Chinjeolhan geumjassi (Lady Vengeance) (Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) (2005)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Anthony L

  
  It annoys me when Chan-wook Park and Asian extreme cinema is compared to Quentin Tarantino all the time. It's a lazy and poor comparison. Chan-wook Park is a maestro rather than a disc-Jockey, he proved it with Oldboy and backed it up with Lady Vengeance. Revenge films are pretty… More
  It annoys me when Chan-wook Park and Asian extreme cinema is compared to Quentin Tarantino all the time. It's a lazy and poor comparison. Chan-wook Park is a maestro rather than a disc-Jockey, he proved it with Oldboy and backed it up with Lady Vengeance. Revenge films are pretty frequent these days, Chan-wook Park is one of the very few directors who have a fresh take on the genres - and he's now done it three times! Slick, stylish, controversial and original. A great film.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"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."</i> After thirteen and half years in prison… More
  <i>"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."</i> After thirteen and half years in prison for kidnapping and murdering the boy Park Won-mo, Geum-ja Lee is released and tries to fix her life. She finds a job in a bakery; she orders the manufacturing of a special weapon; she reunites with her daughter, who was adopted by an Australian family; and she plots revenge against the real killer of Won-mo, the English teacher Mr. Baek. With the support of former inmates from prison, Geum-ja seeks an unattained redemption with her vengeance. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Park Chan-Wook's Vengeance trilogy is amazing. Mr. Vengeance broke new ground, Oldboy added a deranged hidden element, and Lady Vengeance takes a moment away from the momentum and hard-edges of the latter two to add a very charismatic character with some intriguing development. The three shine like a beacon of light into a world of "Transporter" movies and their ilk, presenting a chance to actually submerge into a world of obsessive revenge and try to breathe through the thick layer of blood. Lee Geum-ja gets out of prison and shocks everyone by throwing aside their chance at redemption as she finally takes matters into her own hands--but matters have kind of been in her hands for a while. She has a plan, and its execution goes rather flawlessly, but like a roller-coaster ride set on a track you can see before you get on, the anticipation itself adds to the fun. This film would pretty much be worth it just for the scene with the family members near the end. But what rounds it out and makes it more appealing is the slightly chaotic personality of Geum-ja, how she strives for redemption, and the surprising way she actually gets it. I do kind of miss the roughness of the other two films in this one. The digital editing was pretty, and sometimes did some very amazing environmental/psychological things, but it felt so clean compared to the blood-splattered past of the other two. That's okay, though, as these films do stand alone and do have their own things to offer. Most important about them is the different approaches to vigilantism and what it means to the society it's enacted within. Once again, the scene with the family members makes this movie entirely worth it, but this time even more so as it does ask one of those important questions that society's struggle with today: do we give him over to the law and hope due process gives us our vengeance, or do we take it into our own hands?

• Reid V

  
  Worth a watch just for the phenomenal ending. Personally, my favorite of the vengeance trilogy.

• Keiko A

  
  Lady Vengeance is a great film and the final part of Parks trilogy is now complete. I do love Chan-Wook! :D Great story and acting....This is my favourtie of his trilogy and i like the themes and our strong lead. Some rather nasty images and a great soundtrack.

• Aaron N

  
  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… More
  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 vengeance trilogy, which was preceded by Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy. These films are not connected literally, only spiritually and thematically. It is a very well made movie, with another great multi-layered revenge story, which actually manages to bring this trilogy to a hopeful end. 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 sequences that further expand the characters and add both some clever dark humor and expanded character development. 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 and Mr. Vengeance 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 but twisted vibe 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, with this film probably having the most implied violence of the trilogy. The acting is also strong, as well as the direction throughout. The way the films in this trilogy have been made is truly wonderful, as they are all very watchable and continue to get better on repeat viewings. Very well made revenge flick. Mr. Baek: Ma'am, there is no such thing as a "perfect person"...

• Lanning :

  
  This is good, beautifully shot, with a great musical score . . . <p> But <i>Oldboy</i> and even <i>Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance</i> have it heads above this one in terms of a compelling and fresh story. While <i>Oldboy</i> lives in the realm of… More
  This is good, beautifully shot, with a great musical score . . . <p> But <i>Oldboy</i> and even <i>Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance</i> have it heads above this one in terms of a compelling and fresh story. While <i>Oldboy</i> lives in the realm of classical tragedy, and <i>Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance</i> inhabits the land of the existentially absurd, <i>Lady Vengeance</i> 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 <i>Oldboy</i> and <i>Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.</i> <p>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. <p> But you should really see this to know for yourself that you've seen the trilogy.

