Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (Boksuneun naui geot) (2002)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"The bad image kidnappers get is because of kids getting killed. But we're different. Give us the money and we'll return the kid pronto."</i> A recently laid off factory worker kidnaps his former boss' daughter, hoping to use the ransom money… More
  <i>"The bad image kidnappers get is because of kids getting killed. But we're different. Give us the money and we'll return the kid pronto."</i> A recently laid off factory worker kidnaps his former boss' daughter, hoping to use the ransom money to pay for his sister's kidney transplant. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> It's only occasionally we see horror films that are also consummate works of art. This Korean story set in a murky world of exploitation and black market organ trafficking has many of the hallmarks of good European cinema - a meticulous attention to detail, beautifully composed shots, subtly interwoven symbolism, cinematography relying on skill rather than big budgets and natural, understated acting. The classiness of the production makes the use of 'video nasty' shots later in the film all the more shocking and effective. The title could be applied to several of the main characters, as they each generate sympathy in their own way in spite of the deadly deeds they feel compelled to perpetrate. Many film noir techniques are also in evidence - we watch scene after scene that grips and often intrigues, but the explanation of what is really happening is maybe only provided in the subsequent scene. Minimal dialogue focuses attention on the plot, internal struggles of the characters and stunning photography - not to mention minimizing any inconvenience that some cinema-goers seem to feel when presented with subtitles. Beautifully framed backdrops will sometimes introduce visually graphic nastiness - or cut to the next scene at the crucial moment, leaving the audience queasily awaiting the denouement of each episode, which always comes, often more gut-churning and original than you could have imagined. The film even adds a suggestion of political comment - the idea that terrorists do not have to be organised in any united sense but may rise up spontaneously to attack what they individually would agree to be a common enemy. This seems less relevant to South Korea now than twenty years ago, or current day impoverished and abused Arab states, but it is subtle enough to be ignored rather than preaching a 'message'. In fact the main impact of Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, if you have a sufficiently strong stomach to watch it, is one of considerable artistic integrity and originality.

• Melvin W

  
  Cha Yeong-mi: The bad image kidnappers get is because of kids getting killed. But we're different. Give us the money and we'll return the kid pronto. "Revenge Was Never This Sweet" Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance is a decent revenge film. I liked it, but it could… More
  Cha Yeong-mi: The bad image kidnappers get is because of kids getting killed. But we're different. Give us the money and we'll return the kid pronto. "Revenge Was Never This Sweet" Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance is a decent revenge film. I liked it, but it could have been a lot better. The initial set up was awesome, but it lost some momentum down the stretch and didn't end up being the great film thought it was going to be. Still this movie gives me extremely high hopes for the next two parts in the trilogy, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance because I've heard those two are better than this one and this one wasn't too bad. Like I said the set up is cool. A deaf, mute has a sister who is dying, so he gives some organ traders some all of his money and his kidney in exchange for a kidney for his sister. He gets ripped off, so he has to try something daring with his girlfriend in order to get the money they need for the operation. Overall it's a pretty entertaining revenge film. I've seen better, but I've also seen way worse. The good thing about this film is that it never became boring or unwatchable. It just didn't elevate itself to the next level like I thought it would.

• Reid V

  
  This is a much better film than what I was expecting. Having only seen Oldboy, I was not terribly excited to go visit Wook's back catalogue. While it is really hard to classify this film, the best way to put it is Meet the Parents: From Hell. Park Chan Wook clearly has an eye… More
  This is a much better film than what I was expecting. Having only seen Oldboy, I was not terribly excited to go visit Wook's back catalogue. While it is really hard to classify this film, the best way to put it is Meet the Parents: From Hell. Park Chan Wook clearly has an eye for great cinema. Some of these scenes are crafted with such finesse that you know you are watching the work of a great filmmaker. However, I would like to see him get his hands on something other than two hours of awful things happening to people with good intentions.

• Carlos M

  
  The first film of the Vengeance Trilogy is a quite intense and tragic thriller in which the miserable characters get inadvertently stuck in a bleak circle of misfortunes and revenge. A stylish bloodbath masterly crafted by Park Chan-Wook.

