Award-winning actor Hwang Jeong-min will star as a seedy private detective in the upcoming "Shadow Murders."
The film's early April release was announced at a press conference yesterday at the Apgujeong CGV Multiplex in Seoul.
In it, Hwang's character Hong Jin-ho becomes entangled in a web of serial killings.
The film also stars newcomer Ryu Deok-hwan as Jang Gwang-soo, a medical student who assists Hong in much the way Arthur Hastings did Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie's mystery novels.
Statuesque actress Eom Ji-won rounds out the starring roles of the film as Soon Deok, an inventor who provides Hong with the investigative tools needed to solve the murders.
"I wanted to make a fun mystery yarn with a quirky private detective character in the same vein as Sherlock Holmes, which had never been portrayed in feature films in Korea," said director Park Dae-min.
"Shadow Murders" is Park's first film, and his entry into the industry came after his script for the film won the 7th annual Makdong Screenwriting Contest in 2005.
Set during the Joseon period at the turn-of-the-century, the film follows Hong's exploits as he struggles to make a living selling incriminating photographs of high-profile government officials and affluent figures engaged in scandalous activities. When Jang seeks his help in solving the murder of a local magistrate's son, the two find themselves drawn deep into the opium underworld.
"My character may come across as somewhat of a money-grubbing simpleton, but he has a lot of inner pain that he hides through this sort of resigned tomfoolery and indifference," Hwang said.
"But the more he becomes involved in the mysterious killings, the more emotionally involved he becomes throughout the film."
Hwang is known as an actor's actor who immerses himself in his roles in both film and theater. The 38-year-old has tackled versatile roles from murderous sociopaths ("Bittersweet Life"), to romantic leads ("You are My Sunshine") to hardened tough guys ("Bloody Tie").
Despite his lengthy resume and cabinet full of Korea's top acting awards, the 21-year-old Ryu said Hwang is "very thoughtful and considerate of younger actors just coming up.
"He really put me at ease on the set during both rehearsals and shooting because he knew I would be nervous and intimidated, Ryu said.
"So instead of telling me how to do things, he asked me how I wanted to approach our scenes together and if he had a different take, he would suggest something else. I really admire that way of guiding younger actors - I learned a lot from him throughout the shoot."
Hwang, who did most of his own stunts for the film, may also have taught his young costar something through example.
"During the rickshaw chase sequence, the carriage became very unstable and I fell off of it and got banged up a bit," Hwang said. "What's funny and embarrassing is that I told Deok-hwan to be careful before shooting took place for that sequence and I ended up being the one getting hurt.
"Getting hurt during action sequences is always a possibility," he added. "It comes with the territory."
The film is part detective procedural and part who-done-it, Park said, citing American films such as Curtis Hanson's "L.A. Confidential" and Roman Polansky's noir masterpiece "Chinatown" as films that inspired him during production.
The film opens nationwide April 2.
Source: Korea Herald
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