INTERVIEW Jung Woo-sung says he avoided film references in directorial debut

Actor-director Jung Woo-sung / Courtesy of Acemaker Movieworks

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Jung Woo-sung said he intentionally avoided referencing other films when making his debut feature and neo-noir action thriller “A Man of Reason.”

“The first direction I gave to my film crew in the pre-production stage was, 'don't look up for references and get your inspiration from the script,'” he said during an interview with The Korea Times via Zoom, Thursday.

The star, whose acting career spans 30 years and includes roles in myriad prestige and blockbuster projects such as “The Good, The Bad, The Weird” (2008), “The King” (2017) and “Steel Rain” (2017), was keen to let the film stand on its own two feet.

“I have always been skeptical of movies filled with references and cliches. I think they prevent us, filmmakers, from being truly creative. I believe that every new challenge opens up the door to a fresh perspective and endless possibilities,” he said.

“A Man of Reason” follows a man named Su-hyuk (Jung), who is released from prison after serving 10 years on behalf of his boss Eung-guk (Park Sung-woong).

He wants to cut ties with his old gang and live a normal life but is dragged back into the underworld as Eung-kuk's henchman Seong-joon (Kim Jun-han) hires notorious hitman Woo-jin (Kim Nam-gil) who takes his young daughter hostage.

While the action scenes are well-executed, the film's weak plot and shallow character development may lead to a somewhat underwhelming experience.

A scene from the film "A Man of Reason" / Courtesy of Acemaker Movieworks

Jung said he is ready to welcome all responses from audiences ― both positive and negative.

“Regardless of the film's quality, I'm proud of the overall filmmaking process, from the way I handled the production to how I interacted with the cast members and the film crew,” he said.

The veteran actor also spoke about how the public's perception of him being “serious all the time,” is wrong.

“People often associate me with political activism because I'm the Korean Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, but I'm quite a fun-loving person. I love appearing on comedy shows like SNL. It was meant to promote our film, but I really enjoyed the experience, engaging with the audience and fans,” he said.

Jung said he is interested in directing a second film. “I'm keen on making a second film. As an actor, I have made some unexpected choices to star in a wide range of films. I want to explore new subjects and tell untold stories in future projects,” he said.

“A Man of Reason” hits local theaters on Aug. 15.