Jung Woo-sung shines in directorial debut 'A Man of Reason'

New directors often refer to and learn from those who came before them, but first-time director Jung Woo-sung intentionally avoided that with new noir film “A Man of Reason.”

Actor Jung Woo-sung [ACEMAKER MOVIEWORKS]

New directors often refer to and learn from those who came before them, but first-time director Jung Woo-sung intentionally avoided that with new noir film “A Man of Reason.”

“Too many films in Korea copy each other and brush it up by saying they are commercial,” Jung said during a group interview with local reporters on Thursday. “The first direction I gave as ‘A Man of Reason’ director was to tell the production team and actors not to collect references. I did not want to reproduce the same style and structure of the typical Korean commercial film.”

“A Man of Reason” tells the story of Soo-hyuk, played by Jung himself, who spent a decade in jail covering for his gang boss. After his release from prison, he discovers he has a daughter and wants a life away from the criminal world. But his former boss hires a contract killer to chase him down and kidnap his daughter, and he must face the consequences of his past.

Jung Woo-sung, right, plays Soo-hyuk, a man who served 10 years in prison for his boss, Eung-guk, played by Park Sung-woong, left, in the new noir film ″A Man of Reason″ [ACEMAKER MOVIEWORKS]

“At first, because I had to establish and prove myself as a director, I approached things more brazenly,” Jung said. “I thought that the most important thing would be for me to have decisiveness and responsibility on set. To make the hard decisions, helm the staff through unexpected scenarios that inevitably happen on set and give orders when they are needed.”

When asked about the theme or directorial goal for “A Man of Reason,” Jung replied that the film did not have a “grand” meaning or point to deliver but was a charter study of the different types of people depicted in it.

“I didn’t intend to have a grand meaning or theme for this film but looked into what each character lacks and how that is portrayed and embodied,” Jung said. “I wanted to show that a good film can be made using this approach – of not having a thematic point but telling a story based on character study.”

Jung Woo-sung as Soo-hyuk in ″A Man of Reason″ [ACEMAKER MOVIEWORKS]

With a 30-year career as an actor before his directorial debut, Jung compared the two professions and said his acting experience helped him transition to the director role.

“Both are very appealing jobs to me and having been on so many film sets definitely allowed me to communicate better as a director,” Jung said. “I wouldn’t say that I prefer one or the other since they are very different. But when I had to direct and play Soo-hyuk, it was very difficult.”

Although Jung intentionally did not make any references while filming “A Man of Reason,” he said that he was influenced by director Kim Sung-su, who directed Jung in the 1997 film “Beat,” which catapulted him to stardom, and the 2016 film “Asura: The City of Madness.”

Jung Woo-sung served as director as well as acting the main lead in ″A Man of Reason″ [ACEMAKER MOVIEWORKS]

“Kim is the first director who treated me as a real colleague on set,” Jung said. “That is not as easy as it sounds. He is like a general in a night battle while filming, which I wanted to emulate. I did not want to channel the directorial style reflected in his films, but I wanted to learn from his attitude as a director on set.”

Filming during the Covid-19 pandemic was not the only difficulty Jung faced while filming “A Man of Reason” – his father passed away in 2020 while the production for the film was underway.

“I did what I could, making it through the funeral and back on set as quickly as possible,” Jung said. “I couldn’t risk the filming schedule being delayed because of my own personal circumstances. Making ‘A Man of Reason’ well was that important to me.”

“A Man of Reason” opens in theaters on Aug. 15.

Jung Woo-sung as Soo-hyuk in ″A Man of Reason″ [ACEMAKER MOVIEWORKS]

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]