• Greg S

  
  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… More
  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 beautifully shot and acted but confusingly told; fans of the other entries in Park's "Vengeance" trilogy will eat it up.

• Rubia Carolina .

  
  Obvious alike, but more stylish and noir than Kill Bill.

• Arash X

  
  Guess I'm the only one who didn't like this but I think it lacks most of the things that make the other two installment of the tilogy great, It's more like a straightforward revenge flick with a hero well of course better than typical straightforward revenge flicks but… More
  Guess I'm the only one who didn't like this but I think it lacks most of the things that make the other two installment of the tilogy great, It's more like a straightforward revenge flick with a hero well of course better than typical straightforward revenge flicks but anyways, Also I didn't like the narrative & the characterization, Ok maybe my disappointment is due to the brilliance of the first two installments but how can some people call this the best of the trilogy is way beyond me

• familiar s

  
  Just because it's Chan-wook Park movie, it isn't necessary that it too would be as good as OLDBOY. It's not even somewhere near to OLDBOY. Complete waste of time is all I can say about this movie. Many yet admire it as they can't help admiring a Chan-wook Park… More
  Just because it's Chan-wook Park movie, it isn't necessary that it too would be as good as OLDBOY. It's not even somewhere near to OLDBOY. Complete waste of time is all I can say about this movie. Many yet admire it as they can't help admiring a Chan-wook Park movie!!! I feel sympathy too!!!!!!

• Cassandra M

  
  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… More
  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 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.

• _kelly .

  
  the modern day equivalent of M. The best film in the Chanwook Park Vengeance trilogy. It took him two movies to get there - one that is very subdued and avant-garde (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) followed by one that is a formulaic action movie, Oldboy - and here in Lady Vengeance a… More
  the modern day equivalent of M. The best film in the Chanwook Park Vengeance trilogy. It took him two movies to get there - one that is very subdued and avant-garde (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) followed by one that is a formulaic action movie, Oldboy - and here in Lady Vengeance a perfect balance is struck between the script and image making for an excellent, much overlooked, film.<br/><br/>"So Fucked Up" highlight: main character cuts her finger off as offering of forgiveness; schoolmaster rapes his wife casually at dinner table

• Stella D

  
  an extremely stylish end to the revenge saga with a lovely soundtrack. truly disturbing and def cool if not as startling as oldboy. very black and white tho it's in beautiful technicolor.

• Justin Y

  
  Director Chan-wook Park is able to deliver another good revenge film that is nicely done, but following a film like <i>Oldboy</i>, it may not seem as special as it probably is.<p>The pace of this movie is really slow and that is what may discourage many viewers that… More
  Director Chan-wook Park is able to deliver another good revenge film that is nicely done, but following a film like <i>Oldboy</i>, it may not seem as special as it probably is.<p>The pace of this movie is really slow and that is what may discourage many viewers that are expecting a violent and suspenseful film, like <i>Oldboy</i>. Yes, this film tends to drag on, but this film is far from terrible. At a very high level the plot is nothing new, but as you get more into it, the details of the story show why Chan-wook's films are more than just simple tales of bloody revenge. Which it is. The character introductions in the first half is pretty good with the jumping back and forth through time, but it seems just a tad excessive since some of these characters have so small parts.</p><p>The cinematography is superb and, at times, is a huge boost at keeping your mind off the aforementioned slow pace. The violence is a little weak and it will be disappointing if that is all you are looking for. Watching the entire first half to get to the drawn out ending is not worth it, in my opinion. It is creative, but it is lacking that extra something to move you to the edge of your seat.</p><p>Like the cinematography, the acting is great. Yeong-ae Lee puts on a performance as good as she is sexy. Min-sik Choi is a good villain and realizing the greatness of <i>Oldboy</i>, Chan-wook squeezes in a cameo from Ji-tae Yu.</p><p>This film lacks in a few places, but this is a good watch for those that respect good story telling and directing from Chan-wook Park.

• E.J. B

  
  It's good, and it touches upon very similar material to Oldboy, just Oldboy tackles it better.

• Robert C

  
  My favorite of the trilogy.

