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a film by KIM Seong-hun
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main credit
SHOWBOX/MEDIAPLEX PRESENTS
A AD406 AND DASEPO CLUB PRODUCTION
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY
KIM SEONG-HUN
STARRING LEE SUN-KYUN CHO JIN-WOONG
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER YOU JEONG-HUN
PRODUCERS CHA JI-HYUN BILLY ACUMEN
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
KIM TAE-SUNG
LIGHTING
KIM KYUNG-SEOK
PRODUCTION DESIGN
LEE MI-KYOUNG
EDITING
KIM CHANG-JU
MUSIC
MOK YOUNG-JIN
RECORDING
JUNG JIN-WOOK
SOUND
LEE IN-GYU (C-47)
CHOREOGRAPHY
CHOI DONG-HUN
COSTUME DESIGN
KO HEE-JUNG
SPECIAL MAKE-UP
HWANG HYO-KYUN KWAK TAE-YONG (CELL)
MAKE-UP
KWON SU-KYUNG
VISUAL EFFECT
JEONG JAE-HOON (MADMAN POST)
SPECIAL EFFECT
JUNG DO-AN (DEMOLITION)
© 2014 SHOWBOX/MEDIAPLEX AND AD406 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
TECH INFO
COUNTRY
YEAR
DURATION
RATIO
SOUND
LANGUAGE
SOUTH KOREA
2014
111min
2.35 : 1
DOLBY SRD
KOREAN
DIRECTOR’S COMMENT
A series of surprises…I wanted to create a film that blended thrills, suspense in addition to action, humor and catharsis.
In a constant rotation between state of anxiety and calmness, I wanted to
see a film that incorporated these cinematic elements, and from the very
beginning, I wanted this film to be confident and to lack any shred of
predictability.
SYNOPSIS
Driving back from his mother’s funeral, homicide detective KO Gun-su (LEE Sunkyun) runs over a man in a dark rural street. In a moment of desperation, he dumps
the body in a coffin alongside his mother. A few days later, Gun-su flips through a
listing of open cases and finds his accident victim. His colleague is on the accident
case and is slowly making progress. Making matters worse, a witness steps forward – a
detective named PARK Chang-min (CHO Jin-woong).
For a reason unclear to Gun-su, Park wants the body. Without another choice to depend on, Gun-su digs his mother’s grave and retrieves the body, only to find gunshot
wounds on it. As Park’s threats become more vicious and hits closer to home, Gun-su
decides to face Park head-on once and for all.
about movie
An unpredictable story that will keep you
guessing until the end
Starting with his mother’s funeral to a surprise inspection from the internal affairs division, Gun-su is having a “perfect day.” Just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse,
he gets involved in a hit-and-run. <A Hard Day> naturally brings out empathy out of
its audiences as they feel the desperation of a man who has no choice but to cover up
his own crime. Even though he has committed a heinous crime, a series of unforeseen
circumstances lead him to a greater danger. Rather than criticizing and questioning his
judgment, you feel pity for him, and at times you relate to situation he finds himself
in. When Park Chang-min is introduced in the second act, his presence alone elevates
Gun-su’s desperation to a completely new level, and gives the audience a natural reason
to root for the protagonist. Just as when he thought he was in the clear, a mysterious
caller tracks him down to ask how he’s sleeping after killing a man. As Gun-su figures
out little by little who this witness is, we, as audience, are sucked into his shoes, like
watching an intense, live game of chess. When he overcomes an obstacle, he is faced
with one that is even greater and more dangerous, leading us into a rabbit hole that is
both unpredictable and nerve-wracking.
about movie
Real hits, real crashes! Thrilling and intense
action sequences that can only be done
without CG
<A Hard Day> relies on authentic and realistic stunts in order to create uber intensity
and suck the audiences into its world. DP KIM Tae-sung, whose work on <War of the
Arrows> garnered him much attention and accolades for innovative shots and composition, captured raw intensity between two lead actors right onto the screen. He does
not rely on a set of camera movements or plan out the shots meticulously prior to the
shoot, but rather flexibly adjusts his angles depending on the circumstances provided
by the locale. At the same time, he tries to get the most out of the location by assessing
how such locations can be best utilized for the scene and to film during the hours that
match the time of the scene in order to enhance the realism.
