This feature film released in 2006 is one of the most notable thrillers of its time. It was released in theaters on November 15 in a sublime restored 4K version thanks to The Jokers.
South Korean director Kim Jee-Won has returned to cinema since November 8 with It’s Shooting in Seoul, a crazy comedy centered on a film set. For the occasion, the distributor The Jokers has released three feature films by the filmmaker in restored 4K versions: Foul King, Two Sisters and A Bittersweet Life.
The latter is one of the most striking works of the 59-year-old director, a visceral dive into the heart of the South Korean underworld. The plot follows Sun Woo, the relentless right-hand man of a fearsome gang leader. The godfather suspects his girlfriend Hee Su of having an affair with another man. He asks Sun Woo to follow her, with orders to kill them both if he catches them together.
From horror to thriller
A Bittersweet Life is the debut thriller from Kim Jee-Woon, who had previously directed several horror films such as Two Sisters and Three Stories from Beyond. The aesthetics of film noir seem to have particularly interested the director, who notably claims the influence of Jean-Pierre Melville.
“Film noir is a fun genre for a filmmaker. The idea of creating a reality from scratch interests me much more than a simple reconstruction. Film noir allows me to create settings, characters, lighting or darkness in complete freedom. I like to be totally in control of what I do”confides Kim Jee-Won.
The latter believes as much in the solid structure of a scenario as in a worked staging which provides keys to the spectator. For the filmmaker, as clear as the narration is, it is not really what guides the understanding of the story in his films.
A subtle balance in style
“My style consists of finding a subtle balance between the different elements of the staging in order to give meaning to the plot. This is how, in a certain number of sequences, the use of music or inserts added to the montage provides information to the viewer. I believe that whatever style we adopt, it must be at the service of the plot”explains the director.
Furthermore, A Bittersweet Life is not content to chain action scenes with stunts and violence. Kim Jee-Woon wanted the actors to develop a particularly expressive performance, particularly the hero Sun Woo, played by Lee Byung-Hun.
Lee Byung-hun: the Korean cinema star looks back with us on his career, from Defense of Landing to I Met the Devil via A Bittersweet Life.
The weight of destiny
“It is certain facial expressions that make me love cinema. When faces betray the enigma, the weight of destiny or mystery, I wonder what provokes these expressions and these facial expressions. For me, film noir is the genre which allows for the widest range of expressions”analyzes the director.
Dark thriller, A Bittersweet Life presents particularly violent sequences. However, the director in no way wanted to represent it in a crude and gratuitous manner. “I did not try to take this violence seriously and to treat it in a realistic, but offbeat, way. The world is too absurd to be represented seriously in the cinema. The world is cruel, chaotic and ridiculous”supports Kim Jee-Won.
A Bittersweet Life was released in theaters on November 15.