Kim Jee-Woon Quotes

Powerful Kim Jee-Woon for Daily Growth

About Kim Jee-Woon

Kim Jee-Woon (1967-) is a renowned South Korean filmmaker, known for his innovative storytelling, fusion of genres, and visually stunning cinematography. Born on August 28, 1967, in Jeollanam-do, South Korea, Kim grew up with a passion for films and art. After graduating from Seoul National University with a degree in French Literature, he worked as an assistant director for Im Kwon-taek, one of the most significant figures in Korean cinema. Kim Jee-Woon's directorial debut was with the psychological thriller "The Quiet Family" (1998), followed by the critically acclaimed "A Tale of Two Sisters" (2003), which redefined the horror genre in Korea with its unique blend of folklore and supernatural elements. His breakthrough came with the action-noir film, "The Good, The Bad, The Weird" (2008), a box office success that showcased his mastery of large-scale action sequences while maintaining a darkly humorous tone. In 2011, Kim released "I Saw the Devil," a psychologically intense and violent thriller, solidifying his reputation as one of South Korea's leading directors. His latest work, "The Last Stand" (2018), is a blend of action and drama, marking his first foray into the Hollywood film industry. Throughout his career, Kim Jee-Woon has been influenced by various genres and directors, including John Woo, David Lynch, and Tim Burton. His works often explore themes of identity, morality, and the human condition, reflecting his deep understanding of storytelling and visual narrative. With each new project, Kim continues to push the boundaries of Korean cinema, creating a unique cinematic language that resonates with audiences worldwide.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The power of art is not in its reality but its mystery."

This quote suggests that the true power of art lies not in its literal representation or resemblance to reality, but rather in its ability to evoke enigma and stimulate thought. By presenting abstract ideas, emotions, or complex concepts, art transcends the boundaries of everyday life and offers a glimpse into the unknown, thereby captivating us with its mystery. Art, in this sense, serves as a conduit for self-discovery, emotional expression, and intellectual exploration.


"Everything starts from an idea, but it's the courage to transform that idea into reality that makes a difference."

This quote underscores the pivotal role of both ideas and courage in creating change and shaping reality. Ideas are the foundation, the seeds of potential progress, but it takes courage - the will to act upon those ideas - to transform them into tangible results. Without this transformation, an idea remains merely a thought; it is the combination of ideas and the courage to implement them that brings about real change.


"Filmmaking is like cooking – you have your ingredients and recipes, but the real magic lies in how you combine them."

This quote emphasizes that while filmmaking requires a set of tools such as scripts, actors, and equipment (ingredients), the true artistry comes from how these elements are skillfully combined to create a unique and engaging end product (the magic). Just like in cooking, where the same ingredients can yield completely different results depending on the chef's technique and creativity.


"The role of a director is to take care of the vision."

Kim Jee-Woon's quote emphasizes that the primary responsibility of a film director lies in shaping and maintaining the visual aesthetic and narrative vision for a movie, ensuring it communicates effectively with the audience. The director's role involves managing various creative aspects, such as screenplay adaptation, cinematography, editing, sound design, casting, and working closely with crew members to bring their creative ideas together cohesively, thus ultimately realizing their vision onscreen.


"I don't believe in rules. I think that art should be free and unrestricted."

This quote suggests that Kim Jee-Woon values creativity and innovation over adherence to established norms or guidelines when it comes to artistic expression. He believes that true art should not be confined by rules, but rather allowed to flow freely and unrestrictedly, enabling artists to push boundaries and explore new ideas. This perspective encourages experimentation, risk-taking, and the breaking of conventions in order to create something genuinely original and impactful.


What can possibly be the common factor in a Kim Jee-woon film? I think what really ties a lot of my projects together is that there is always a character that believes his life is not exactly the way he wishes it to be. My regard for that character turns out to be a very sympathetic one.

- Kim Jee-woon

I Think, Very, Projects, Exactly The Way

I think my tendency when working is to try and find what's lacking in my current project and then tackle that in whatever I do next.

- Kim Jee-woon

Think, Next, I Think, Lacking

I work from opposites to opposites, in a way. It's finding one thing and then doing the other from film to film. So maybe after 'I Saw the Devil,' I might do something like 'I Saw the Angel' or perhaps something warm and happy.

