Bong Joon-ho: “I’m an Everlasting Fan of ‘Zodiac’”…A Special Conversation With David Fincher in LA

A Meeting Across the Pacific: A Legendary Conversation Between “Bong Joon-ho” and “David Fincher”

At the “Academy Museum” in Los Angeles (LA), two leading figures representing Korea and Hollywood came together for a historic meeting. During a conversation held on the 11th (local time), director “Bong Joon-ho” poured out tremendous praise for director “David Fincher”’s 2007 film “Zodiac”.

Calling “Zodiac” a masterpiece crafted by a perfectionist who, he said, would “cut even a single sheet of paper as sharply as a 1-millimeter measure,” Bong expressed deep admiration. The fact that he has mentioned “Zodiac” like a textbook whenever he works on Hollywood projects proves just how much he values this work.

The highlight of the conversation was Bong’s candid anecdote about “David Fincher”’s characteristically obsessive directing. Remembering how overwhelmed he was when he once visited Fincher’s office and saw even colored pencils lined up in rainbow order, and recalling how he was also struck by the actor “Mark Ruffalo”’s experience of Fincher’s relentless insistence—adjusting only the prop positions minutely through more than a dozen reshoots—made a big impression on the scene.

A Modern Classic That Transcends the Era, and a Master’s Directing Philosophy

About “Zodiac”, which digs into the motives behind the serial killings that terrorized California in the 1960s and 1970s, “David Fincher” revealed his firm intent for the direction. He said, “I wanted to shine a light not on just the simple ending of a case, but on how serial killings destroy the lives of ordinary people and what kind of despair they leave behind.”

When asked about whether he would revise the film assuming a re-release, he shared a decisive philosophy: “A movie is only a product of its time, and after you do your best to record it, you never look back.” In response, Bong described “Zodiac” as an “everlasting ‘Modern Classic’ that beat time,” and he further showcased the deep sense of kinship between the two masters with a clever question about the secret to the making of a masterpiece.

This conversation was the key event that opened the ambitious “Weekend With Director Bong Joon-ho” program organized by the “Academy Museum”. Immediately after the conversation, “Zodiac”, which deeply inspired Bong, was screened in a 4K remastered version, adding even more meaning. In addition, the “Academy Museum” will hold a special exhibition next year through January 10, offering an in-depth exploration of Bong’s unique creative world.

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