I cannot believe that violence depicted onscreen actually causes people to act out violently. That's oversimplifying the issue. If somebody commits a violent act after seeing violence in a movie, I think the question that needs to be asked is: would that person still have committed the act if he had not seen a violent film?
— Park Chan-wook
A film set is a workplace for me; it's my office, and nobody really wants to be in a stressful work environment.
I don't think I've ever tried to make something happen that I've absolutely had to force. You know how they say: if you can't avoid it, enjoy it. For me, it's the other way around: if I can't enjoy it, I avoid it.
Living without hate for people is almost impossible.
I am sure I am one of 2,000 film directors in the world that Tarantino admires.
When it comes to remaking my own films in the English language, I can only imagine that it is a very boring process, I wouldn't ever dream of it.
A priest encounters temptation every day, and some of that desire is very natural.
All of the characters in my films, they share one commonality. It doesn't matter whether they are good or bad, it doesn't matter whether they are smart or stupid, these characters all take responsibility for their own behavior. I'm much the same.
When I say that I am going to do an American film, I didn't want to suddenly go off into a completely different world that which bears no relation to the style of filmmaking that I'm used to.
When we are confronted with extreme situations, we forget about moral issues; we simply act and must then accept the consequences.
Visual elements are, of course, the director's job.
I live in a rural residential area. It's a great place for a walk. I'm at my happiest when I'm listening to my iPod while walking around where my feet take me.
When you consider the concept of vampirism, it is inherently part of a Western culture.
When I grow older and less popular, there will come a time when I have to shoot films on low budgets.
I don't usually watch a lot of TV, but 'Mad Men' changed my perspective. I admire Matthew Weiner who came up with the idea and wrote such a great TV series, and the broadcasting company for being bold enough to air such a series.
I've read all of Sarah Waters's novels which have been translated into Korean.
I'd like to do a really masculine film.
I believe there are more films that involve love and forgiveness than violence, but they often seem fake and are almost embarrassing to watch.
I don't really believe in the auteur theory.
I'm not the kind of director who aims to send a message out.
In our lives, we have good things and bad things, happiness and pain.
If you would ask me what my ideal process is, I would say, long pre-production, long production and long post-production.
I've always had an interest in vampire films - not just 'Nosferatu,' but there are many others that I have enjoyed: Abel Ferrara, Coppola, Neil Jordan.
I became a film director, but I wasn't successful with my first couple of films, so I had to turn to becoming a film critic to make a living.
When I was going through puberty, I had all these feelings of being unstable through those years, and being uncontrollably drawn to things of beauty and things that are bad.
When I was making my first films, I was very interested in Hollywood B movies.
The reason I want to show shocking things is that they always pose an ethical question.
Actors, I think, are all the same. Both Korean actors and American actors are all very sensitive people, and they are all curious to know what the director thinks of them and how they are evaluated, and they try to satisfy the director. And they like it if you listen carefully to their opinions and accept them.
If I want to relax and not do anything, I don't want to leave home.
I grew up in a very Catholic family. Up until puberty, I would go to a Catholic church every week.
I am not going to do a film based on a bad scenario just to make a big Hollywood film or work with Hollywood stars.
There's a humble beauty about listening to period instruments that I like.
Certain subjects may no longer be taboo in cinema. But there are ways to treat them that still create shock.
The atmosphere of Catholicism in Korea is quite different to the way it is practised and perceived in Europe or the U.S.
I believe 'love' is very nice to hear, but it's used so much that it's come to a point where it's almost meaningless.
I do like musical films more than big Hollywood films, especially those by Jacques Demi and Vincent Minelli.
In my opinion, all relationships between people have some sort of violence, and it is central.
When I was growing up, we were taught in school that North Koreans, and especially the North Korean leadership, were all devils.
I love Philip Glass' work, not only as a film composer but also as a musician. The film score work that he does always amazes and shocks me.
People who really try to be conscious of what they have done, who take responsibility, to me these kinds of people are heroes.
It is not possible for a person to be completely free of sin and be squeaky clean.
I have always meticulously storyboarded my films from beginning to end.
The point of revenge is not in the completion but in the process.
As I grow older I spend more time with my wife, and gradually my interest in the woman's world is growing.
If your work requires you to travel, you will understand that there's no vacation destination like home.
I hate jeans for no reason.
Becoming a vampire means completely changing your identity.
Whether it's trivial or important, every choice has a moral aspect to it to a certain degree.
Whenever I visit a city, I like to see what classical music concerts are on offer.
I'd love to do a sci-fi movie, a western, or an espionage thriller. But I'm not going to limit myself. If a good script comes along, I'm not going to discount it because it doesn't fit into one of these genres.