• Aaron N

  
  Park Dong-jin: I know you're a good guy... but you know why I have to kill you... The first part of director Chan Wook Park's vengeance trilogy. The others include Oldboy and Lady Vengeance. None of these films are literal sequels, just spiritually and thematically… More
  Park Dong-jin: I know you're a good guy... but you know why I have to kill you... The first part of director Chan Wook Park's vengeance trilogy. The others include Oldboy and Lady Vengeance. None of these films are literal sequels, just spiritually and thematically connected. In this movie, a deaf-mut man, Ryu, has a sister badly in need of a kidney transplant. After being laid off from his job and tricked by black market organ traffickers(causing him to lose all the money that could have gone to the ironic sudden twist of a Kidney arriving for his sister), Ryu is persuaded by his radical girlfriend to kidnap his former boss's daughter. This plan soon unravels and all parties involved face horrible consequences. Like the other films in this trilogy, this movie is paced deliberately slow. After the first 20 minutes, the story really begins to pick up, and you want to see where it will take you. Unfortunately, this is a very dark tale with some gruesome violence. Although it does manage to find some moments for humor. Other actors from the trilogy also pop up in this film, further providing for fun connections to be made, as well as show the diversity exhibited by its cast. The acting throughout is uniformly strong and fitting with the film. The look of this film is great. The cinematography is very well handled. The movie lacks the elegant score that the other films have, but it works for the way this movie is structured. It is also layered enough to make you want to re-watch the film to make sure you can pick up everything. A very good, dark revenge story. Cha Yeong-mi: 100%, for real.

• Lady D

  
  My least favourite of the Vengeance trilogy, yet still worthy of a watch. Didn?t think it quite made the standard of the other two, but was quirky in a sense and a good plot for a vengeance style film

• familiar s

  
  Another movie from which I'd great expectations, most of which remained unfulfilled.

• Cassandra M

  
  There aren't to many times when credits roll on a film and I want to immediately start watching it through again. This is one of the rare exceptions. Visually stunning with artistic merit to almost every shot. Deliberate frame composition with the eye of a classical painter… More
  There aren't to many times when credits roll on a film and I want to immediately start watching it through again. This is one of the rare exceptions. Visually stunning with artistic merit to almost every shot. Deliberate frame composition with the eye of a classical painter married to lighting that underscores the narrative with sublime control. The shots alternate between tight intimate shots with strong angles that elude to POV and deep staged shots in full focus throughout that nearly ride the axis like looking down the barrel of a rifle into the deepest darkest corners of our characters' lives. The light and textures on screen are lush and rich and the focus generally deep like Seven or Silence of the Lambs. Solid DOP, solid Cinematographer, solid Production Designer, Solid Art Director, across the board this film stands up as tight, smart, unexpected, sometimes abusive and always engaging like a car wreck in all the charmed ways. Dialogue, though minimal, is always apt and loaded. Sign language feels like Tai Chi, delicate here, fierce there, somehow clear I believe even without subtitles. This gem is deliciously horrific, a complete study of tragedy and of theater grotesque. Like Scarface the film is laden with stomach clenching non-gratuitous gore which is somehow infinitely more disturbing. The driving narrative is about vengeance, layer upon layer, constantly underscored by social commentary both direct and sub-textual addressing inequities, rights, justice and the cruelty / fairness of commerce, fate and basic karma. Well crafted, well delivered, well done. Excellent. And absolutely NOT for people with weak gullets, true that.

• xGary X

  
  A deaf-mute tries to sell a kidney on the black market to pay for a life saving operation for his sister, but when he wakes up left for dead minus both the money and his kidney he hatches a scheme to kidnap his ex-boss' daughter for the ransom. When she is accidentally killed it… More
  A deaf-mute tries to sell a kidney on the black market to pay for a life saving operation for his sister, but when he wakes up left for dead minus both the money and his kidney he hatches a scheme to kidnap his ex-boss' daughter for the ransom. When she is accidentally killed it sets in motion a sequence of events that result in bloody vengeance for both men. The first chapter in Chan-wook Park's vengeance trilogy reminded me very much of a Tikeshi Kitano film; beautifully shot but very understated with moments of surreal humour, brief outbursts of grim violence and a typically nihilistic ending. He attempts to show the motivations and context of the actions of all involved and so the brutal acts of vengeance perpetrated by the characters who have become increasingly black-hearted through grief and loss garner little sympathy from the viewer. This means the film is extremely bleak and hard going as it is difficult to relate to any of them. I also found the plot a little too far-fetched to swallow and so I felt it was easily the weakest of the three, but that is hardly damning criticism as the others are amongst the best films I've ever seen. A technically excellent film that won't be for those with a weak stomach, but a memorably visceral experience for those able to stay the course.

