A Bittersweet Life

A Bittersweet Life is a 2005 South Korean film directed and written by Kim Ji-woon and starring Lee Byung-hun. Described as ‘organic, essential, beautifully brutal and refreshingly realistic’ by critics, it is a highly cultural and ruthlessly violent film, based upon the ethical codes in the Korean mob and how they clash with personal morality.

Juice London were invited by Sony Pictures and Tartan Films to design a series of interactive menus for the film, set to be released on a Special Edition DVD 2 disc set.

Our final work is strongly based upon pace, contrast and light, all hugely important elements from the film that help create the high levels of drama and suspense. Containing a distinct intro and loop section on each disk, the menu’s adopt a slow, calm feel, with a contrasting fast paced montage of frantic scenes from the film.

A Bittersweet Life was described as ‘truly thrilling’ by Empire, given 4 stars by Hotdog and even held as responsible for ‘making Quentin Tarantino seem like a rank amateur’.