Seo Yun-bok, Im Si-wan, who became a marathoner, has a body fat percentage of up to 6%… Passionate ‘1947 Boston’ (Comprehensive) [DA: On-site]

[Dong-A.com]

Seo Yun-bok, Im Si-wan, who became a marathoner, has a body fat percentage of up to 6%… Passionate ‘1947 Boston’ (Comprehensive) [DA: On-site]

The movie ‘1947 Boston’, which made actor Im Si-wan fall in love with the charm of marathons after starting out because of his work, is finally being released. It was cranked up in January 2020, but finally saw the light of day after three and a half years.

A press conference for the movie ‘1947 Boston’ was held at the Lotte Cinema Konkuk University entrance in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 11th. Director Kang Je-gyu, Ha Jung-woo, Im Si-wan, and Kim Sang-ho attended the event. Bae Seong-woo, another lead actor in the movie, did not attend the event.

‘1947 Boston’ is a film that depicts the challenges and thrilling journey of marathon runners to participate in international competitions wearing the Taegeuk symbol for the first time after liberation in 1947. It is a work that translates the stories of real people such as Son Ki-jeong and Seo Yun-bok to the screen. It was cranked up in January 2020, but it met audiences after three and a half years.

Director Kang Je-gyu, who directed the film, said, “Regarding running, I fell in love with the charm of running and marathons after watching ‘Chariots of Fire’ in college. So, I thought that one day I should make a ‘running movie’. Naturally, I wanted to make a ‘running movie’ with Mr. Ki-jeong Son and Mr. Yun-bok Seo. I was interested in it and read related books. “After a long period of time, we have arrived at ‘1947 Boston,’” he said. “The mind, movements, and feelings of a marathoner running barefoot through a long tunnel of 42.195 km without anything make me think that this is the sport that best suits the passion to challenge human limits. “I think that’s why I did ‘1947 Boston,’” he said.

He said, “I tried my best to build a scenario based on real people, but I tried to portray the face of Son Ki-jeong as a macho, proud, and stubborn teacher. From Seo Yun-bok’s point of view, he tried to add a character that felt like a stronger, stricter, and more father-like character. Nam Seung-ryong seemed a little more like a mother, helping and caressing her as a senior when difficulties arose. He explained, “Through the combination of the three characters, I tried to depict them running toward one goal without being biased to one side.”

First, Ha Jung-woo plays the role of Son Ki-jeong, a marathon coach who strictly trains athletes to finally wear the Taegeuk symbol on their chests and participate in international competitions in his country, which was liberated in 1947. Im Si-wan played the role of Seo Yun-bok, a national marathoner who endures the arduous training that continues day and night with violence and evil. Although it is not widely known, perhaps due to the drunk driving issue, Bae Seong-woo’s screenplay is also significant. He passionately played Nam Seung-ryong, the team coach and participant in the competition with Seo Yun-bok. Sang-ho Kim played Baek Nam-hyeon, a local coordinator who provides both material and spiritual support to the Boston Marathon national team, from financial guarantor to interpretation, training support, transportation, and lodging.

Ha Jung-woo joked, “When I was caught on screen with actor Im Si-wan, my first thought was, ‘I’m a bit older.’ Other than that, I didn’t think anything special.” He continued, “Teacher Son Ki-jeong led this team on the journey to the Boston Games, and I think he felt a certain sense of responsibility. “I felt responsible for not being able to wear the national flag at the Berlin Olympics, and I thought about participating in this competition, and I started filming while thinking about the feelings of Son Ki-jeong as an actor,” he confessed.

Ha Jung-woo said, “While discussing and talking with the director, we talked about what kind of person Mr. Son Ki-jeong is. Every time he started acting, acting or speaking, he thought of Mr. Ki-Jeong Son first. “I thought about what he must have been thinking and how he must have felt,” he said. “In the prologue scene, there is a scene of the Berlin Olympic podium, and I didn’t easily lose my footing. My heart was heavy because it felt like I was experiencing the real thing, not a movie set. “I also felt a solemn feeling that I had never felt while filming,” he confessed.

Im Si-wan also said that he felt a heavy sense of responsibility while playing a real person. He said, “Because there is a real person, I thought that I should never become someone to that person, and I thought I should approach this work with a sense of responsibility.” “Wasn’t Seo Yun-bok the first player to compete in an international competition wearing the Taegeuk symbol? Although it is a long time for him to play a character, he thought that while working on the work, he should wear the Taegeuk symbol and represent the country. “He maintained that mindset from the beginning until the end of filming,” he said.

Im Si-wan said, “Because the role involves running, the running had to be shown professionally. “I received professional training 2-3 months in advance, and until the end of the work, I continued to learn and receive training from the coach during filming,” he said. “The thing I spent the most time on for the role was diet and exercise. From the time I started filming until the end, my diet consisted of chicken breast and salad, and I had to exercise every day. “I didn’t want my muscles to look firm, so I tried to maintain them by exercising in between filming,” he said. “I tried to resemble Seo Yun-bok’s appearance as much as possible, and when I measured my body fat on InBody, my body fat percentage came out to be 6%. “I was surprised too,” he said.

Ha Jung-woo said, “I watched from the side the effort Im Si-wan put in and the time he spent preparing to become Seo Yun-bok. “He really looks like an athlete,” he said, adding, “I think teacher Seo Yun-bok will really like it.”

Coach Kang also expressed satisfaction with the high synchronization rate between Im Si-wan and Seo Yun-bok. He said, “First of all, in order for the audience to assimilate into the character, I thought that they had to have a high level of matching with the real person in order to be immersed in the movie, and they had to resemble many aspects of their body as well.” He added, “Asians tend to have long waists, but Seo Yun-bok is very petite.” Although he was small, he had a long lower body, making him an advantageous physique for a marathon runner. His face and the feel of his muscles were (similar). “Seo Yun-bok had a naturally muscular body like that of a horse, and the actor worked hard to create a body similar to that of a horse,” he said.

‘1947 Boston’, which reflects the sweat and passion of actors including Ha Jung-woo and Im Si-wan, will be released in theaters ahead of Chuseok on the 27th. It is scheduled to be released simultaneously with ‘Dr. Cheon’s Exorcism Lab: Secret of the Snow Scenery’ and ‘Cobweb’, creating a three-way battle.

Donga.com Reporter Jeong Hee-yeon shine2562@donga.com