Song Kang-ho onParasiteand the exquisite, existential pain of acting.
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Theyve known each other for over 20 years, first meeting after Bong watched him inGreen Fishin 1997.
Hes a genius, says Bong.
He does something slightly different with every take.
Song is observant and dignified in person, and speaks in Korean with the elegance of a philosopher.
This interview does discuss the end ofParasite, as certain questions indicate.
Feel free to skip around them.
His artistic ambitions have evolved into a more formidable force.
The way he looks at society has always been extremely sharp and cutting.
He never lets go of that.
Director Bong has long gestation periods for all of his films.
Did you discuss the character early on during the script-writing phase?Weve never had a discussion like that.
He understands how I work, and we just know each other really well at this point.
So tell me a little bit about your process when you first read the script.
How do you begin formulating a character like Kim Ki-taek?Most projects feel a bit overwhelming at first.
ForParasite, how would I portray this character Kim Ki-taek, this invertebrate?
Someone who has no backbone at first, is indecisive and ineffectual as a leader of the household.
What kind of father is he?
What kind of leader of a household is he?
How has he lived his life so far?
How am I going to be portraying the events that are to come?
Were excited to see what comes of it, because in the beginning, we dont really know.
I dont know how to make the connections I need to make.
I expect every actor goes through some version of this.
That was just a joke.
Well, its still your choice to take on extremely challenging parts though, isnt it?
I dont necessarily want something thats too easy.
Id like to discuss the climax ofParasite.
How do you interpret your characters actions in the end of the film?Thats what reality is like.
Reality is way more violent, more impulsive.
Things happen more unexpectedly than they do in films.
I think about what the shape of that looks like.
Meaning, the actions that Ki-taek takes seem impulsive, but in reality they arent at all.
you’re free to see that unfold throughout the film.
Ki-taek feels that viscerally.
Its not the jot down of climax you often see and nod along with.
It could feel challenging.
Deep down, he wants us to think,Why do we have to live like this?
What exactly is this social structure that weve built for ourselves?
I dont think this film was made with that key in of black-and-white morality or internal logic.
Even the films that received a lot of praise and were successful in the box office were difficult.
The movies that failed were difficult because of the failure.
How did you decide to do that movie?At first, I declined the role.
In fact, I declined three times.
I was thinking,How are you going to make a commercial film like this?
Who is going to want to see it?
The reason we were able to filmSympathy for Mr. Vengeanceis because the movieJSAhad been such acommercial successright before that.
From the standpoint of an actor, thats quite a dilemma.
Well, maybe not a dilemma, but an irony.
Why do you keep choosing these films that you seem to hate or find extremely challenging?
Its very similar to that.
Thats why we do it.
I feel like that is the artists ambition.
But of course it was anutter failure.But to be honest, we all expected it.
But thats just from a box-office standpoint.
If you think about the films legacy now …Yeah, thats true.
So we did suffer the consequences of that.
Not only myself, but the other actors, the director as well.
But I remember director Park felt a very distinct sense of accomplishment, even back then.
But from the standpoint as an actor, it was bittersweet.
I really wanted that film to succeed.
Unless you bring a lot of intensity to your life, its hard to survive.
Its not like California, with its peace and plenitude; Korea is a bit different.
It becomes a resource for them.
Then it wouldnt be a blacklist at all.
Whether its now or in the future, things like that have no place in our world.
For Korean society to evolve into the future, we need to get rid of things like that.
Why does it always have to be someone handsome or cool that makes films?
Why cant we make films with people that are normal or normal-looking?
It all starts there.
Same thing with acting.
I feel like thats what Ive been doing for about 20 years or so.
So, Ive always been curious about how I can express something in a new way.
For example, if you have to express a coffee mug, you cant suddenly become a glass cup.
Yeah, its something like that.
This interview was translated with assistance from Jay Choi and has been edited and condensed.
