Blank Check with Griffin & David Stoker with Emily St. James
Aug 20, 2023
Emily St. James, a sharp television and film critic, returns to dissect Park Chan-wook’s Stoker. They savor Park’s striking visuals and sensory camerawork. Conversation hops from Stoker’s Black List screenplay origins to casting choices and the film’s gothic, ambiguous setting. Expect talk of key scenes, unsettling family dynamics, and why the film still divides viewers.
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Park Turns Everyday Details Into Erotic Menace
- Park Chan-wook makes sexuality and violence feel cinematic rather than exploitative, using image and tactile detail to force viewers to question why they're attracted to certain scenes.
- Emily and David point to the piano and stiletto sequences as examples where ordinary actions become charged through close-ups, sound, and editing.
Park Chose Stoker For Its Visual Fit
- Park accepted Stoker because its visual, image-heavy script fit his strengths and matched his desire to make a film his daughter could relate to.
- He intentionally kept the film light on dialogue and leaned on storyboarded visuals and tactile sound design.
Hollywood Set Changed Park's Onset Process
- Park's usual method of reviewing playback and collaborating closely with actors was constrained on this Fox Searchlight shoot, changing his workflow on Stoker.
- He normally uses an on-set editor assembling takes as they shoot, but had less pre-production time here.