[On the Record] "Close, Penetrate" Moments of Lee Byung-hun

Actor Lee Byung-hun Interview

Film 'Concrete Utopia' Resident Representative Young-tak Role
Ordinary Citizen, Messy M-shaped Bald Makeup
"Trying to Maintain Playfulness and Innocence"

Lee Byung-hun [Photo by BH Entertainment]

"A fierce fight among ordinary people who have never truly fought."

This sentence is written in the scenario of the movie Concrete Utopia. The character who best embodies this is Yeongtak, played by actor Lee Byung-hun (53). His hollow eyes, mottled face, spiky hair, and tightly pressed lips catch the eye. Yeongtak is portrayed as an ordinary small citizen, but as the story progresses, he exudes madness and grabs the audience by the collar. The energy is tremendous. Lee Byung-hun expresses emotions even through the twitching under his eyes and convulsions on his cheeks. His gaze shines with both innocence and sharpness. The film reveals how great an actor he is while also reflecting how tragic and vast the disaster situation he portrays is.

Recently, Lee Byung-hun met with Asia Economy at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and explained, "Yeongtak has lived his whole life as a loser, never stepping forward in front of anyone. He becomes a leader and wears an armband. He gains an immense sense of responsibility and gradually tastes power. Since it’s an emotion he feels for the first time in his life, he is a clumsy character."

Concrete Utopia, opening on the 9th, tells the story of survivors gathering and living in a single apartment building that is the only one left standing in Seoul after a massive earthquake reduced the city to ruins. It is a film adaptation of the second part, Cheerful Neighbors, of Kim Soong-nyung’s webtoon Cheerful Bully, serialized in 2014. Director Um Tae-hwa, who directed Ingtoogi (2013) and Hidden Time (2016), took the helm.

There is no stylish or particularly atmospheric Lee Byung-hun here. Instead, there is only the shabby and simple Yeongtak. The dark wrinkles under his eyes and his hollow face are so realistic that they hardly look like makeup. When this was mentioned, he laughed heartily, saying, "That’s probably my real face." Then he jokingly complained, "What if fans get disappointed and quit?"

Lee Byung-hun said, "I expressed it with the help of an M-shaped hairstyle and shabby makeup. If you look closely, the angle of the previously flat hair gradually stands up toward the latter part. As power grows, charisma emerges, so we decided to make the hair stand up more. To convey the feeling of being intoxicated by something, I also had red makeup under my eyes."

In Concrete Utopia, he delivers tremendous energy with a terrifying performance. He completes Yeongtak, who is both human and charismatic, nonchalant yet sharp, with his own unique color.

When the apartment residents revere him as their representative, Yeongtak changes. Although he wears the armband unintentionally, unknown emotions begin to rise.

Lee Byung-hun said he hoped Yeongtak would not be an unusual character: "I wanted to give the feeling of a pitiful small citizen full of anger, loss, and depression inside. Someone who feels like they could be right next to you if you turn your head. That way, the audience can empathize."

He added, "There are no extreme good or evil characters in the film. People are a little bad, a little good. The emotions that emerge from such characters gathering are the charm of the movie." Yeongtak keeps the audience on edge in the extreme disaster situation. He explained, "There comes a moment when the emotional thread he’s holding snaps suddenly when facing an extreme situation. Then he sometimes acts extremely and changes, which is one of the fun parts of the film."

Lee Byung-hyun [Photo by BH Entertainment]

The most impressive scene is when Yeongtak grabs the microphone and sings Yoon Soo-il’s "Apartment" (1998). The close-up shot filling Lee Byung-hun’s face gradually zooming out is breathtaking. Park Seo-joon said in a previous interview with Asia Economy that he watched this scene on set. Park Seo-joon said, "The test shoot done like a rehearsal was included in the final cut," expressing admiration. When this was mentioned, Lee Byung-hun said, "It’s a scene I really like," and continued.

"Director Um Tae-hwa was filming while doing rehearsals. I thought it was unique, but it turned out to be an effective scene. He gave the OK to the scene acted during rehearsal. I thought it was a good idea. Yeongtak sings and transitions through flashbacks to his past self, slowly sinking. It’s my favorite sequence in the film. Also, the scene that appears like a public service announcement in the middle is fun."

Lee Byung-hun’s pathos explodes fiercely in this black comedy. The actor’s thirst for acting met the genre and created synergy. He said, "I got excited reading the Concrete Utopia script. ‘Yes, I like black comedy,’ I felt anticipation. It’s funny at times but the tension doesn’t ease and grows. It’s a genre that makes you chuckle and keeps you tense, which is attractive."

Some viewers who saw the film at a recent preview cleverly described his acting as "eye replacement." Lee Byung-hun said, "I never tried hard to play a different character," and added, "I was surprised seeing the reactions, wondering ‘Do I really look that different?’"

"There are different kinds of actors. Like bottles of different shapes, water fills according to the shape. I’ve wondered vaguely, ‘What kind of actor am I?’ But I never thought some styles were better or worse. I try to immerse myself in the life of the role and approach its inner side. That’s how I create a character. I want to be an actor who makes people look forward to the next work. Beyond good or bad acting, being someone who makes people anticipate is important."

Lee Byung-hun [Photo by BH Entertainment]

There is no Lee Byung-hun who appears the same in every role. Although his image is strong, he soon fully becomes a new character. This is because his way of accepting emotions is pure. Lee Byung-hun cited purity as the secret to producing high-purity emotions without impurities.

He said, "I value the saying, ‘Everyone has a 10-year-old child inside.’ Instead of losing the thoughts you could have as a child, I try to maintain a childlike heart, including playfulness and eccentricity."

Lee Byung-hun credited director Um Tae-hwa for the film’s critical acclaim. He said, "Film is indeed the director’s art. At the same time, it’s a comprehensive art, so actors also have their part. As an actor, I struggle on set to hold the character’s gaze and emotions. Makeup, lighting, costumes?all must align to create synergy. The best results come when everyone works hard."

He added, "The director’s dedication to the post-production work without letting go of the film until the release shone brightly." He continued, "Ironically, the waiting became a great strength."

Four Korean films with budgets of hundreds of billions of won are releasing simultaneously in the summer market, competing with each other. Concrete Utopia is the last to enter the race. As the lead actor, Lee Byung-hun feels a special responsibility. He wiped his face and said, "Who knew it would be released now?"

"I thought it would come out earlier, but we had no choice but to wait. Before the release, I secretly wore a mask and watched audience reactions from the back row at a monitor screening. The film is more complete now than then. The director didn’t take a single day off. Every time I watched it in the editing room, from editing points to sound, the film kept changing. I was amazed to see a film getting closer to perfection. Now, I’m curious about the audience’s reaction. I look forward to how they will watch it in theaters."

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