• Arash X

  
  The first part of Chan-wook Park's vengeance trilogy is the most disturbing & unsettling one imo & it's not just that. unlike typical revenge flicks this is oddly cold & bitter & depressing with some of the most unsettling scenes I've ever seen, anyway… More
  The first part of Chan-wook Park's vengeance trilogy is the most disturbing & unsettling one imo & it's not just that. unlike typical revenge flicks this is oddly cold & bitter & depressing with some of the most unsettling scenes I've ever seen, anyway It's visually stunning and I liked its style and the main storyline is really good

• _kelly .

  
  The most poetic and subdued entry in the Vengeance trilogy. Of course there's tunning imagery. Of course there's a tight script with great form. Of course there are moments that will echo with you forever.

• Tsubaki S

  
  A cinematic testament of great power, a human drama in all the sense of the term. Excellent performances and a director in top form. Not for the faint of heart, a story with no heroes, and crude as hell in the most mature sense possible.

• Emily A

  
  This one was pretty good, but Oldboy is head and shoulders better. It also moves faster and is more engaging. Chan-Wook Park has gone on to make much better movies, and this one pales in comparison.

• Craig S

  
  <b><u>Directed by:</u> Chan-wook Park.</b> <b><u>Starring:</u> Bo-bae Han, Du-na Bae, Ha-kyun Shin, Han Bo-bae.</b> I had heard so much about Chan-Wook Park, most of it from Oldboy which I am soon to see but I thought it would be great… More
  <b><u>Directed by:</u> Chan-wook Park.</b> <b><u>Starring:</u> Bo-bae Han, Du-na Bae, Ha-kyun Shin, Han Bo-bae.</b> I had heard so much about Chan-Wook Park, most of it from Oldboy which I am soon to see but I thought it would be great to get the full 'revenge' trilogy and watch it for the first time.....and I am hoping it improves. I certainly do give props to the cinematographer for some of the best cinematography I have seen in years, its beautifully rich and so lovely to watch.....and Chan-wook Park shows a lot of potential, he executes the film with skill and there is some imagery to be had that is amazing to watch, not to mention the very graphic and realistic violence....but that is where it ends. The story is certainly an interesting one that is beaming with ideas to be formed and its an opportunity for the filmmakers to create something unique, thrilling and smart, instead the story plods along at a terribly slow pace with little focus and some unanswered questions due to what I can only say was a terrible attempt at editing, where many things appear left out. A visually great start to the trilogy that I hope really gets better in its storytelling and focus.

• Luke B

  
  Very, very bleak. If you insist on your movies being light and fluffy entertainment then look away. Park's first venture into the realms of Vengeance help us analse the unstoppabe drive of getting even. No good, no bad just a bunch of unfortunate souls trying to make their way in… More
  Very, very bleak. If you insist on your movies being light and fluffy entertainment then look away. Park's first venture into the realms of Vengeance help us analse the unstoppabe drive of getting even. No good, no bad just a bunch of unfortunate souls trying to make their way in the world. Who is Mr. Vengeance? Who do we have sympathy for? Don't expect any easy answers and be sure to keep thinking happy thoughts. The slow quiet nature of this film unsettles, as does the dry grim cinematography.

• Sarah G

  
  This extremely grim tale deals with a deaf mute who's fired from his job for a minor detail of neglect, he then gets ripoffed by vicious organ dealers and loses a kidney when he tries to raise money for his sister's kidney operation. He then kidnaps his rich boss'… More
  This extremely grim tale deals with a deaf mute who's fired from his job for a minor detail of neglect, he then gets ripoffed by vicious organ dealers and loses a kidney when he tries to raise money for his sister's kidney operation. He then kidnaps his rich boss' daughter inspired by an anarchist girlfriend, but things go fatally wrong and the daughter drowns. His boss is devastated by grief and sets out to kill him, meanwhile our deaf mute are after the organ dealers looking for revenge. Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, Park's first instalment of this cengeance trilogy is certainly a good start to the series. For me the great parts in this film are cinematography, sound and perhaps the way in which the violence is told. However these violence is at times, not of rthe faint hearted. Certainly, we we saw scenes in which characters are subjected to violence Park draws the camera sutly away from the audience; so we are left to judge what is going on. This was also used at other point within the film when the Father witnesses his daughter's autopsy. However later on when the Father finds the deaf man's sisters body the Father is less distraught at the sight of the body and this characterises him much differently to what we saw him previously, just the Father looking for his daughter. I think this was something done brilliantly well as we see the character as he sees the Kidnappers so to speak- he becomes the criminal. The characterisation fo the Deadf man I also enjoyed. Imeadiatly we feel sympathy with the man in the first narrative as we are witnessed to him finindg a kidney donar for his sister, and perhaps the facthe is deaf we empathise with him. When we see what he heard as well in some scenes we understand him much better within every scene. The narrative revolves around the motivations, intentions and consequences of revenge, and relates these abstract matters in a clever way. It forces us to question the very nature of revenge, and it is hard to come out with any clear answers. On one hand you fully understand the motivations for vengeance, but on the other the film is full of motifs that make us question if it really is the right course of action.There is also a extreame empathsis on the violence, cinematography, sound and the reliance of silence with the characters rather than several sequences of dialogue. In the opening sequence for example we see very little dialogue there, that got me confused. I had to work out what was going on by turning the DVD back and working it out. Park also relied heavily on the editing each scene incredibly quickly, so once the scne ends with piece of dialogue ther is almost a jump cut to the next scence, which doesnt leave much to the imagination unfortunatly. At times, as well there wasn't much explanation about how and why things were happening, the dialogue was very short, quick and hard to comprehend what was going on. Overall, you can almost feel the tension boiling within Ryu and the desperation that he must feel in his desire to aid his older sister. Also, it should be mentioned that the acting of Sang Gang Ho, playing the part of the kidnapped girl's father, is extraordinary. He is definitely the most aggressive and frightening character in the film. To conlude a brilliant film but not excellent as some reviews have led me to believe. Now I have to see Lady Vengeance.