In addition, <The Suspect>’s stunt coordinator OH Se-young, whose extreme action
sequences made him a force to be reckoned with, was a boon to the production of
<A Hard Day>. Unlike action films of the past that showcase heavily scripted and
choreographed action sequences, action in <A Hard Day> feels more spontaneous
and improvised. From public washroom to living room, the film uses ordinary and
common spaces as the backdrop so that the audience can relate to the characters
even more. This method adds another layer of believability, so that every punch, kick
and struggle feel as realistic as possible. Instead of using stunt doubles, the actors did
their own stunts and actions as much as possible. For the scene where Gun-su jumps
between two windows in his 19th floor apartment, LEE Sun-kyun did his own stunt
with a single wire attached to his body. Stunts such as this not only add authenticity to
the action, but to overall intensity and unpredictable nature of the story and characters.
INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRECTOR
How did you come up with this film? How did you More so than other Korean films, your script emcreate the characters?
ploys a lot of cause and effect. Was this challengThere’s no amount of serious contemplation on my part, but ing to write?
it all started with an idea. Some time ago, I watched Pedro
Almodovar’s <Volver> and it had a scene where the daughter
character killed her partner and with the help of her neighbors,
she put the body inside a fridge and dumped it in the river.
While watching this story unfold, I had various thoughts that
was unrelated to <Volver>, ‘During monsoon season in Korea,
the river floods, won’t she get caught?’ ‘Does that country not
rain much or have floods?’ Then I started thinking about what
would be the most perfect way to dispose of a corpse. ‘Of
course! Why not make a tomb? It wouldn’t be conspicuous at
all, even to the police.’ Then I pondered whose tomb would be
the least suspicious… it’d be someone who would protect her
child until her death – a mother. Inception of <A Hard Day>
started with this idea. If my mother ever sees this interview,
she’d say, “You’ll do this to me?” and be mortified. But I’d say,
“Rest easy, mom, I won’t ever kill anyone.”
Would you agree that the character of Gun-su was
also created in similar circumstances?
Yes. Gun-su is a character who grows by overcoming various
obstacles. In the beginning of the film, his obstacle is something physical, and in the latter half, Chang-min represents that
obstacle. Gun-su is someone who can quickly adapt to various
obstacles he’s confronted with. In a way, he’s not MacGyver,
but very close to it.
When writing a script, any director faces a number of challenges, so I wouldn’t say that my challenges were any more
significant when compared to other filmmakers. The hardest
part about making this film was that the gap between when I
wanted to make it and when it actually got going was quite long
so I spent a long time preparing. However, I also think that this
lengthy period allowed me to write a better screenplay.
How did you create the film’s strong pacing?
Just as the right foot follows the left, it was like a natural instinct.
Was it important to cast LEE Sun-kyun for the lead
role?
The image that LEE Sun-kyun presents to the audience was an
important factor, since he seems like a nice person. If you put a
person with this pleasant image in these situations you can allow
the audience to relate more. The same could be said of Hollywood’s Hugh Jackman, who you could put in any role. And,
although it’d be hard to call Gun-su (LEE’s character) a villain
despite all the horrible things he has to do in the film, his actions
are undoubtedly unethical. Even though the audience is watching every step of all the horrendous things, I needed an actor
who could squeeze out sympathy and compassion from them.
I knew right away that charismatic attributes of LEE Sun-kyun
as an actor infused with the character of Gun-su would morph
into something special and proposed him to take the role. The
result is beyond my expectations by a great margin.
Despite the darkness of the film, you used plenty of
humor. Was it important to balance these dark and
comic elements?
CHO Jin-woong has mostly played supporting roles
Actually, I didn’t set out to mechanically create a balance be- until now, why did you think he was a good fit for
tween the darkness and the humor. However, in my real life your antagonist?
