Director Chan-wook Park, whose film credits include the 2003 Korean thriller “Oldboy,” recently spoke to Phoenix Movie Examiner - with the help of an interpreter - about his new drama “Stoker.”
In “Stoker,” which opens Friday, March 15 exclusively at Harkins Camelview 5, Mia Wasikowska plays a young woman whose uncle (Matthew Goode) moves in with her and her emotionally unstable mother (Nicole Kidman). Soon after his arrival, the young woman comes to suspect this man has ulterior motives. But instead of feeling outrage or horror, the friendless girl becomes increasingly infatuated with him.
Question: At what point when reading Wentworth Miller’s screenplay did you know that this was a project that you wanted to direct?
Answer: When he was reading the script, he really liked the shower scene. That was the moment of India's sexual awakening and her being drawn to violence. They happen in tandem. They happen at the same time. He thought that situation was very shocking.
Q: Your films have a very distinct signature, so to speak. What is at the forefront of your mind when making a movie?
A: It is probably the same with any other director whose style might even different from himself. Drama and character are first and foremost in his mind. Everything else - such as camera movement, sound effects or what have you - are all tools to serve drama and character.
Q: Your films are also somewhat psychologically disturbing. Do you distance yourself from them in any way because of that?
A: He doesn't really try to distance himself from his work in any conscious way. For him, it is simply a matter of being work. Of course, he is probably closer to his work than let's say an electronic repairman may be to his work. However, compared with other artists, he imagines that he is possibly more distanced from his work because he tries to be quite objective.
Q: Mia Wasikowska’s character is quite complicated. Did you find it at all necessary to prepare her to play for this role?
A: From his perspective, Mia is the kind of actor who can be quite composed and is able to look at her character with very much an objective perspective, also.
Q: What has “Stoker” taught you about yourself?
A: Going into production, he never imagined that he would be able to complete the film in the number of shoot days he was given. It was the same number of shoot days that he was given as a first-time director back when he was making his first feature film back in Korea many years ago. He was wondering whether it was even possible.
Q: Finally, Miller has already written a prequel to this motion picture. Do you have any interest in directing “Uncle Charlie?”
A: Well, he never really thought about it.
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