• Craig S

  
  <u><b>Directed by:</u> Chan-wook Park.</b> <u><b>Starring:</u> Yeong-ae Lee, Min-sik Choi, Su-hee Go.</b> Looking back on this amazing trilogy I just saw for the first time (if I don't count the lack of focus on the first… More
  <u><b>Directed by:</u> Chan-wook Park.</b> <u><b>Starring:</u> Yeong-ae Lee, Min-sik Choi, Su-hee Go.</b> Looking back on this amazing trilogy I just saw for the first time (if I don't count the lack of focus on the first Sympathy), I can't help but want to compare the films and I could say that Oldboy was the best as I rated it higher on here....but the truth is, Lady Vengeance is amazingly strong in it own style and its own right that I don't want to compare it to the other films and just want to call it a standalone genius piece of filmmaking. The story follows a kind hearted, beautiful young woman who is sentenced to a 13 year imprisonment sentence for kidnapping and murdering a 5 year old boy. Once released, her plans of revenge in imprisonment are put to the test and with the help of her old immates and reunited with her daughter, she seeks out the real killer of the child. A key element I love to find in any new film I watch is originality....and this film has it. The plot is simple enough and the main idea can be classed as 'straight-forward' revenge, but the uniquely convoluted storytelling and structure is surprisingly amazing, I half expected the film within the first 10 minutes to lose focus and becoming a mess with the way the structure was, but thanks to some skillful control and character development, especially in the main character, we follow her deeply through her pain and suffering of losing a child so suddenly and the path to redemption and rebuilding the shattered relationship with her daughter. Chan-wook Park's tone is a lot different here then his previous films and that is what I love about him, he seems to understand the topic of 'revenge' quite well and he explores many different and unique visions in telling it well with each film. He does tackle some very difficult themes here and some scenes are terribly shocking and very disturbing (the kids video of the hanging still gets me), but he also manages to sneak in a great balance of subtle-like humour and stylish violence. As with all his films of this trilogy, he seems to provide very strong leads and theres no difference with Yeong-ae Lee, she has a face and a range for this character and she comes off as very believable in her role. Disturbing, violent, stylish and strangely poetic and unique, all mixed together with strong performances. themes and great character development. As a standalone film, its amazing, I really don't want to rank the films as I feel I would still put Oldboy out on top.

• xGary X

  
  The final part of Chan-wook Park's vengeance trilogy sees an angelic looking young woman imprisoned for the kidnap and murder of a young child. Upon her release from prison 13 years later, her plan for vengeance on the real killer is set in motion. The core of the film is the… More
  The final part of Chan-wook Park's vengeance trilogy sees an angelic looking young woman imprisoned for the kidnap and murder of a young child. Upon her release from prison 13 years later, her plan for vengeance on the real killer is set in motion. The core of the film is the duality of Yeong-ae Lee's role; her angelic appearance belying her ruthless and single-minded pursuit of her goal, and her quest for vengeance tempered by her feelings guilt about her part in the boy's death. It's not as bleak as Oldboy and does not have it's complex relationships and twists and turns in plot. The characters find some form of redemption by it's end, although the psychology of revenge is examined; do two wrongs make a right? Min-sik Choi's child killer is completely without redeeming qualities, but it is still uncomfortable seeing his suffering at the hands of the people he has wronged even though they are acting on the part of justice rather than cruelty. Visually, it's stunning. Chan-wook Park's eye for composition is wonderful, and combined with a beautiful use of colour, location, costume and set design it truly is breath taking to look at. The title sequence and even end credits are gorgeously designed; add to this a lovely baroque soundtrack and the product is something akin to an cinematic work of art.

• Gordon A

  
  Best of the revenge trilogy with quirky humour offsetting the grim subject matter. Continually surprises you with original film devices and plot twists. Truly visionary film making.

• Luke B

  
  Chan-Wook Park nce again offers up a delicious slice of stylish revenge. Don't be fooled into thinking this is just a repeat of his previous films, the jumping narrative and fantasy sequences making sure there is enough new stuff here to appreciate. The music and editing are the… More
  Chan-Wook Park nce again offers up a delicious slice of stylish revenge. Don't be fooled into thinking this is just a repeat of his previous films, the jumping narrative and fantasy sequences making sure there is enough new stuff here to appreciate. The music and editing are the highlights here, not to mention a beautiful credit sequence. I was surprised as to how funy this film was, with it's dark sense of humour resonating even in the most uneasy of scenes. Unfortunately it never quite grasps the dramatic punch of Mr.Vengeance, and doesn't have the engrossing and rlentless momentum of Oldboy. I is however a fantastic end to a great trilogy and very entertaining.

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