Chang-min(CHO’s character) does not have as much screen
time as Gun-su, but he’s a tremendous force whose presence is
felt immediately on the screen. But rather than highlighting the
You used a lot of familiar elements from Korean force of his character by being more over-the-top and villainfilms to kick off the narrative, such as a car acci- ous, I wanted to convey bleak sensation even without showing
dent, a corrupt police force and a funeral. Was this it. Chang-min glides through this fog of bleakness with dark
a deliberate choice?
and off-the-walls sense of humor, and enjoys oddball converIt wasn’t my intention to employ familiar Korean scenes but at sations. You ask yourself, ‘What kind of person is he?’ as you
the same time these are elements of daily life in Korea, though watch him. I’m a big fan of CHO Jin-woong and he has a very
they are somewhat exaggerated in the film. The incidents in the strong presence. This comes from the way he talks and his acstory are similar to events we’ve read in the newspapers, thus tions. You get goose bumps when he comes on. Casting CHO
what takes place on screen is a combination of these.
Jin-woong was the most logical answer.
there is a dark side and a humorous side so I think the film
reflects these parts of me.
The protagonist in <A Hard Day> is flawed and There are many long shots in the film. Was this inmakes many bad decisions. Were you worried that tentionally planned?
audiences might have trouble rooting for him?
I wanted to splice long shots with pre-determined short takes
I did have concerns that the audience may have trouble empathizing with the main character. However, in such case there is
one way make it work, which is to make a situation where the
character isn’t left with a choice. To give a clichéd example, if
the protagonist has a sick child he is presented with fewer options. By setting a certain attitude through the hard situations
faced by the character, I hoped to align the audience with him.
This is a little different from what other directors might do so I
was a little nervous. It’s easier if you have a nice protagonist but
this film isn’t about good and evil. It’s about witnessing what
comes out of a person in these difficult situations.
together. Since the story itself isn’t extremely unique but a
thriller with a common story, I wanted a narrative device that
was noteworthy. I actually wanted those shots to linger even
longer but we trimmed them in the edit.
Your previous directorial effort <How the Lack of
Love Affects Two Men> was a comedy. Are there
any similarities between these two films?
I believe that you can find similarities between my two films in
the imbedded humor. Whether you live a happy life or a tragic
one, it all contains moments of humor. Life itself is humor.
How careful were you with the scenes in the fu- Do you have a special process as you work? This is
neral home where Gun-su had to open the coffin? your second film after all.
Funeral is a sensitive matter.
I began to think about ways to break the molds of a specific
When the audience approaches that particular scene in a serious manner, I thought it’d be very uncomfortable. Tone and
manner, and adjusting the intensity were all crucial. Going allout comedy would destroy the film’s overall balance, but being
too serious would be unbearable, so we aimed for the middle
ground. It is an unethical scene to endure, but I wanted them
to wish for Gun-su’s safety, for him to not get caught. In that
sense, a fair amount of humor, urgency and suspense were all
employed, and while the balancing act wasn’t scientific to say
the least, we needed to come close to even as possible, and we
took considerable amount of time contemplating over it. In the
end, LEE Sun-kyun acted appropriately for the scene and made
the scene work.
Any scenes that you feel extra attachment toward?
Towards the end of the film, there is a scene that takes place in
a reservoir. I fiddled with the shadows there, it’s very allegorical,
creating suspense with the shadow of an approaching van. We
needed to shoot it before the morning clouds popped up, and it
took 3 days to get that shot. Rice farmers were planning to harvest their crops the following day, so we rushed the shoot and
wrapped up in time. As far as colliding suspense with humor
with just shadow alone, I think we succeeded since the crowd
is reacting positively.
genre. A thriller begins on an ordinary day that feels so peaceful. I wanted <A Hard Day> to get away from camera works
and dark tone that go hand-in-hand with the thriller genre, and
become freer. When directing the actors on the set, I wanted
them to focus on feelings they felt on the set on that particular
day, and did my best to capture that on film.
This film will be seen by international audiences.
What would you want them to focus on since the
film was made for Korean audiences?
I’m actually very curious as to how they’ll react. From their
point of view, the process of a funeral will be very interesting
since it’s so foreign to them. Of course, this film isn’t strictly
about traditional funerals, and it contains my own spin into funeral conventions, such as inserting humor into a serious scene.
