Moby Dick (2011 film)

Moby Dick (Korean: 모비딕; RR: Mobidik) is a 2011 South Korean thriller written by Park In-je and Park Shin-kyu, directed by Park In-je, and starring Hwang Jung-min.

Moby Dick
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPark In-je
Screenplay byPark In-je, Park Shin-kyu
Produced byOh Young-suk
StarringHwang Jung-min
Kim Min-hee
Jin Goo
Kim Sang-ho
Production
company
Palette Pictures
Distributed byShowbox
Release date
  • 9 June 2011 (2011-06-09)
Running time
112 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean

The film is the feature directing debut of Park In-je, grand prizewinner of the 2003 Mise-en-Scene Genre Film Festival.[1] Park was working on a screenplay about a reporter when he came across an account of Private Yun Seok-yang, a soldier at the Defense Security Command of Korea’s Armed Forces. In 1990 Yun deserted his camp, carrying a floppy disk that contained a list of national leaders, including former presidents, religious leaders, politicians, and social activists, that the DSC had been illegally investigating; he made a declaration of conscience and revealed the contents of the disk at a press conference.[2] Moby Dick, loosely based on Yun’s story, follows a journalist’s attempts to investigate a secret organization that controls the government.[3] The title Moby Dick alludes to Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick by conjuring up an overwhelming entity whose size makes it impossible to see all at once; Moby Dick was also the name of a café near Seoul University that was used by the DSC to investigate ordinary citizens.[4] Starring actor Hwang Jung-min interviewed bureau-level reporters to help prepare for his role.[5]

The film was shot during the coldest winter in South Korea in 30 years. Shooting began in mid-October 2010 and ended in February 2011, with the cast and crew enduring the cold for five months.[6]

Plot

In winter 1994, an explosion occurs at the fictional Balam Bridge on the outskirts of Seoul and is attributed to terrorists. Social affairs reporter Lee Bang-woo (Hwang) begins to investigate the case when an old friend, Yoon-hyuk (Jin), hands him some secret documents and claims that the explosion was committed intentionally by the government. Lee teams up with fellow journalists Sung Hyo-kwan (Kim Min-hee) and Son Jin-ki (Kim Sang-ho) to pursue the truth. Their investigation reveals what seems to be a secret group that operates the government, and they begin to unravel a string of conspiracies that become far deadlier than they anticipated.[7][8]

Cast

Release & Reception

The film was released on June 9, 2011, to generally positive reviews for its 90s-era settings, moody cinematography, and cast performances.[9][10][11] It grossed around $3 million at the South Korean box office.[12][13]

Accolades
Award Year Category Nominee(s) / work(s) Result Ref.
Cine21 Movie Award 2011 Best Screenplay of the Year Park In-je and Park Shin-kyuWon [14]
Baeksang Arts Awards 2011 Best New Director — Film Park In-jeNominated
Best Screenplay — Film Park In-je and Park Shin-kyuNominated
Grand Bell Awards 2011 Best New Director Park In-jeNominated [15]
Best Supporting Actor Kim Sang-hoNominated
Best Planning You Jeong-hunNominated

References
  1. Lee, Hyo-won (5 May 2011). "Hwang Jung-min returns as reporter". The Korea Times.
  2. Lee, Claire (6 June 2011). "'Moby Dick,' a well-made conspiracy flick". The Korea Herald.
  3. Lee, Ye-eun (31 May 2011). "'Moby Dick' Director Park In-je 'The actual incident serves as the motif, but…". The Chosun Ilbo/Sports Chosun.
  4. Kim, Do-hyung (14 June 2011). "A movie depicting the Yun Seok-yang incident. The reason why Yun Seok-yang won't watch it". Han Kyeol/One People.
  5. Lee, Ye-eun (26 April 2011). "'Moby Dick' Hwang Jung-min became a reporter and slimmed down!". The Chosun Ilbo/Sports Chosun.
  6. Park, Seon-hye (5 June 2011). "(Review) Movie 'Moby Dick' "I will reveal Korea's conspiracy theories"". CheonJi Ilbo.
  7. "Moby Dick, 2011". Modern Korean Cinema. 22 April 2012.
  8. "Moby Dick". Daum Movies. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  9. Lee, Hwa-jeong (1 June 2021). "Thriller 'Moby Dick' starring Hwang Jung-min released for the first time". Cine21.
  10. Lee, Seon-pil (1 December 2016). "Hwang Jung-min Why is 'Moby Dick' just okay?". OhMyNews.
  11. Lee, Claire (6 June 2011). "'Moby Dick,' a well-made conspiracy flick". The Korea Herald.
  12. "Moby Dick, 2011". KoBiz. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  13. "South Korean Box Office for 2011". IMDb Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  14. "In-je Park - Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  15. "Moby Dick - Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
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