Special: Although the Korean star Hyun Bin Ahn was initially hesitant to take on the role of Jung-geun, a Korean freedom fighter HarbinHe knew deep down that he couldn’t pass up such a rare opportunity.
director Woo Min-ho It took three tries before he managed to convince Hyun to take on the lead role. Woo understood Hyun’s hesitation given the magnitude of Ahn’s stature in Korean history.
“As an actor it is not easy to accept the offer to play Ahn Jung-geun, because Koreans have their own thoughts and ideas about him as a patriotic martyr,” Hyun told Deadline. “I knew that playing Ahn was not an easy task and it required a lot of courage. But after discussing with the director, I thought about how there might not be many opportunities to play the role of a great hero of Korean history, and it might really make sense as an actor to take the role in new directions.
Hyun has acted in hit series Crash landing on you 2019 and 2022 movie Confidential assignment 2: Internationalamong others.
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Harbin Jeon Yeo-bin (Vincenzo) and Park Jeong-min (decision to leave). The world premiere of this film took place in 2014 Toronto Gala presentation section of the International Film Festival on September 8.
The film is set in the early 1900s, when Korea Japan is forced to sign the Eulsa Treaty. Korea loses its diplomatic rights and becomes a Japanese colony. By 1909, when Harbin Beginning, the Righteous Army militia of Korea began a campaign of armed resistance against the Japanese. Ahn later led the operation to assassinate Korea’s first Japanese Resident-General Ito Hirobumi.
Woo said that Hive Media Corp — which he collaborated with within men And The Man Standing Next – Passed the screenplay for it Harbin. Like Hyun Bin, Woo was at first overwhelmed by the sheer task of trying to cinematically portray Ahn’s journey.
However, a spontaneous trip to a bookstore changed Woo’s mind.
While waiting for his mother at a medical appointment, Wu decided to go to a nearby bookshop. “I had some time to spare so I went to Kyobo Bookstore across the street and read a book there. It was about Ahn Jung-geun.
What stood out for Wu in the book was an incident where Ahn released Japanese prisoners of war in accordance with martial law, but this action raised suspicions about Ahn and caused a fracture in the ranks of the freedom fighters.
“That was one point in the book that stood out for me, because while I knew he was a general, I didn’t know he had so many failures in the past,” Woo said.
Harbin Filmed throughout Korea (including Mudeng Mountain in Gwangju), as well as Mongolia and Latvia. The film was lensed by Parasite Cinematographer Hong Kyong-pyo.
While shooting in the Mongolian desert was particularly memorable for Hyun, he recalls a battle scene filmed on a mountain in Korea as one of his most vivid experiences. “Where we were shooting is actually not a place that gets covered in snow very often, but when we were shooting, it snowed heavily and it was the first time in 48 years that it snowed,” Huynh said.
Woo added: “We went to different locations and the vastness of nature to shoot the film. Despite the harsh conditions, we wanted to experience that harsh journey together, because we believed that this would be a little of what Ahn Jung-Jeun and the Korean freedom fighters had to face. We wanted to show that on screen as much as possible.
“It was the first time for me to go to Mongolia and they have this huge land as well as rivers,” Wu said. “It was harsh but also had a sense of holiness. I felt very small and a little scared, yet my mind felt completely clear and fresh. I think there might be some emotions that Ahn felt during his mission and that is the reason why he was able to successfully complete his mission despite the tough battles.
A 2015 film by Alejandro G. Inarritu The Revenant Also shown as a major source of inspiration for both Hyun and Woo.
“The Revenant There is a movie that portrays the war between humans and nature, so I mentioned that,” said Huynh.
Woo said how he appreciates it The Revenant Filmed almost entirely with natural light, he studied the film in preparation Harbin.
Hyun added that he referenced many books and materials related to Ahn while preparing for his role, including a visit to the Ahn Jungeun Memorial Museum in Seoul. He also read Ahn’s autobiography, letters he wrote in prison, and Ahn’s “East Asia Peace Thesis.”
Woo chose a 16-volume Korean epic novel That one (known as in English land) by Park Kyong-ni as another important reference when preparing to shoot Harbin.
“That one It’s a book of times,” Wu said. “This is the job [Russian writer] Tolstoy’s text is about people who have been robbed of their homeland and the feelings people felt during those days.
Woo also collaborated with the London Symphony Orchestra and Abbey Road Studios (where the Beatles famously recorded their music) to create the soundtrack. Harbin.
“While Ahn is a well-known figure in Korea, foreigners may not know who he is,” Woo said. “I’m curious about how foreign audiences will respond to us, because they might take it a little differently, but the message is clear and universal. It is about a person who has failed in the past but with conviction, has managed to overcome and achieve the goals he has. Even if they don’t know Ahn Jung-geun, everyone will understand this concept.
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