
South Korean atheists
South Korean film producers
South Korean film directors
South Korean screenwriters
South Korean film critics
Mass media people from Seoul
1963 births
Living people
Former Roman Catholics
Sogang University alumni
South Korean horror film directors
Filmmakers who won the Best Foreign Language Film BAFTA Award
Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director winners
Best Director Paeksang Arts Award (film) winners
Grand Prize Paeksang Arts Award (Film) winners