Director Park Chan-wook discusses South Korea's darkly comic Oscar submission at 'No Other Choice': Lee Byung Hun inquires, "Can it be funny?"

Director Park Chan-wooks newest film has been nearly two decades in the making, originating from his interest in Donald E. Westlakes 1997 novel The Ax. Initially, Park considered shooting the story in Canada, and later the United States, before his producer suggested that it could be equally compelling if set in South Korea.

The movie features Lee Byung-hun as Man-soo, a devoted employee who is unexpectedly laid off after 25 years at a paper mill. Struggling with unemployment and facing fierce competition in his field, Man-soo devises an unconventional plan to address his predicament.

At a recent award-season event hosted by Deadline, Park explained why the book resonated with him. He noted, The story follows a man who loses his job and feels his and his familys lives are shattered. Instead of targeting the company or seeking legal recourse, he takes an unexpected approach. He sets up a fake company, advertises for jobs, collects applications, and selects the strongest candidates. Then, in a darkly ironic twist, he eliminates them much like a company would dismiss employees.

Park added, The irony lies in the fact that Man-soo does not go after those who wronged him directly. Instead, he targets others in the same unfortunate position as himselfpeople he could relate to and perhaps even befriend under different circumstances.

Through Parks direction, Westlakes thriller transforms into a macabre comedy, highlighted by Lee Byung-huns physical and sometimes slapstick performance, which captures Man-soos desperation with both humor and pathos.

Park recalled the collaboration with Lee: After seeing the script, his first question was, Can it be funny? I told him, The funnier, the bettermake it as comedic as you like. From there, we bounced humorous ideas back and forth, developing them further, which shaped the comedic tone of the film you see today.

Author: Connor Blake