Yeong-ae Lee, Min-sik Choi, Su-hee Go

Preceded by the films "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" and "Oldboy," this final installment of director Park Chan-wook's vengeance trilogy finds a woman seeking revenge after she is framed and betrayed by...( read more  read more... ) a co-conspriator.

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86% liked it

51,897 ratings

Critics

73% liked it

82 critics

R, 1 hr. 52 min.

Directed by: Park Chan-wook

Release Date: July 29, 2005

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DVD Release Date: September 5, 2006

Stats: 3,264 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (3,264)


  • July 30, 2009
    This is good, beautifully shot, with a great musical score . . .

    But Oldboy and even Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance have it heads above this one in terms of a compelling and fresh story. While Oldboy lives in the realm of classical tragedy, and Sympathy f

    ...( read more)or Mr. Vengeance inhabits the land of the existentially absurd, Lady Vengeance pulls its storyline from somewhere in the middle-of-the-road land where we may expect the expected and predict the predictable. Don't get me wrong, Sarah, the story is not mundane, but it definitely, for me, lacks the startling surprises of Oldboy and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.

    Rather than surprise us, Park seems to want to have us nodding our heads as the plot unfolds in a very familiar way. And for me, the best thing about Park, aside from a gift for music selection and an eye for composition, is his ability to surprise, unrelentingly.

    But you should really see this to know for yourself that you've seen the trilogy.

  • June 9, 2009
    Beautiful Geum-ja goes to prison for thirteen years for the kidnapping and murder of a six-year old boy, a crime she didn't commit, and on release commences an intricate and shocking plan of revenge on the true culprit. Arty, morally challenging revenge fantasy/meditation that's...( read more) beautifully shot and acted but confusingly told; fans of the other entries in Park's "Vengeance" trilogy will eat it up.
  • October 29, 2008
    Easier storyline to follow than that of "Oldboy". Solid revenge flick with an interesting but overly long ending. Recommended.
  • October 14, 2008
    Geum-ja Lee: Listen carefully. Everyone make mistakes. But if you committed a sin, you have to make an atonement for that sin. Atonement, do you know what that means? Big Atonement for big sins. Small Atonement for small sins.

    This is the final film in director Chan-wook Park's...( read more) vengeance trilogy, which was preceded by Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy. These films are not connected literally, only spiritually. It is a very well made movie, with another great multi-layered revenge story.

    Geum-ja Lee has just gotten out of a 13 year prison sentence, only to immediately seek out revenge on the person responsible for time spent in jail.

    She had been imprisoned for the murder of a young boy. We learn early on that the boy was murdered by another, but Geum-ja Lee had to admit to the crime or else her own daughter would be killed.

    We learn of the other inmates Geum-ja Lee had met and helped in various ways during her sentence, leading to the help they give her upon her release. This is all done in clever flashbacks.

    Eventually we learn who is responsible and other crimes that this person has committed, leading to a final third act that revolves around the satisfaction of revenge for various people.

    As mentioned, this is a very well made film, finding the beauty in death as it is. The cinematography is wonderful as is the score. Those mainly familiar with Oldboy will recognize the style as well as the various actors popping up throughout, including Min-sik Choi, miles away from his lead role as Oh Dae So in Oldboy.

    Another Oldboy comparison: While both films share the revenge themes, this film is more about the relationship drama involved in the story, as opposed to having the cool action sense used in Oldboy. While both films are good in their own ways, it just seems necessary to point out.

    The violence in this film is once again brutal at times, but nothing ugly or too unnecessary, it all serves the plot. The acting is strong, the direction as well.

    Very well made revenge flick.

    Mr. Baek: Ma'am, there is no such thing as a "perfect person"...
  • October 8, 2008
    Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" is a surprisingly poetic finale to Park's excellent Revenge Trilogy. The film fuses the relatively low-key style of "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" with the jet-black humor of "Oldboy," while adding welcome moments of poignancy and sentiment. The film is...( read more) nowhere near as violent as its predecessors, although a good deal of mayhem takes place offscreen.

    Yeong-ae Lee is outstanding as the troubled protagonist Geum-ja, the ex-convict who is seeking redemption as much as revenge. Although the supporting actors -- including several from Park's earlier films -- are uniformly fine, Lee's performance is the heart of the film.

    "Lady Vengeance" is difficult to describe without revealing major plot points, as the most memorable scenes come at revelatory moments in the story. Suffice it to say that the climax blends tragedy and hilarity with a degree of success that few directors could hope to match.
  • November 16, 2009
    An absolute triumph! (I've always wanted to be able to say that - critics give that phrase out too easily!) Park Chan-wook's final installment in his vengeance trilogy is so exceptionally well crafted, he uses every conceivable device (from plot, to cinematography, to score, to...( read more) casting, to phenomenal pacing), delivering a deeply thought-provoking philosophical and moral examination of human vengeance - the emotions accompanying it, and whether or not it can ever be justified. The audience is almost forced to participate in this intellectual and emotional question through the genius and perfect execution. Stand alone, this is a perfect film. In combination with 'Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance' and 'Oldboy', Park Chan-wook has created one of the most compelling, accessible and thorough discourses on human psychology ever committed to film.
  • November 13, 2009
    Al numero due sul podio della saga sulla vendetta.
    Ha delle immagini bellissime.
  • November 1, 2009
    i dont know bout this one?
  • October 31, 2009
    Adios a la joya del palacio y bienvenida la Seņora Venganza.
  • October 31, 2009
    Not for the faint of heart! The final installment of Park's masterful trilogy is the most emotionally charged, but also the most uneven. Park really shines brightest with the score and aesthetic features, not to mention the ability to break the audience's heart with vivid, indeli...( read more)bly haunting images of our greatest fears. As downright disturbing as the first two films in this three part sequence were, "Lady Vengeance" is the most chilling and taboo.

Critic Reviews


June 29, 2006
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Because I am a connoisseur of art cinema, my feelings about Lady Vengeance are complex. Some parts I liked; some parts I didn't. full review

June 2, 2006
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Hell can't possibly get any more beautiful, or strange, than the way it's rendered in Lady Vengeance. full review

May 19, 2006
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

For anyone else interested in one of the most skillful and startling directors today, Vengeance is worth bracing yourself for. full review

View more Chinjeolhan geumjassi (Lady Vengeance) (Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • juliantash
    May 17, 2006
    This is Park Chan Wook's third film in the vengeance trilogu! One of the best films I have ever seen. It is brutal, funny, sexually bizarre and just awesome

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