Deviation and crevice from the universality of the norm will
create catharsis in the audience… The film also portrays plenty
of crooked cops. I planned for the confusion that sets in when
those who must enforce the law act out the evil within us. It
was my intention to direct these moments of irony. Please do
understand that not all Korean officers are as corrupt as seen
in the film.
How would you describe <A Hard Day>?
Non-stop suspense, and non-stop surprises. It’s a film that runs
straight into one direction without a shred of hesitation.
Character & Cast
LEE Sun-kyun
as Det. KO Gun-su
Faced with desperate danger due to a single mistake
Not being able to properly attend his mother’s funeral is hardly Gun-su’s worst problem. Internal affairs is crawling up his butt with accusations of taking bribes from local
bars and brothels. He’s also a devoted single father who will do everything in his power
to keep his daughter safe. With everything going on in his life, it was just a matter of
time that something drastic happened to him. But who knew it would be in the form
of a corpse. And just when he thought he was in the clear, he receives an anonymous
call…
LEE Sun-kyun
“Without the corpse, it never happened”
LEE Sun-kyun has headlined a string of hits including <Helpless> and <All About
My Wife> which accumulated 2.4 Mil and 4.6 Mil admissions for each, while participating in the auteurism films by HONG Sang-soo and PARK Chan-ok. LEE is a
regular on the small screen as well, where his face is commonly associated with blockbuster series such as [The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince], [Behind the White Tower] and
[Pasta]. As his first ever action film, he became one with the character of Gun-su as he
prepared for the shoot. “Gun-su had no choice but to act villainously in the situation
he was put into, and I sought an actor whom audiences could associate with and root
for. LEE was, without a doubt, the perfect for the role,” says director KIM.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY
2013
2012
2010
2009
2007
Our Sunhi, Nobody’s Daughter Haewon, Miss Korea (TV)
All About My Wife, Helpless, Golden Time (TV)
Oki’s Movie, The Petty Love Affair, Pasta (TV)
Visitors, Paju, Night and Day
Our Town, The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince (TV), Behind the White Tower (TV)
Character & Cast
CHO Jin-woong
as PARK Chang-min
Mysterious hound who will not stop tracking his prey
As the only witness to Gun-su’s hit-and-run, Park is a constant and unrelenting threat.
With a calm and calculated voice, he continues to hassle until his demands are met.
Without revealing his identity, he’s always one step ahead of Gun-su’s actions. Only
when he finds himself losing control, he reveals himself to Gun-su as a last resort.
CHO Jin-woong
CHO Jin-woong made his presence known to the TV audience with hit series such as
[Chuno: The Slave Hunters] and [Deep Rooted Tree] over the years, but it wasn’t until
<Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time> in 2012 that he officially became a household name as a charismatic gangster and boss of his own organization. Continuing
his success on the big screen, he played a detective with animal instinct in <Perfect
Number>, as well as a simple minded stuttering driver in <Hwayi: A Monster Boy>.
Not the one to pass on a good role, CHO plays a calculating villain in <A Hard Day>,
whose vicious onscreen presence will be talked about for many years to come. “His
performance is filled with bleakness and lunacy. CHO exceeded all of my expectations,”director KIM commented on his acting.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY
2013
2012
2011
2010
Hwayi: A Monster Boy, An Ethics Lesson
Perfect Number, Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time
The Front Line, Perfect Game, Deep Rooted Tree (TV)
Chuno: The Slave Hunters (TV)
“Detective Ko, sleeping fine after killing a man?”
Director
KIM Seong-hun
Born in 1971, director KIM Seong-hun majored Hungarian in university and made
his debut in 2006 with a fresh comedy <How the Lack of Love Affects Two Men>,
which was notable for its witty and stylistically unique characters and its comedic timing won the audiences over. After 8 long years, he came back with his second feature
film <A Hard Day>, an intense and unpredictable ride. Director KIM is becoming
one of the noteworthy directors of his generation for his ability to create multi-dimensional and exquisite characters and for inspiring his actors to their full potential
on the screen.
Filmography
2006 <How the Lack of Love Affects Two Men>_ director, writer