This may just be one of my favorite fun facts about Bong Joon Ho and Snowpiercer.
In an interview with IndieWire, Bong spoke about how he and Weinstein clashed over one particular scene. As Weinstein wanted to cut the movie down, he was hellbent on cutting the scene in which a train guard guts a fish in order to intimidate a group of rebels. This shot was a particular favorite of Bong’s and his cinematographer, Hong Kyung-pyo.
According to Bong, Harvey hated it. Bong admitted that in that moment he was thinking what could he do to ensure the scene stays in? And so he came up with a ludicrous lie…
“Suddenly, I said, ‘Harvey, this shot means something to me. … It’s something personal. My father was a fisherman. I’m dedicating this shot to my father.’”
Weinstein then told Bong that family is the most important thing to him, which was the deciding factor in Weinstein letting Bong keep the scene in. Bong said thank you, and the scene stayed in.
Bong later admitted to the press that “it was a f***king lie. My father was not a fisherman.”
What a legend.
