MOVIE
Interview: "The King’s Warden" Director Jang Hang-jun on His First Historical Film and Casting Park Ji-hoon
Jang Hang-jun, known for his witty direction in various genres from comedies like 'Forgotten' to thrillers like 'Rebound,' is also familiar to the public as a TV personality. However, this time he sheds his playful image to seriously tackle his first historical drama.
"When I first received the proposal for a historical drama, I was hesitant. There's a lot to prepare, and these days, there's always controversy over historical accuracy. It also requires a big budget. It's a genre that directors are often afraid of. But my personality is such that I like to do things others aren't doing. When something becomes trendy, I avoid it. Since not many were doing historical dramas, I thought, 'Why not give it a try?'"
In commonly known history, King Danjong is often portrayed as a weak figure, but Jang Hang-jun wanted to depict him differently. He envisioned Danjong as a king who appeared fragile but was internally strong and upright.
"Danjong is the only person who went through the stages of being a crown prince, a prince, and then a king. His grandfather and father were kings, and his grandmother and mother were queens. He was the legitimate heir of heirs. I think portraying him as weak and cowardly is a result of historical speculation. He was intelligent and reportedly good at archery. Early on, he tried to take the lead in governance, struggling among his ministers."
"In reality, Yoo Hai-jin cared for Park Ji-hoon. Park Ji-hoon, although he didn't fully understand, followed Yoo Hai-jin. It's strange how they liked each other from the start. It's fascinating how people can be drawn to each other. As they began to trust and rely on each other, I felt confident about their scenes together."
Regarding the casting of Park Ji-hoon as Danjong, Jang Hang-jun shared that he was recommended by those around him. Jang praised Park's "deep, settled gaze." However, there was a surprising moment during the casting process. Jang expected Park to have a gaunt appearance, but Park, who was on a break, appeared with some weight gain. Jang humorously recalled, "He had gained so much weight that I almost didn't recognize him. We talked about losing weight, and he said he would. But even after meeting him several times, he hadn't lost any. I thought, 'This might be my last film.'" Despite the initial concern, Park Ji-hoon lost 15kg.
"He showed up with the weight gone. He said he lost it without exercising because adding muscle would be inappropriate for the character. Danjong shouldn't have muscles or a prominent trapezius. Every time I saw him, he seemed to lose more weight. He's a determined young man. I thought, 'He'll become a great actor someday, so I should make the most of him early on.'"
"If the relationship between a director and an actor isn't good, you don't see each other after filming, and you might even badmouth each other. But Yoo Hai-jin had a great attitude. We would eat and drink together after filming, sharing many conversations. He delves into the script on set, but surprisingly, he doesn't use a paper script. He uses a tablet PC. His face looks like it came out of a history book, but on set, he's looking at a tablet PC."
When asked if there's any praise he'd like to give himself for this project, Jang Hang-jun replied, "I believe the first thing in a movie is the script, and the second is the actors. A director needs to write a good script to persuade actors like Yoo Hai-jin, Park Ji-hoon, and Jeon Mi-do to join the cast. An actor who did well in one film might not do well in another, even if they didn't have a bad day. The important role of a director is to maintain the overall concept and balance. I think I contributed significantly to highlighting the excellent performances of the actors." With his characteristic humor and confidence, director Jang Hang-jun left us with a smile.
Kim Ji-won, TENASIA Reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr
