In modern cinema, where certain themes are revisited time and again, director Lim Oh-jeong manages to breathe new life into the well-worn subject of bullying with her debut feature film, Hail to Hell. In our exclusive interview with View of the Arts, Lim shares insights into the film’s narrative choices, character development, and cinematographic approach. 

Exploring Social Themes: A Deeper Dive into Bullying and Cults

Addressing the prevalence of bullying and the rise of religious cults in Korean society, Lim expresses her concern for the issues that persist, particularly the alarming rate of youth suicides. In Hail to Hell, she sought to unravel the stories of those who are hurt and delve into the reasons behind their struggles to cope with life. Lim acknowledges the repetitive nature of themes related to bullying and cults in cinema but emphasises her desire to challenge these topics in a new and thought-provoking way. “I wanted to investigate the story of these people and why these particular issues are happening”, she explains.

Tonal Shift: From Despair to Hope

One of the film’s distinctive features is its significant tonal shift in the final act. Lim sheds light on the decision-making process behind this move, revealing that the initial goal was to explore the journey of characters who dream of death and later find reasons to live. She shares, “I wanted to look at good and evil, forgiveness and faith, and how the ethical questions surrounding these concepts could play a part in making the characters give up on death”. Lim also adds, “What really moved them was witnessing a corpse, so having this heavy, cold, empty person in front of them, and that fearful experience slowly turned into the desire to live again”.

Character Development: Loneliness, Anxiety, and Despair

Lim also reflects on the character development process, particularly for the two leading ladies, Oh Woo-ri and Bang Hyo-rin, who portrayed Na-mi and Sun-woo. She highlights the emotions of loneliness, anxiety, and despair, emphasising the differences in their expressions. “One of these characters has very strong, raw emotions, therefore, she’s in an offensive kind of mood, but she’s also a scared young girl. Sun-woo, [on the other hand], has this deeper depression, so she looks well-mannered, peaceful, and calm in nature, however, she’s going through this crushing sense of emptiness and despair”.

The director also tells us that the girls manage to beat many actresses for their respectful roles: “As [I mentioned before], on one side, you have a protagonist who’s keen on dying, and on the other end, you have this delicate girl, who still really doesn’t want to do anything. Out of the 200 people who auditioned, these two young newcomers were superb. I also thought that actresses who were outside of the spotlight and mainstream cinema would represent the film better. In addition, the synergy between the two [young actresses] was incredible, too”.

Cinematographic Approach: Dark Yet Colourful

The cinematography in Hail to Hell is described as slightly offbeat, with bright and lively visuals. Lim collaborated with cinematographer Grim Jung to achieve this unique visual style. “So, overall, the cinematography was dark but colourful, and by using light in such a way, I wanted viewers to experience that vividness, too. Also, through that darkness, you could sometimes see the extravagant lighting and colour-like fireworks”, she notes. 

On top of that, the film employs light and shadow to express psychological effects. The choice of a special camera lens creates an atmosphere akin to that of an old film, making Hail to Hell look aesthetically pleasing. 

Lim has successfully made space for a fresh perspective on the oft-explored theme of bullying. Through careful narrative choices, tonal shifts, character development, and cinematography, she encourages the viewer to confront the complexities of life, redemption, and forgiveness in the face of despair. With Hail to Hell, she also challenged cinematic norms and explored the depths of human emotion in an impressive way. 

Written and interviewed by Maggie Gogler

Featured image courtesy of London Korean Film Festival

_{View of the Arts is an online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and art, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop / K-music, and Asian music in general, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts, worldwide.}