Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
by Chan-wook Park
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Actor: Bo-bae Han, Du-na Bae, Ha-kyun Shin, Ji-Eun Lim, Kang-ho SongDirector: Chan-wook Park
Brand: Genius
Writer: Chan-wook Park
Producer: Dong-jun Seok
Producer: Jae-sun Lee
Writer: Jae-sun Lee
Producer: Jin-gyu Lim
Writer: Mu-yeong Lee
Writer: Yong-jong Lee
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: Korean (Original Language); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 129 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-11-22
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Tartan Video
DVD Reviews of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
DVD Review: A Remarkable Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
Five stars isn't enough for this film. While watching I was reminded of the best Western directors and consider Park better than any other Korean director, regardless of genre, and the equal of any living Japanese director. I can't even think of a Hitchcock film that I'd put above the craft and storytelling of this film. A telling endorsement is from Film Comment which I used as the title for this review.
A mistake others seem to make is to tag this film as "horror." Sure there is violence but it falls under the same type category as Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill. Even the title tells you that it is about vengeance, and there are no demons, evil spirits, or even serial killers in the normal sense. If categorizing the film it would be much closer to MacBeth than to any recognized horror film.
Others call the violence "extreme" but if you're a fan of modern horror or gangster films you can find much worse gore in mainstream releases. Much of it is like Hitchcock in that it occurs either off-camera or in the far background, so that the viewer is left to imagine much of the terror going through the victim's mind. By doing this the viewer becomes more actively engaged so that the scene has even more impact. (Note: if you want pure gross-out violence then try Ichi the Killer, which is also excellent.)
Although Oldboy and Lady Vengeance are excellent in their own right, when put against this film they come across as severely flawed. If you watch only one film from this director then this is the one to see.
DVD Review: Bloody Good
Summary: 5 Stars
Weee, what a film of extreme violence, not since "Scar Face" or "Sopranos" have I seen such a film graphic violence.
Asian actors put to shame American or English actors, similar to some races having naturally better rhythm.
There acting is so much more real and authentic and show a love for the craft.
The style of this movie had a special feel and unpredictableness to it that you don't see in American films.
DVD Review: Fantastic film. False advertising re: the director's commentary.
Summary: 1 Stars
The movie itself is a dark gem, and others here have covered its merits--I'll say no more about its quality. But what were the folks at Tartan thinking when they literally created, out of very thin air, the subtitles for the Korean-language director's commentary?
The first half of the commentary (an interesting chat between director Park and another K film director, Ryu Seungwan) was reasonably well-translated. But there was no effort to translate the second half of the commentary; the subtitles were almost pure gibberish. While Park and Ryu went on to discuss aspects of dark humor and Bae Duna's acting and alluded to Kitano Takeshi, the subtitles went off in a completely different direction: childish, unenlightening comments on obvious plot points or scene settings. Examples of Tartan's creative writing: "I wanted the viewers to realize that," and "The camera is far away."
Shame on you, Tartan, for thinking nobody would notice and call you on your BS. Not cool to fool your customers, and totally not cool to put made-up words into the mouth of the director, without whom you would have no DVD to sell. It would have been better to have left part of the commentary untranslated if you ran out of time and/or money to do a proper job.
Five stars for the film, minus four stars for Tartan's license to ill.
DVD Review: VICTIMS OF FATE...An Effective tale of tragedy and more tragedy.
Summary: 4 Stars
SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE is the first chapter of Park Chan-Wook's vengeance trilogy. Oldboy was released first in U.S. shores, this film was released after on dvd. (When it fact this is the first chapter). After Park's breakout hit "J.S.A.", the director was finally able to make the films she always wanted to, I've read that Park originally wrote the script for "Mr. Vengeance" almost 10 years before he managed to shoot the film. This film was highly anticipated in Korea but received mixed reactions because of the violent content. It didn't become as much a commercial success as "Oldboy" in Park's native land.
Synopsis derived from the back cover:
Unable to afford proper medical care for his sister dying from kidney failure, Ryu (Ha-Kyun Shin) turns to the black market to sell his own organs only to end up cheated of his kidney and life savings. His girlfriend urges Ryu to kidnap the daughter of a rich industrialist Dong-Jin Park, (Kang Ho-Song) who had recently laid him off. Ryu agrees, but unforeseen tragedies turn an innocent con into a merciless and brutal quest for revenge. Bound by their personal losses and deep-seated anger, the two men are thrust into a downward spiral of destruction.
