As the film "HOPE" surpasses 2 million viewers nationwide just 5 days after its release, the supporting actors who shone in the film are also receiving attention.
A prime example is Eum Moon-suk, whose casting was not even known until the film's release. Eum Moon-suk plays 'Yang-bae', a carpenter in Hopohang, and takes on a pivotal role from the middle of the film onwards.
If director Na Hong-jin's previous work "The Wailing" reached a turning point in the plot with the appearance of Il-gwang (Hwang Jung-min), then Yang-bae plays that same role in "HOPE". He is the person who provides the catalyst for the incident. With his shabby appearance, vacant expression, and yellowed teeth, he exudes an unusual aura just by his looks.
"Hopohang" is a small village located near the DMZ adjacent to North Korea, but Yang-bae speaks with a Chungcheong-do dialect. The authentic dialect line, "It's at my house!", provided big laughs, but this line also causes a massive ripple effect that keeps the audience focused. Yang-bae also delivers an unexpected performance in the latter half of the film, greatly surprising the audience.
In an interview, director Na Hong-jin explained, "The thing that Yang-bae did is, in a way, a trivial matter, but the film shows how far this can escalate. This massive tragic situation can arise from such trivial things, and it becomes an evil act. However, if you look closely, there seems to be no malice at all. There is no rule that the perpetrator of an evil act must necessarily have malice. It seems that life's tragedies happen that way. 'HOPE' is a film that tells that kind of story."
After premiering the film at the Cannes Film Festival, director Na Hong-jin returned to Korea and re-edited it. In the process, the running time was reduced from 160 minutes to 156 minutes. During this process, the entire portion featuring Park Young-gyu, who played the township head, was edited out.
Compared to the Cannes version, Yang-bae's screen time increased in the domestic version. Director Na Hong-jin stated that he put the most effort into the Yang-bae character in the final cut, even describing it as a "restoration to the original state." He emphasized, "I hoped that 'Yang-bae' would deliver the same impact to the audience that Il-gwang gave in 'The Wailing'."
At a GV event with director Bong Joon-ho, director Na Hong-jin revealed, "Eum Moon-suk acted so well that I had no choice but to cast him after several auditions." Director Bong Joon-ho also mentioned Eum Moon-suk, who showed an impressive appearance and acting ability in the film.
Eum Moon-suk's performance provides the fun of an unexpected discovery. His unique, personality-filled acting offers more than just comic relief and even plays a role in heightening the tension in the latter half.
"HOPE" is currently a box office hit, surpassing 2 million viewers nationwide in just 5 days since its release. Eum Moon-suk is touring for stage greetings alongside Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, and Jung Hoyeon, receiving enthusiastic applause from the audience.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)