The Weird and Wonderful Park Chan-wook Online Quiz | Movies

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Park Chan-wook's debut film is a 1992 crime drama. Complete its title - "Moon Is..."

Answer: The Sun's Dream

"Moon Is the Sun's Dream" was released in 1992 and follows a gang member called Mu-hoon who faces the consequences of becoming romantically involved with his boss' girlfriend. The film features elements of crime, romance and violence, elements that went on to become trademarks in Park's movies.

2. In 1999, Park released a short film called "Judgment". This film satirises humanity's greed and integrates the story of a real life disaster. What structure did this terrible event involve?

Answer: A deparment store

"Judgement" features footage of the real life Sampoong Department Store collapse of 1995. This disaster saw over 500 people lose their lives. Park's short film sees several different people trying to claim ownership of a victim of the disaster in order to receive monetary compensation. The film acts as a scathing attack on human greed and disrespect, even in the shadow of tragedy.

3. "Joint Security Area" was released in 2000. The story is based on a military investigation. What is the nationality of the characters carrying out the investigation?

Answer: Both

"Joint Security Area" (or "JSA") is a military thriller in which the NNSC sends a team to investigate the murder of two North Korean soldiers in the Korean Demilitarized Zone. The team features a Swiss Army Major (played by Lee Young Ae) and a Swedish Captain (played by Herbert Ulrich). These two nations were selected for the NNSC in real life by the UN. Both nations are known for their neutrality.
The film was a critical and financial success, grossing more than any other Korean film at that time.

4. 2002 saw the release of "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance". The story follows Ryu, a deaf-mute man, as he kidnaps a rich man's young daughter in order to raise money for his sick sister's transplant. What organ is Ryu's sister in need of?

Answer: Kidney

After losing his job, Ryu and his anarchist girlfriend kidnap a young girl and intend to use the ransom money to pay for a kidney transplant that will save Ryu's sister's life. Things go wrong when Ryu's sister takes her own life in order to stop being a burden on her brother. The kidnapped girl then drowns, leading her father to seek revenge on Ryu.
"Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" is the first of Park's "Vengeance Trilogy" and is followed by 2003's "Oldboy" and 2005's "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance".

5. In 2003, the National Human Rights Commission of South Korea commissioned a collection of six short films. The collection is called "If You Were Me", but what was the title of Park's contribution?

Answer: N.E.P.A.L.: Never Ending Peace and Love

All of the answers are films from "If You Were Me". They deal with different forms of prejudice and discrimination. Park's "N.E.P.A.L.: Never Ending Peace and Love" follows a Nepalese woman's wrongful admission to a mental hospital. "Crossing" deals with a physically impaired man's struggles and is directed by Yeo Kyun-dong. "The Man with an Affair" is by Jeong Jae-eun and is about the ostracism of a former sex offender. "The Weight of Her" is by Yim Soon-rye and deals with a woman's difficulty in finding a job because of her appearance.

The other films in the collection are "Face Value" by Park Kwang-su and "Tongue Tied" by Park Jin-pyo.

6. 2003 saw the release of the lauded movie "Oldboy". In the opening scenes, the drunken main character plays with a gift he bought for his young daughter. What is the gift?

Answer: A pair of angel's wings

"Oldboy" begins with the main character (Oh Dae-su, played by Choi Min-sik) waiting to be picked up from the police station. In between trying to urinate in the corner of the waiting room and abusing the police officers, he tries on a pair of wings that he has bought for his daughter's birthday.
After these opening scenes, he is kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years. He is then released without explanation and must solve the mystery of who has done this to him and why.
"Oldboy" is loosley based on the Japanese manga of the same name by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi.

7. Park made a short film called "Cut" which was part of a 2004 East Asian movie triptych released in the west as "Three... Extremes". The story is about a director and takes place almost entirely on the set of his film. What kind of film is the director making?

Answer: A vampire movie

"Cut" is about a director who is tortured by an extra from his movies. The extra is disillusioned by the way the director can be successful as well as kind and friendly. In the opening scenes we see the director filming a vampire movie, perhaps an indication of things to come for Park himself (he released "Thirst", a vampire movie, a few years later).

The other two short films in "Three... Extremes" are "Dumplings" by Hong Kong's Fruit Chan and "Box" by Japan's Takashi Miike.

8. Park released "I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK" in 2008. This romantic film is about a woman who believes she is a cyborg. This character's grandmother also had delusions. What did the grandmother believe she was?

Answer: A mouse

Young-goon is convinced she is a cyborg and is admitted to a mental hospital. A schizophrenic called Il-sun is admitted to the same hospital and the two form a relationship. It is revealed that Young-goon's grandmother had delusions of being a mouse, which inadvertently caused Young-goon's similar delusions.

9. Park released "Thirst" in 2009, a film which follows a Priest's transformation into a vampire. The transformation happens after he undergoes an experiment to find treatment for what fictional virus?

Answer: Emmanuel Virus

After a blood transfusion seemingly cures the Priest of the Emmanuel Virus, it becomes apparent that he has a new found thirst for blood as well as superhuman abilities and an aversion to sunlight. Things get even more complicated when he falls in love with the wife of an old friend.
Emmanuel, Magdalene, Darwin and St. John's are actually all colleges at the University of Cambridge.

10. 2011 saw Park and his brother release a short film called "Night Fishing", but does the film actually contain any fishing?

Answer: Yes

The film involves a man who, whilst fishing, discovers the body of a woman (played by Lee Jung-hyun). The woman is revealed to be a medium who communicates with both the living and the dead. This short film was made by Park and his brother, Chan-kyong (together calling themselves "PARKing CHANce").

It was filmed entirely using the iPhone 4 (with the help of professional lenses and advanced post-production).

Source: Author Sleepy-Jack

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor jmorrow before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The Weird and Wonderful Park Chan-wook Quiz

Park Chan-wook has created some of the most exciting films of the 21st century and has helped cement South Korea's reputation as a hub of modern cinematic innovation. This quiz will test your knowledge of Mr. Park's films.

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