Every film has numerous perspectives. Although the director and actors share the same space and time, their experiences may differ. 'B-Cut by Choi Song-hee' focuses on the vivid behind-the-scenes moments that go beyond the 'A-Cut' captured on screen. It reconstructs the intense 'B-Cut' moments that were even more passionate than the completed frames through interviews with the director and actors.
The film 'Hope' begins with the story of Bamseok (played by Hwang Jung-min), the head of a local office in the Demilitarized Zone, who learns from local youths about a tiger sighting, triggering a state of emergency in the village. After a decade since his last film 'The Wailing,' director Na Hong-jin presents a narrative that explores the differences between humans and aliens, as well as the incidents caused by ignorance, all delivered with intense action and genre rhythm.
'Hope' captivates audiences with its stunning action sequences, including chases, car chases, and gunfights. Director Na credited the actors for their ability to perform such high-intensity action.
"Our actors agreed to everything, which made it possible. But I felt it was more than just agreement. To achieve this kind of coordination, a lot of preparation is necessary. For action to happen continuously, at least 50 people need to be perfectly in sync. The actors had to work hard to achieve that coordination. If they had to ride horses, they needed to become familiar with the horses and learn horseback riding. They put in tremendous effort," said Na Hong-jin.
The high-intensity action sequences, which might seem like they were created with computer graphics (CG), were actually performed by the actors themselves.
"There were things that everyone thought had to be done with CG, but the actors miraculously accomplished them. Actions like dismounting from a horse and moving their legs are not something an average person can do. But they did it. In the case of Seong-ae, she performed action scenes while actually driving a car. Everyone was amazing. I am truly grateful," Na added.
Jo In-sung, who played Seong-ki, surprised audiences with his intense action.
"Action has both instinctive and calculated elements, but I believe the acting aspect of character building is essential. The director kept directing us via radio to maintain tension. While viewers might think we were walking easily, we had to keep the tension while walking," Jo In-sung explained.
Filming the scene where they ride horses on the road was fraught with challenges. There were days when they set up but could not shoot due to waiting for favorable weather.
"I remember we went in expecting to shoot for a month but ended up taking a month and a half. It snowed in between. When it snows, the asphalt freezes, and the horses can't run. The shoes are made of iron, so they just slide. Even if we switched to rubber, we couldn't ride on dry asphalt. We had to wait for it to melt. We called it 'roll call,' where we set everything up in the morning and waited for the weather to clear or for conditions to be right for shooting. There were many days we set up but couldn't shoot and had to come back," Jo In-sung recounted.
He described that scene as one where "if an accident happens, it could be fatal." Everything had to align perfectly: the horse, the car, the road, and the weather.
"It was our responsibility to shoot it well. It was technically difficult, and since it was a scene where an accident could be fatal, we were even more tense. The set was chaotic. The director wanted us to be tense while filming, and we had to be tense because there were no safety personnel. The director must have felt anxious and burdened too," Jo added.
Jung Ho-yeon, who played Seong-ae, was a police officer at the Hopohang station who did her job under any circumstances. She prepared for the gun action and driving scenes well in advance, as the gun weighed about 5 kg.
"There was a six-month preparation process. The gun weighs around 5 kg, and the director is known for taking many takes. To do twenty-some takes, weight training was essential. I also gained 4 kg. I worked hard on cardio for basic fitness. Besides practicing with the gun, I obtained a manual driver's license because there were many driving scenes. I originally only had a second-class license, but after getting it, I learned from a racing expert," Jung Ho-yeon said.
Jung prioritized safety over enjoyment in action scenes. While preparing for the gun action, she also considered how to react when encountering an unknown entity.
"I believe safety is the number one priority in action acting. So rather than trying to enjoy the action too much, I focused on doing it safely. I thought about how I might never get to experience something like this again. I also watched 'Alien' before this project. I wanted to see how to react when encountering an unknown life form, not just in simple gun action," she explained.
The car chase scenes were similarly intense. Filming took place in an actual town, with art settings designed to make it look like a past era, and any accidents could damage real buildings.
"In an actual town, if buildings exist, we set up facades to make it look like a past era. If I caused an accident, it would damage the buildings. I tried not to let my guard down. I didn't think I was reckless, but I realized I was quite bold. I enjoy driving, but I’m not sure if I’m good at it. Through training, they set up the course and designated areas for drifting, so I think the director had a clear concept of the cuts," Jung Ho-yeon noted.
The actors' actions were not the only memorable aspects of the set. Jo In-sung recalled a moment featuring Im Hyun-sik. In a scene where a spaceship is falling, Im's character opens a door in a health center and looks outside.
"There are great shots and moments of focus, like when Bamseok looks out the window. Personally, I really like the scene where Im Hyun-sik opens the door in a health center and looks outside when the spaceship falls. I think that shows his experience. It seems like nothing, but that feeling was great," Jo In-sung said.
For director Na Hong-jin, working with Im Hyun-sik left a lasting impression. Im played the character Haesul's uncle and had to deliver long lines, which Na recalled with a smile as a challenging editing experience.
"Im Hyun-sik played Haesul's uncle, and it was so much fun. However, I didn't expect he would struggle with the long lines. He really worked hard on them, and I thought I was going to die while editing. I had to place the prompter behind him, but if it was slightly off to the side, his gaze would drift, and then it would be unusable. But he did so well and worked hard," Na Hong-jin said.
For Jung Ho-yeon, acting alongside Im Hyun-sik was special in itself. He noted that Im's presence made the scene comedic.
"Acting with Im Hyun-sik was like watching TV; it was so comedic. His immersion was incredible, and he himself was so charming. I remember admiring him. He is a legendary figure to me. It was an honor to share the screen with him," Jung Ho-yeon concluded.