[Limelight] "Pink Shades Vary Greatly" Similar but Different Im Yoon-ah

In the movie 'Miracle,' playing Rahee... Refreshing the mood with pure love
"I want to show a new charm within similar roles"

Director Lee Jang-hoon's film "Miracle" depicts Jun-kyung (Park Jung-min)'s struggles to build a small train station in a mountain village. Ra-hee (Im Yoon-ah), a classmate, is his first love and a wonderful supporter. She corrects the letter to the president for spelling errors and suggests installing traffic lights to safely pass through the dark tunnel. She openly expresses her feelings as Jun-kyung's self-proclaimed "muse." With pure love and warm advice, she lightens the otherwise gloomy atmosphere of the story.

Im Yoon-ah has played similar roles multiple times. Min-young in "Confidential Assignment" (2017) and Ui-joo in "Exit" (2019) are representative examples. The former comically portrays her falling in love at first sight with North Korean detective Cheol-ryeong (Hyun Bin). The latter maintains a spirited and cheerful energy while escaping a city covered in toxic gas. Ra-hee is in line with these roles. She is lively throughout with her bubbly wit and positive mindset. Im Yoon-ah said, "It's the role I am most confident in." "Her honest expression is similar to mine. Ra-hee is more proactive though. She doesn't hesitate. I tend to think a lot and am more cautious. Ra-hee's decisiveness and leadership looked cool to me."

Ra-hee faithfully serves a functional role to show Jun-kyung's growth. She has little connection with other characters. In the latter part, where the conflict between Jun-kyung and his father Tae-yoon (Lee Sung-min) intensifies, she almost disappears. In the original script draft, her role was even smaller. Knowing this, Im Yoon-ah decided to appear not only because of the human touch in the story but also because she was confident she could portray a similar role differently.

"If you consider the role's weight, Bo-kyung (Lee Soo-kyung), Jun-kyung's sister, seems bigger. But that was never important. The fresh love between Jun-kyung and Ra-hee was very appealing. Although I have played similar roles many times, I don't think they are the same. Pink doesn't refer to just one shade. Any color with a pale reddish hue with a white tint can be pink. I want to show new charms within similar roles. It's also the right time for that. As an actor, I want to acquire and progress step by step."

In reality, the new face does not simply rely on high school uniforms and dialects. She is full of pure charm never shown before. Her bold and cheeky actions add a confident edge. Im Yoon-ah gave lyrical depth to this side, enhancing the character's dimensionality. In the scene where she waits endlessly for Jun-kyung in front of the school, she embraces a sad emotion with just her expression and movements. Walking briskly through the drizzling rain, she recreates the sensibility of youth in the 1980s.

The welling wave of emotions minimizes the inevitable absence in the latter part structurally. The firefly scene, which is placed sparingly, further amplifies the lyricism. It is the moment when Ra-hee and Jun-kyung face new hope on a dark forest path. "I hope you fly up like that. Only then will my dream come true." To Ra-hee, Jun-kyung is a firefly that has yet to take flight. Conversely, to Jun-kyung, Ra-hee is another firefly that lights his path. This aligns with the theme that life can be happy just by being a source of strength to someone.

"Ra-hee's dream is truly to be a muse. She never thinks of supporting Jun-kyung as a sacrifice. She comes from a good family and has received a lot of love. So her acts of giving to others are free of calculation. In a way, she is like a teacher. She notices others' extraordinary talents and helps them to flourish. Because that enthusiasm and sense of mission are voluntary, perhaps love is also free."