Summer thriller ‘Tunnel’ has much to say about humanity

Without any warning, the humdrum of the most ordinary lives can come crashing down -- literally. This is the premise behind the much anticipated upcoming summer film “Tunnel,” starring actors Ha Jung-woo, Bae Doona and Oh Dal-su.

Directed by Kim Seong-hun, “Tunnel” chronicles one man’s seemingly unending fight for survival after a tunnel crashes down as he is returning home. Played by Ha, who recently gained international recognition from the film “The Handmaiden,” the main character Lee Jung-soo is the sole breadwinner of his family making a living as a car salesman.

As the only victim of this freak accident, he must rely on limited resources -- and oftentimes humor -- to stand a chance to return home to his wife, played by Bae, and daughter.

“In order to entertain the idea of being rescued, my character first has to focus on sustaining hope in this impossible situation,” Ha said at a press conference at the CGV theater in Apgujeong-dong, Seoul, Thursday. “The irony in the story is that while the whole nation is in a frenzy to save him, he finds joy and happiness in the smallest things,” Ha continued.

Perhaps what makes “Tunnel” a thriller is not the protagonist’s overwhelming loneliness and palpable fear, but the fact that there is a sense of familiarity that mirrors the world outside the film all too closely.

“Needless to say, the plot is very interesting,” said Bae, who has been active in both domestic and foreign productions. “But what ultimately made me choose this movie was that I can personally relate to the feeling of unease when passing through tunnels.”

Because most of the movie takes place in the aftermath of the accident, Ha said he did not have a lot of opportunities to perform face-to-face with the other cast members. However, he is no stranger to filming one-man scenarios, as he also did so in the 2013 thriller “The Terror Live.”

“Just as Tom Hanks’ character in the movie ‘Castaway’ found companionship and solace in Wilson the volleyball, I found myself treating each debris that fell from the tunnel, that the production team built from scratch, as a member of the cast,” said Ha.

According to Kim, who received global attention for his 2014 production “A Hard Day,” because current applications of computer-generated imagery are still somewhat limited, the production team constructed the tunnel set to create the most realistic environment possible for both the actors and the audience.

Because Ha’s role confined him to an isolated area away from the other actors, he recommended that the phone calls his character makes in the movie be actual conversations with the person on the other end.

“This fostered a special chemistry among the cast members that would not have been possible otherwise,” said Bae, who mentioned she often took those calls in Europe, while shooting another movie.

“Tunnel” is also about how society and the government respond to one man’s personal catastrophe and what that reveals about humanity.

“Ultimately, the film tries to show the dichotomy between the victim’s world of isolation and the rest of the world, and how that relationship evolves with each passing day,” said Kim.

What connects the two realities is the unwavering dedication of the lead rescue worker on the case played by Oh.

“My character has to not only save the victim, but also provide consolation to his family and the rest of the country,” said Oh. “This role helped me rediscover the importance of family.”

“Tunnel” is set to open in local theaters on Aug. 10.

By Kim Yu-young (ivykim@heraldcorp.com)