Park Chan-wook's satirical thriller took best picture, director and actress prizes at Wednesday's ceremony; Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin couple clinch dual acting wins
Park Chan-wook's "No Other Choice" claimed best picture at the 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards on Wednesday night, leading the ceremony with seven wins -- including best director and best actress honors -- at South Korea's premier film awards held at KBS Hall in Yeouido.
The Venice-premiered satirical thriller, starring Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin, dominated major categories after entering with a field-leading 12 nominations. Park secured his fourth best director trophy -- making him the only filmmaker to claim that honor four times at the Blue Dragons, with supporting actor winner Lee Sung-min delivering the acceptance speech on Park's behalf.
"'No Other Choice' is the realization of a dream I've carried for 20 years, since I first read the original novel," Park said in his acceptance speech, read by Lee. "I tried to make a film that feels simple and comedic on first viewing, but grows more complex and tragic with each rewatch. I'm grateful the jury recognized this."
In a historic first for the awards, married couple Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin both won lead acting prizes. Son took best actress for "No Other Choice" while Hyun Bin claimed best actor for period drama "Harbin," marking the first time spouses have swept both categories at the ceremony.
"I won my first Blue Dragon best actress award when I was 27," Son said in her acceptance speech, referring to her 2008 win for "My Wife Got Married." "After getting married and becoming a mother, I feel many different emotions and see the world through different eyes. I want to become a good adult and continue to develop as an actor."
Hyun Bin, who portrayed the freedom fighter Ahn Jung-geun in director Woo Min-ho's historical epic, dedicated his win to those who fought for Korea's independence. "The fact that I can live in this country and stand here today is thanks to the countless people who gave everything to protect our nation," he said. "I want to express my gratitude to them first."
The couple also exchanged affectionate tributes during their speeches. Hyun Bin thanked "my wife Ye-jin, whose presence alone gives me so much strength, and our son," while Son responded by saying she would "share this joy with the two men I love most, Kim Tae-pyeong and our son Woo-jin."
"No Other Choice" also secured the best supporting actor prize for Lee Sung-min. Park Ji-hyun took home best supporting actress for thriller "Hidden Face," which became the first R-rated Korean film to surpass 1 million admissions at the local box office since 2019.
Kim Hye-young won best new director for "It's Okay!" while Ahn Bo-hyun and Kim Do-yeon claimed best new actor and actress honors, respectively. Technical prizes went to "Harbin" for cinematography and lighting, "Hi-Five" for editing, and "The Match" for screenplay.
Yeon Sang-ho's low-budget whodunnit "The Ugly" failed to secure any wins despite entering with 10 nominations, the second-highest total behind "No Other Choice." The experimental thriller premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
The Blue Dragon Film Awards, which ran from 1963 to 1973 before resuming in 1990, stand alongside the Daejong Film Awards and Baeksang Arts Awards as one of the country's three major film honors.
The ceremony, which aired live on KBS2TV, announced winners selected through expert panel voting and online audience participation conducted between October and November.
moonkihoon@heraldcorp.com
