Lee Byung-hun high on power in new movie Concrete Utopia, but a ‘disaster’ at decision-making off-screen
SEOUL – In the upcoming South Korean disaster thriller Concrete Utopia, South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun is a leader. People bow to him. He shouts orders, delegates work and leads a group of apocalypse survivors in building a seemingly utopian society.
In real life, however, the 53-year-old leading man does not enjoy wielding so much power.
At the film’s press conference held for Asian media in Seoul’s Lotte World Tower on July 31, Lee says: “Some people ask me why I don’t direct movies, since some of my peers are going into that. But I have difficulty making decisions. I’m an actor. Being a director is way too much work and involves a lot of decision-making. It would be a disaster if I had to do that.”
Indeed, his contemporaries such as Squid Game (2021) co-star Lee Jung-jae and A Moment To Remember (2004) actor Jung Woo-sung have ventured into directing, while Lee is sticking to being in front of the camera.
Opening in Singapore cinemas on Aug 24, Concrete Utopia – about the residents of the only apartment building left standing in Seoul after a massive earthquake destroys the city – lured two million moviegoers to theatres since its Aug 9 opening in its home country. With more than half of all moviegoers in South Korea watching it, it reigned supreme over the weekend box office, earning US$11.3 million (S$15.3 million).
While billed as a disaster movie, the tentpole is also a black comedy and social commentary on power, greed and the South Korean dream of owning an apartment.
Lee (Emergency Declaration, 2021; Our Blues, 2022) plays Young-tak, a seemingly ordinary man who becomes the leader of the apartment residents after a heroic act. They are initially welcoming to refugees from other neighbourhoods, but soon decide to kick them out.
The film also stars Park Seo-joon (Itaewon Class, 2020) and Park Bo-young (Strong Girl Bong-soon, 2017) as a young couple who have differing ideas on how to navigate the apocalypse. The pair have never worked together, but their chemistry was ramped up on their first day on set, which they spent taking wedding photos.
“We didn’t need to build any chemistry,” Park Seo-joon says. “We’ve had it since day one.”
The 34-year-old actor, who rarely plays a married man, stars as Min-seong, a public servant who does everything he can to protect his nurse wife Myeong-hwa (Park Bo-young). The two clash as she tries to take care of other refugees.
At a separate roundtable with Singapore media, Park Seo-joon – who will appear in the upcoming Hollywood superhero movie The Marvels – says: “I’m not married yet, so I don’t know anything about being a good husband, but, after this filming experience, I thought a lot about my devotion to my family and the sort of devotion (Min-seong shows) is possible in real life.”
The A-list cast also developed a close bond with one another because of the weather, which ended up being one of the greatest challenges during the shoot.
The story is set in winter, with characters bundled up in thick jackets and wool sweaters. But the cast and writer-director Um reveal that Concrete Utopia was filmed during the blistering summer of 2021.
Park Bo-young, 33, says: “It was so hot, it felt as if the cast and crew were fighting a war together. We developed this camaraderie, which I believe translated onscreen.”
The film also stars supporting actors such as Kim Sun-young (Crash Landing On You, 2019), Park Ji-hu (All Of Us Are Dead, 2022) and Kim Do-yoon (Hellbound, 2021) as apartment residents.
Directing an ensemble cast was one of Um’s great joys working on Concrete Utopia. A scene in which the residents gather in a living room to decide whether to chase out refugees was his most memorable.
“It was a critical scene for me because it was the first time I had so many actors cramped into such a small space. But the great thing about having a great cast is that they just organically figure it out,” says the 42-year-old, who previously directed fantasy film Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned (2016).
Another unforgettable scene involved the residents gathering at night to celebrate after scavenging a huge haul of food from outside the apartment building, and Young-tak is asked to perform.
Commenting on his singing and shimmy, Lee – who successfully crossed over to Hollywood with movies such as G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra (2009), Terminator Genisys (2015) and The Magnificent Seven (2016) – jokes: “I’m a world-famous hit global musician, so singing is not a problem for me.
“But I wanted to get that ahjussi (Korean for middle-aged man) dance, those old-man moves right. And I think I portrayed it well.”
Um adds: “We shot a few takes of him dancing, but ended up using his very first test cut.”
The movie, adapted from a webtoon titled Pleasant Neighbours, also highlights the tension between neighbours as people lead increasingly isolated lives within their community. Having played neighbours onscreen, are the cast close to those living next door to them in real life?
When asked, Lee reminisces about his younger days: “Back then, if there was a lot of delicious food at your house, everyone in the neighbourhood would know. I ran many errands when I was young. I went to this house and that house. We would bring food around. When we made good food, we’ll give it to our neighbours. There’s no reason for it, that’s just the way it was.”
But the veteran’s younger co-stars say those days of a strong sense of community spirit are gone.
“I do greet my neighbours, especially when I was younger, but the practice of sharing food and so on have disappeared,” says Park Seo-joon.
Park Bo-young, who moved to a new apartment three years ago, adds: “At my previous place, I knew a lot of people. But after I moved, I don’t feel like I know as many people.
“So, while I was watching this movie, I was wondering, ‘Would I recognise someone who lives in the same (block)? I don’t think I’ll be able to.’”
Concrete Utopia opens in cinemas on Aug 24.
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