'RV: Resurrected Victim' is all about maternal affection
Scene from "RV: Resurrected Victims" / Courtesy of Showbox
By Kim Jae-heun
Given the title “RV: Resurrected Victim,” viewers may anticipate that this new film is an all-in mystery thriller. They may expect zombies to appear and run after their killers to take revenge. But what if it is your dead mother who comes back to life and points you out as a criminal?
In the film, prosecutor Seo Jin-hong, played by Kim Rae-won, has been tracking who killed his mother Choi Myung-sook, played by Kim Hae-sook, seven years ago. While unexplained cases called “RVP,” or “resurrected victim phenomenon,” are shared around the world through intelligence agencies, Choi appears in front of Seo alive and tries to attack him. The report tells of victims of unsolved murders who return to life to punish their killers and the secret agents conclude that Jin-hong is the prime suspect in his mother’s murder.
“Resurrected Victim” is somewhat strange material for a Korean audience, especially when filmmaker Kwak Kyung-taek emphasized that the RV are not zombies.
Based on Park Ha-ik’s 2012 novel “It is Over,” Kwak rewrote the script for the screen.
“I borrowed the material RV from Park’s novel,” Kwak said during the press preview at the Mega Box Theater in Dongdaemun, Seoul, Tuesday. “RVs are neither horrifying nor provocative and they look exactly the same as when they were alive.
“I had trouble expressing RV as something between a western zombie and an eastern ghost. If you had expected something horrifying and provocative, you might find it disappointing. But this is what makes the movie more realistic.”
Kwak was distressed about how to end the movie, which he chose to finish with a strong emotional line expressing maternal love. Kwak says it can be seen typical but he couldn’t find a better answer.
Veteran actress Kim emphasized maternal love in her role. Kim has earned the nickname “people’s mother” for her role as a mother in many films. Taking the role of an RV was a new challenge.
“This film was very difficult for me,” she said. “I had to think hard about how to give impact as a mother who returned to life to attack the son she loved so much when she was alive. It is my never-ending homework to express various mothers of different characters. I fight hard against myself in every piece I participate in to act well.”
It is the third time Kim Rae-won and Kim Hae-sook have worked together. Actor Kim said he already calls actress Kim, “Mom” and the veteran actress thinks of Kim as her son.
“Rae-won is always at one side of my heart,” Kim said. “We have the same depth of love for each other. It is a true maternal love. I was very happy when Rae-won took the role of my son.”
“RV: Resurrected Victims” opens at local theaters today.