Park's direction in this film is very different from the other 2 chapters. His (sort of) minimalist approach to this film is quite unique. He avoids camera panning/movements and it kind of gives the audience an observational perspective, that ends up looking very simple and natural. Close-ups were still used so he didn't shoot it as a strict minimalism, but the close-ups were only shot to convey emotion. There is barely any music in the proceedings until the last act. These are not negative comments but rather I was impressed that Park still managed to convey raw emotion without the usual accompanying soundtrack and camera work. The film is a little slow-paced but the plot did truly evolve because it was structured properly.
The style reminded me a bit of Hong Sang-Soo, one of the very strict minimalist directors of Korean cinema. (I've never seen Hong film a violent movie though.) Yes, the film is extremely violent and brutal; there is even a hint of necromania, sexuality and quite a few disturbing images. However, there are occasional funny (if somewhat dark) moments in the film. I don't think it hurts but actually helps the pacing of the film in the first act.
The key to this film's success lies in its characters; Gong-jin and Ryu are very natural and the actors who played them were very impressive. The two leads are well rounded and believable, but not necessarily too attaching to its viewers. I really began sympathizing with the two characters; despite their best efforts, nothing works out their way. Ha-Kyun Shin's performance is note-worthy for his superb performance as a deaf-mute; which is a difficult role since his character can't speak, but he did an excellent job since I ended up rooting for Ryu in the first act of the film. Kang-ho Song also delivers an excellent performance; looking into his eyes, you can really feel his pain and anger. Other leads are Ryu's sister (Ji Eun Lim) and his activist girlfriend ( Bae Du-Na) who is always "thinking" ahead. The two ladies do their characters justice and also gave excellent performances.
The film has the ability to depress its viewers with the very sad premise. Some viewers may be turned off with the violence, it's definitely certain that this film is not a movie for everyone. However, if one pays more attention to the superb performances and the VERY natural direction, I guarantee you will be rewarded. While not as visually stylish as the other 2 chapters, "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" still packs a lot of visceral punch.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! [4 ? - Stars]
I've mentioned in my "LADY VENGEANCE" comment that I intentionally reviewed the three "revenge" films in reverse. I believe that vengeance darkens the soul and often causes one to lose his way. When one loses his way, one should try to go back to the beginning to avoid making the same mistakes in order to move forward.
Also, if you look at all 3 revenge films you will find the following themes; Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is the reaction (losses to fate), Oldboy is the focused channel (pure searing anger) and Lady Vengeance is the closure (leading to redemption). I think there was a reason Park shot all three films in 3 acts because they all have 3 very common linked theme that expresses another tale. This is just my added take, I could be mistaken.
DVD Review: Revenge!
Summary: 4 Stars
The first of a trilogy by director Chan Wook Park. One of the top Korean directors working. You may have missed this one especially if you haven't seen OLDBOY or LADY VEANGEANCE! This movie isn't as visually spectacular as the two but it makes up for that with raw in your face violence. A story about a stolen kidney and a kidnapping gone wrong. The blood is intense and the action is a little brutal. All in all a fresh raw take on the revenge plot. Great acting, cinematography, and direction. This is just the start of a master coming into hs own!!!
Description of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
Unable to afford proper care for his sister dying from kidney failure, Ryu turns to the black market to sell his own organs only to end up cheated of his life savings. His girlfriend urges Ryu to kidnap the daughter of wealthy industrialist Dong-jin, who recently laid him off. Ryu agrees, but unforeseen tragedies turn an innocent con into a merciless quest for revenge. Bound by their personal losses and deep-seated anger, the two men are thrust into a spiral of destruction.Before he made the notorious cult hit Oldboy, South Korean director Chan-wook Park created Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, an equally gruesome yet elegant meditation on revenge. Desperate to get a kidney transplant for his dying sister, a deaf and dumb young man named Ryu (Ha-kyun Shin, Save the Green Planet!) kidnaps the daughter of a wealthy industrialist named Park (Kang-ho Song, Shiri). Despite Ryu's best intentions, things go horribly awry, setting in motion a series of escalating revenges--to describe the plot in more detail would undercut the movie, because much of its power comes from the spare and skillful storytelling. Chan-wook Park is careful to ground the audience in the characters' emotional lives; when the violence begins, the bloody events unfold with the hypnotic power of the revenge tragedies of the Shakespearean era, which had over-the-top plots and littered the stage with bodies, yet were full of rich poetry. Park's eye for startling images and careful editing creates a visual poetry, grotesque yet often haunting. Certainly not a film for everyone--squeamish viewers had best beware, while anyone who wants their violence flagrant and guilt-free will be disappointed--but cinephiles looking to have their hearts squeezed along with their stomachs will enjoy Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. --Bret Fetzer
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