Lee Byung-hun's Pathos Overwhelms the Screen, He Is the Genre Itself (Comprehensive)

Movie 'Concrete Utopia' Press Screening

Lee Byung-hun Played Apartment Resident Representative Youngtak
Director Eom Tae-hwa "Title Inspired by Park Hae-cheon's Book of the Same Name"

Lee Byung-hun [Photo by Yonhap News]

"When I told my acquaintances that I filmed 'Concrete Utopia,' they asked what kind of movie it was. So I said, 'It's set in a world where everything has collapsed except for one apartment building,' and they immediately asked, 'Which construction company built it?' 'Where was it built?' and we laughed for a long time."

Actor Lee Byung-hun (53) said this on the 31st at the press screening of the movie 'Concrete Utopia' held at Lotte Cinema World Tower in Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul. This was in response to a question about whether the apartment setting was related to recent social issues.

Director Um Tae-hwa, who directed the film, answered the same question by saying, "To portray the apartment well, I studied domestic history and culture. It connected to the current reality. Apartments began to be built in Korea in the 1970s and 1980s and developed rapidly. While there are good aspects, I also realized there are negative aspects that appear."

The film began shooting in April 2021. Lee Byung-hun recalled, "It was tough filming in the heatwave while wearing winter clothes."

'Concrete Utopia,' which opens on the 9th of next month, is a disaster drama depicting survivors gathering in the only remaining Hwanggung Apartment in Seoul, which has become a ruin after a massive earthquake.

It is a film adaptation of the second part, 'Cheerful Neighbors,' of Kim Soong-nyung's webtoon 'Cheerful Outcast,' serialized in 2014. Director Um Tae-hwa, who directed 'Ingtoogi' (2013) and 'Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned' (2016), took the helm.

Lee Byung-hun plays Yeongtak, the representative of the apartment residents. He portrays Yeongtak as a multi-dimensional character who is both humane and charismatic, nonchalant yet sharp. Lee Byung-hun leads the 130-minute film with his captivating performance.

'Concrete Utopia' features Lee Byung-hun. His face is the story, the narrative, and the plausibility. You can feel the power of an actor who emits tremendous pathos and transforms the theater into a utopia.

'Concrete Utopia' stills
[Photo by Lotte Entertainment]

Lee Byung-hun recalled, "It was refreshing to read a black comedy after a long time when I received the script." He added, "There have been black comedies before, but this one maintained suspense until the end while clearly showing its genre characteristics, which attracted me." He then said, "I enjoyed filming it."

He said, "The character is not extreme. The presence of both good and evil within reasonable limits was attractive. Various people commonly seen around us appear. Some are selfish, while others are altruistic. That made the film feel realistic."

He emphasized, "The story about human nature revealed when ordinary people face extreme situations was interesting."

Suddenly, a disaster causes everything in the world to collapse, leaving only one apartment building. The residents form a new society within the apartment. Director Um said, "I imagined what would happen if such an event occurred when I went home in the evening. I focused on the background of what kind of situation might happen in Korea." He added, "We also focused on realism in the CG (special effects) and other work."

He continued, "We created it imagining how Korean people would behave in such a situation. We wanted to tell a truly realistic story, not science fiction or fantasy," emphasizing the distinction again.

Director Eom Tae-hwa Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding the title, Director Um recalled, "I came across a book called 'Concrete Utopia' (author Park Hae-cheon). While reading it, I learned how apartments were built in Korea and how they have come to be today."

He explained, "Concrete symbolizes apartments, and utopia is an ideal space that does not exist in reality. I liked the title combining these two words. I initially used it as a working title for the script I was writing, but the response was good, so it was finalized."

He emphasized, "Ultimately, we want to talk about universal human emotions." He expressed confidence, saying, "If you follow the characters well, overseas audiences will also enjoy it."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.