[Limelight] Korean Version of Alex... The Nobleman's 'Killer + Smile'

Movie 'Gwigongja' Marks Kim Seon-ho's Screen Debut
Breaking Absurdity with a Face Enjoying Freedom from Violence
Hiding Deficiency by Forgetting Resentment and Distrust of a Bottom Life
Potential to Emerge as a Unique Role in Series Production↑

In Stanley Kubrick's film A Clockwork Orange (1971), Alex (Malcolm McDowell) is a degenerate human being. He smiles while committing murder, rape, and theft. He even joyfully sings "Singin' in The Rain" while inflicting violence. He beats the reclusive writer Alexander (Patrick Magee) in time with the rhythm and rapes his wife (Adrienne Corri). "I'm singing in the rain / Just singing in the rain / What a glorious feeling / I'm happy again."

Actor Kim Seon-ho observed dozens of faces where joy-filled rhythms heightened as evil surfaced. This was presented as a model for the role he would play in director Park Hoon-jung's film The Nobleman. The Nobleman is a character who consistently maintains a cheerful attitude and a bright smile. His profession is a fixer specializing in murder. He is so bold that he does not even blink when facing death. With a confident demeanor and assertive tone, he issues warnings and quickly turns the situation around.

Unlike A Clockwork Orange, which presents extreme violence and evil and poses philosophical questions, this film does not attempt to break down the logical structure of freedom and ethics. It borrows only the personality that defies conventional notions of good and evil. The story is about breaking the absurdities of high society with a face that enjoys the freedom of indiscriminate violence.

It is not that transcendental ethics or morality are completely excluded. Later, the character shows warm eyes with a strong sense of kinship. There is a scene where he gives Marco (Kang Tae-joo), whom he has decided to protect, enough time to cry in front of his "father(?)." Kim Seon-ho said, "It is the only scene where the Nobleman's human side seeps out."

"I think the Nobleman also dreamed of such moments. He is a friend who shares many traits with Marco by nature. So I tried hard to fully depict his empathy and understanding. I expressed warmth more deeply and for longer than the acting included in the final cut. Although much was edited out to clearly hint at the twist, I believe the sincerity is fully conveyed."

The Nobleman can be seen as a journey retracing how a Kopino, burdened with limitations from birth, defied fate. Typically, characters with similar backgrounds express resentment and distrust, unable to overcome anger or sorrow. The Nobleman takes the opposite path. He constantly hides his deficiencies with a bright smile, neat attire, and restrained movements. Sometimes he even puts on airs to save face. Overcoming inferiority is his top priority in life.

The Nobleman was probably a bottom-dweller wandering back alleys like Marco in the past. Once he developed a clear dream, he likely became unaware of the limits of freedom defined by society. He ignored order and rules, acted arbitrarily, and simultaneously enjoyed achievement and liberation. However, the latter stems from overcoming inferiority, and he strictly adheres to the "pomsaengpomsa" (looking good is living well) rules he defines.

Director Park Hoon-jung highlights these seemingly contradictory behaviors through comedy. A representative example is the scene in the tunnel where, like the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) in Terminator 2 (1991), he chases Marco but stops the pursuit because of a thin drizzle. The Nobleman hesitates because his shoes might get wet, is startled by thunder, then whistles as if nothing happened and takes out a hand mirror to fix his appearance.

The unique and distinctive acting is actually Kim Seon-ho's wit and humor displayed on the spot. He recalled, "It was a scene filmed in the middle of shooting. From then on, director Park Hoon-jung asked me to freely show witty expressions."

"Director Park Hoon-jung said that after editing the scenes filmed so far, the Nobleman seemed different from the original concept. It felt somewhat heavy. Since the actor understands the role best, he asked me to show various facets without special restrictions. So I began to draw details that could create a dissonance with the Nobleman's situation one by one. The number of takes doubled, but I was confident that I could deliver a richer portrayal of the character."

With careful consideration, Kim Seon-ho's acting range expanded significantly. He breathed new possibilities into the Nobleman and brought vitality to a standardized narrative. He also served as a smooth link at the turning point where the genre shifts from noir to black comedy. Of course, this does not fully offset the drawbacks of a monotonous story focused on chase and twists. However, if produced as a series like The Witch, it could certainly emerge as a distinctive role. If, like A Clockwork Orange, the ultimate goal is set as the recovery of autonomous reflective ability...