• Michael S

  
  Great start to the now classic series.

• Drew S

  
  I actually liked this far more than Oldboy. There's a ton more substance and the plotting is a hell of a lot more consistent. Not to say Oldboy is a bad movie, but as far as a moral commentary goes, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance hits the mark, whereas Oldboy kind of dances around it… More
  I actually liked this far more than Oldboy. There's a ton more substance and the plotting is a hell of a lot more consistent. Not to say Oldboy is a bad movie, but as far as a moral commentary goes, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance hits the mark, whereas Oldboy kind of dances around it for a while. Plus, there aren't as many dazzlingly wide plot holes to be torn apart. Though it's not as (constantly) violent as Oldboy, it is just as, if not more, shocking. Compare the climaxes of the two movies. Oldboy is explosive, epic, no-holds-barred stomach churning intensity. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance builds up a quiet, painful, eventual resolution. It works almost too well, and like the rest of the movie, it's almost unbearable to watch it all unfold.

• Lanning :

  
  <b>Boksuneun naui geot</b> <p> Revenge is a powerful emotion. In a movie done well, the act of seeking revenge can wear the audience out. Multiply that fatigue factor by three, and you have <i>Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance</i>. This is pretty violent,… More
  <b>Boksuneun naui geot</b> <p> Revenge is a powerful emotion. In a movie done well, the act of seeking revenge can wear the audience out. Multiply that fatigue factor by three, and you have <i>Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance</i>. This is pretty violent, flixtsters, but if you can handle that, this movie with its triple revenge strands is well worth seeing. <p> I'm becoming a big fan of Song Kang-ho (see my review of JSA). His emotive ability is a poweful thing to behold. The loss of a child is the most powerful motive for revenge here, and Song plays his avenging father role to the hilt. <p> Cheers too for Bae Du-na as the radical girlfriend.

• Walter M

  
  [font=Century Gothic]In "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance", Ryu(Ha-kyun Shin) is a deaf factory worker whose sister(Ji-Eun Lim) desperately needs a kidney transplant but Ryu does not have the same blood type nor does he have the funds. His first desperate act is to donate one of… More
  [font=Century Gothic]In "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance", Ryu(Ha-kyun Shin) is a deaf factory worker whose sister(Ji-Eun Lim) desperately needs a kidney transplant but Ryu does not have the same blood type nor does he have the funds. His first desperate act is to donate one of his kidneys to a black market organ ring but they just take his kidney and run, leaving him in worse shape than he was before. His second desperate act, suggested by his anarchist friend, Cha Yeong-mi(Du-na Bae), is to kidnap the daughter, Yu-sun(Bo-bae Han), of his former boss, Park(Kang-ho Song), and hold her for ransom.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]Directed by Chan-wook Park, "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" is the first movie in his revenge trilogy. Like the others, this movie also concerns itself with vengeance and the occasional kidney donation, but it is also more experimental, heartfelt and political in its exploration of the high costs of health care than the other movies in the cycle. It does take a while to get started but once it does, it definitely has its violent moments. [/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]Disclaimer: anarchists in general do not recommend kidnapping as a fundraising tool.[/font]

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