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| From left, actor Yu Jae-myeong, director Hong Eui-jeong and actor Yoo Ah-in pose during an online press event from the film "Voice of Silence." / Courtesy of Acemaker Movieworks |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
"Voice of Silence" is not a typical crime thriller that is difficult to watch. Instead of blending ferocious, bloody action and dark investigations, the film employs dark humor and mise en scene aplenty in following the story of two peculiar characters.
The film centers on two men ― Tae-in (Yoo Ah-in) and Chang-bok (Yu Jae-myeong) ― who make a living cleaning up crime scenes for criminals. One day, they find themselves stuck with a kidnapped girl named Cho-hee (Moon Seung-ah).
The duo are dumbfounded by the new task, as they are normally paid for cleaning up crime scenes and burying bodies. They plan to take the girl to their client, but then discover him dead, putting them in a complicated situation.
Filmmaker Hong Eui-jeong, who is making her feature directing debut with "Voice of Silence," said she wanted to keep things murky, letting the audience raise their own moral and ethical questions.
"The film centers on a weighty topic, but it steps away from featuring heartless culprits who dismember corpses and bury them. Rather, it features normal, everyday characters who get involved in criminal activity to make extra money," Hong said during an online press event for the film, Monday.
Yoo said he was compelled to take on the challenging role and had to gain 15 kilograms and shave his head to portray Tae-in's character.
"I don't talk in this film because Tae-in is unwilling, not unable, to speak. For some reason, he remains silent at all times, refusing to share what's on his mind," he said.
"I remember director Hong sending me a video clip for my character study, and it was a video of gorillas. I was impressed by her fresh, new approach to the character. She is a thoughtful, careful filmmaker with a keen eye for human behavior. She raises questions about our judgment of good and evil in a sophisticated way."
Yu explained that Chang-bok is a faithful and holy man, but his actions are contrary to his religious and moral convictions.
"Chang-bok is an egg-seller, but he accepts the job of a crime scene cleaner to make extra money. It's not like this man holds ill intentions or anything. He's just an ordinary, diligent worker who does his job," Yu said. "He also walks with a slight limp."
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| A poster for the film "Voice of Silence" / Courtesy of Acemaker Movieworks |
"I wanted to emphasize the absurd balance between the two characters. For instance, the pink room where the two first encounter Cho-hee is contradictory to the dark-themed crime drama," she said.
The director also expressed gratitude to Yoo and Yu for starring in her debut film, saying she suggested roles to them because she was a huge fan of both.
"I've been a fan of both actors, so I was super nervous when I first met them in person. It was as if I was going for an audition. Thankfully, Yoo and Yu accepted the roles and gave great performances. It was a pleasure to work with them," she said.
"Voice of Silence" is set to hit local theaters in October.
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