[Limelight] 'Seobok' Gong Yoo, Somewhere Between Terminal Illness and Observer

"Several Scenes Not Filmed or Edited... Regrettably Only Key Points Briefly Shown"
"Limitations in Fully Understanding Terminal Life... Explicit Dialogue? Some Concerns"

In the movie Seobok, Min Ki-heon (Gong Yoo) and Seobok (Park Bo-gum) are on the run from the intelligence agency. Seobok is a clone created through stem cell replication and genetic manipulation. He is the last hope for Min Ki-heon, who is terminally ill. They flee to the seaside. Seobok asks with a calm expression.

"What is death?" "What does it mean to be eternal?" "Are you afraid of dying?"

Min Ki-heon vaguely evades the questions. But he cannot just pass by the question, "Did you enjoy living?" He suffers as he recalls painful memories.

"There were good times and bad times. It's certain that the overwhelmingly majority were terrible times. Now that I think about it, I'm confused. Whether I want to live or I'm just afraid of dying. I don't know anymore. That's why I regret so much."

Director Lee Yong-ju explained, "I wanted to show that the will to live and the fear of death are ultimately the same." To do this, two different tones must be portrayed equally. Min Ki-heon, played by actor Gong Yoo, leans excessively toward the former. He is rugged, shadowed, and irritable. The latter is barely revealed until the middle of the film. Instead, he bickers with Seobok in places like traditional markets, bringing laughter.

Gong Yoo confessed, "I was obsessed only with the pain Min Ki-heon would feel." "I thought that if I portrayed a sick person candidly, everything could be resolved. Several scenes were not filmed or were edited out. These include his face trembling with fear after being sentenced to death or swallowing a bunch of medicine at once. It's a pity that only the main points are briefly shown."

The reason Min Ki-heon shows a will to live is simple. Death is approaching right before his eyes. He has no tasks to solve after surviving, nor any lingering attachments to anyone. Rather, he suffers from guilt over causing the death of a fellow agent. Even if he prolongs his life, it seems there is no hope.

Gong Yoo said, "General audiences may find it difficult to accept Min Ki-heon's setup." "Even I felt limited in fully understanding a terminally ill life. I could only express it within the range of my imagination. Even many stories told by director Lee Yong-ju cannot be taken as definitive answers. However, I thought everyone would instinctively show a strong will to live at some point. Especially if placed in a situation like Min Ki-heon's..."

The special setup also hinders Min Ki-heon's observer role in showing Seobok to the audience. This is because there is no common ground except that death lies at the end of life. Even without being terminally ill, the contrast with the immortal Seobok can clarify the theme of this film. Although overt lines like "Are you afraid of dying?" overflowed, making it impossible to avoid excess...

"Min Ki-heon needs Seobok but accepts him purely. So I thought their dialogue was possible. I was worried. When I first read the script, I felt like being grabbed by the collar. I didn't have time to ask questions myself and was only faithful to the emotions Min Ki-heon felt. Even now, I am not confident in clearly answering the questions the film raises. Can humans really get clear answers? I have many distracting thoughts."