Park Chan-wook, master of black comedy, returns to Venice
Park Chan-wook's thriller black comedy, adapted from Donald E. Westlake's novel, took 20 years to develop and features Lee Byung-hun as a desperate job seeker.
- Park Chan-wook, a South Korean director, returns to competition at the Venice Film Festival this evening with his thriller No Other Choice.
- He developed No Other Choice over 20 years, adapting it from Donald E. Westlake's 1997 novel The Ax amid funding delays.
- The film stars Lee Byung-hun as Man-su, a veteran paper company employee who, after sudden dismissal, struggles to protect his family and livelihood.
- Park emphasized that understanding human nature requires acknowledging the shadowy aspects of a person's character and carefully exploring their true being.
- This marks Park's first Venice feature in about 20 years since Lady Vengeance in 2005, underscoring his ongoing influence in Korean and international cinema.
35 Articles
35 Articles
At the Venice Film Festival, the premiere of a new film by the creator of Oldboy, Korean director Park Chang Wook. The "Exemption Method" is a story about dismissal that is as dramatic as divorce or the news of a severe illness. The main hero is struggling to make a big difference in his life and decides to kill those who compete with him in interviews. Meduza's film critic Anton Dolin talks about a black comedy that is quite worthy of standing …
The Oscars May Have ‘No Other Choice’ but to Finally Nominate Director Park Chan-wook
Strangely, though he has been on the radar of most American cinephiles since his film “Oldboy” won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004, master South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook has never been nominated for an Oscar, and has only had one of his films submitted for Best International Feature once (shortlisted 2022 film “Decision to Leave”). There is a good chance that his latest film “No Other Choice” could remedy that, especially listening to ho…
‘No Other Choice’ Director Park Chan-wook on Why It Took 20 Years to Make the Twisted Black Comedy: ‘One Word: Money’
Director Park Chan-wook and "Squid Game” star Lee Byung-hun talk about their twisty thriller "No Other Choice" at the Venice Film Festival.
Park Chan-Wook Says It Took Him 20 Years To Complete His Venice Title ‘No Other Choice’ Due To A Lack Of Funds
Veteran Korean filmmaker Park Chan-Wook returns to the Venice competition this evening with No Other Choice, his first feature to debut on the Lido in two decades. This afternoon, during a press conference, the filmmaker said the long-gestation project took the same amount of time to complete due to a lack of funds. “As the […]

Park Chan-wook, master of black comedy, returns to Venice
It took 20 years for South Korean director Park Chan-wook to return to the Venice Film Festival but the veteran cineaste has hardly been idle in the interim.
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