[INTERVIEW] Lee Joon-ik turns to history to shed light on overlooked Joseon scholar

Filmmaker Lee Joon-ik / Courtesy of Megabox Plus M

By Kwak Yeon-soo

"The Book of Fish" is the latest in director Lee Joon-ik's exploration of overlooked historical figures. In "The Throne" (2015), the master of period films shed light on the life of neglected Crown Prince Sado (1735-1762), who was deemed unworthy to rule and was locked inside a wooden chest and left to die by his own father, King Yeongjo.

Lee's black-and-white film "Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet" (2016) delved into the lives of famous Korean poet Yoon Dong-ju and his best friend and cousin, independence activist Song Mong-kyu. "Anarchist from Colony" looked into independence activist Park Yeol and Fuiko Kaneoko, who was Park's lover and was imprisoned with him on treason charges.

The upcoming biopic revolves around Jeong Yak-jeon (Seol Kyung-gu), the older brother of one of the leading scholars in the late Joseon era, Jeong Yak-yong. While living in exile on Heuksan Island in South Jeolla Province, he meets a young fisherman named Chang-dae (Byun Yo-han).

With the help of Chang-dae, who has a profound knowledge of fish, shell fish and marine plants, Jeong begins to write a book about sea creatures.

Actor Seol Kyung-gu in a scene from "The Book of Fish" / Courtesy of Megabox Plus M

"I initially wanted to make a film about Hwang Sa-yeong, but it was short on drama. Jeong Yak-yong's life is too great for a two-hour movie. It needs to be made into a 16-episode series," Lee said during an interview with The Korea Times via Zoom, Friday.

Hwang was a devoted Catholic who wrote a long letter on silk to the Bishop of Beijing, Portuguese Franciscan Alexandre de Gouvea, to describe the anti-Catholic suppression of 1801. In his letter, Hwang called for foreign invasion in hopes that it would force the government to end its persecution of Catholics. Hwang was later arrested and executed for treason.

"Then I came across Jeong Yak-jeon. He was peculiar because it was unlikely for a scholar to write a book about marine life in the Joseon era. Most scholars at that time, including his younger brother, were focused on Confucianism ― the state ideology," he added.

The introduction of "Jasan Eobo," or Korean Atlas of Fish, briefly mentions that the late scholar wrote the book with the help of a fisherman named Chang-dae, which sparked the director's curiosity and was where the film essentially began for Lee.

"There was not much detail about Chang-dae, so I had to create a fictional story for the character. With this film, I wanted to focus on the lives of individuals rather than informing the audience about historical context through the story of a battle or a hero," Lee said.

In the film, Chang-dae appears as a dynamic and multi-faceted character whose worldview changes over time. Chang-dae, who is young but conservative, clashes with Jeong, who is older but progressive. Through the two contrasting characters, Lee aims to draw the ideological clash of the late Joseon era ― centuries-long Confucianism versus Catholicism and western principles.

Actor Byun Yo-han in a scene from "The Book of Fish." / Courtesy of Megabox Plus M

Lee explained that compared with his first black-and-white biopic, "Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet," "The Book of Fish" has a lighter mood.

"This clearly differs from 'Dongju' because it has laugh-inducing scenes. Characters like Gageodaek (Lee Jung-eun) and Byeoljang (Cho Woo-jin) provide a moment of humor to lighten up the mood of the film. The beautiful scenery of Heuksan Island allows the audience to indulge in the film," he said.

The 62-year-old director said his experience of working as a film sales agent led him to make period films.

"When I attended overseas film markets and met people in the industry, I realized that they know very little about Korea's history. This encouraged me to make 'Once Upon A Time in the Battlefield' in 2003. Luckily, that became a hit, which gave me the strength to continue making period films until today," he said.

Lee debuted in 1993 with "Kid Cop," and since then created hit movies such as "The King and the Clown" (2005), "Radio Star" (2006) and "Sunset in My Hometown" (2017).

"The Book of Fish" will hit local theaters, March 31.

Site Map E-paper Subscribe Register LogIn
Site Map E-paper Subscribe Register LogIn