- Kim Jee-woon

Doing, Other, Maybe, Opposites

Korean films have always been distributed to international audiences as arthouse films.

- Kim Jee-woon

Always, Been, Films, Distributed

I'm not an outgoing person. Compared to an average person, I am quite skeptical and pessimistic. This is different from being nervous.

- Kim Jee-woon

Average, Outgoing, Being, Pessimistic

After my film 'The Tale of Two Sisters,' I received a lot of offers from Hollywood to direct, but because 'A Tale of Two Sisters' was a horror film, I received a lot of horror films. But I wasn't interested in working in the same genre, and the scripts I received for films in different genres were for projects that were near completion.

- Kim Jee-woon

Hollywood, Projects, Direct, Scripts

Of course, 'The Last Stand' has a villain who is traveling to the border to fulfill his own desires, but it's more about the main character. The Sheriff putting a stop to this villain and defending his town. 'The Last Stand' is more about protecting something. About protecting a value.

- Kim Jee-woon

Villain, Fulfill, Putting, Sheriff

We all desire things that we believe we cannot have, and so my films reflect that again and again. The mystery must be solved, the goal attained.

- Kim Jee-woon

Goal, Desire, Films, Attained

America is a country that, even with all its flaws, has been able to flourish because there is a certain ideology about fighting for what you believe in. What you choose to believe in - no matter how small or big it is - is what you believe in, and that ideology has made America.

- Kim Jee-woon

Small, Big, Country, Flaws

Obviously, I've made several films in Korea, so I'm very well accustomed and acclimated to Korean filmmaking.

- Kim Jee-woon

Made, Very, Films, Korean

Lionsgate and Lorenzo di Bonaventura saw my Korean Western-style film, 'The Good, the Bad, the Weird,' and probably felt that I would be right for 'The Last Stand,' which could be classified as a modern Western.

- Kim Jee-woon

Bad, Last, Which, Korean

The Western is as American as a film can get - there's the discovery of a frontier, the element of a showdown, revenge, and determining the best gunman. There's a certain masculinity to the Western that really appealed to me, and I've always wanted to do a Western in Hollywood.

- Kim Jee-woon

Hollywood, Always, Frontier, Element

In Korea, the director has the final word. If the director makes a decision, that decision is final. In Hollywood, every decision needs to go through the producer, the studio, and sometimes even the main actor. There is a certain procedure that needs to be followed.

- Kim Jee-woon

Through, Needs, Studio, Procedure

I'm someone who has a singular goal in making films: I want to tell a story. There are certain stories that I want to tell. Hollywood's never really been the ultimate goal for me.

- Kim Jee-woon

Making, Ultimate Goal, Films, Singular

I never make films thinking 'This is my film. This right here is undoubtedly Kim Jee-Woon style.' I am not even sure what 'Kim Jee-Woon style' is. When I make films, I never allow myself to make hard-set decisions ahead of time.

- Kim Jee-woon

Here, Ahead, Allow, Undoubtedly

Overseas directors who want to work in Hollywood, the language barrier is not a problem. With the right talent, any director can be successful.

- Kim Jee-woon

Work, Director, Hollywood, Successful

I've made the film 'The Good, the Bad, the Weird,' which was an Eastern Western film. Obviously, the Western film is American and American only; there's really no Western genre over in Asia.

- Kim Jee-woon

Over, Which, Eastern, Western

In Korea, the director is on top, and the power flows down vertically. On the set, I love to come up with ideas on the spot. But in Hollywood, if I were to come up with a certain idea on set, the idea had to be taken to all these different people who had to agree.

- Kim Jee-woon

Love, Hollywood, Idea, Vertically

'The Good, the Bad, the Weird' is about individuals fulfilling their desires and just going the distance to fulfill that desire.

- Kim Jee-woon

Desire, Distance, Bad, Fulfilling

Actors are the flowers of the film, of the set, and of the director. The term 'Flowers of the Screen' holds a deep meaning.

- Kim Jee-woon

Flowers, Deep, Set, Holds

One quality that a director needs to acquire in Hollywood is to understand the system and figure out how to work within the system to express one's own ideas.

- Kim Jee-woon

Hollywood, Needs, Figure, Acquire

I want to work with a wide range of genres because it gives each film a different cinematic energy.

- Kim Jee-woon

Work, Wide Range, Wide, Range

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