Lady Vengeance Reviews

(Blu) Park, in his last vangeance film, is more obscure and artificial. Even his 'fade to white' idea, for express his female character purification is artificial; but the idea of the collective veangeance, almost choreographed is ok...

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

After her release from prison for the kidnapping and murder of a young boy, Lee Geum-ja begins to orchestrate her plan for revenge against the real culprit – while reuniting with her estranged daughter.
Just to let you know, this review will contain a spoiler for the climax.
I'll probably get some flak for this, but I think this is easily the weakest of the Vengeance Trilogy.
For one thing, while Sympathy for Mr Vengeance and Oldboy were presented relatively straightforward, I feel as if this one is trying way too hard to be artsy, with its nonlinear narrative structure and philosophical moments.
I really didn't like how the daughter subplot was handled. There was great potential for the mother and daughter to develop their relationship despite the language barrier, but that's barely touched on. As a result, the daughter seems completely secondary to the revenge plot (even, dare I say, expendable), so I just didn't care how their relationship worked out. I think they needed to either devote more screen time to that, or just cut that subplot from the film altogether.
The highlight, however, was the final scene, where the families of all the killer's victims take turns exacting their revenge. That's brutal! :)
In conclusion, while I don't dislike this movie, I certainly think it's a big step below the other two. It might grow on me more with repeat viewings, but for now at least, I think it's just okay.

My rating: 60%

Since I'm a huge fan of 'Oldboy', it is rather surprising that it took me so long to see another movie directed by Chan-wook Park. I guess, I never really had the opportunity (I did see the first half of 'Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance' a very long time ago). Anyway, I came across this dvd and I thought it was highly time to finally make up for those lost years. Eventually, I thought it was pretty good but I didn't really blow me away like 'Oldboy'. The point is that the directing was really good, the acting as well but I thought that the plot was pretty messy and confusing. Basically, there was some constant back and forth between past and present and I really had a hard time following what was going on, especially in the first half and who was who. Furthermore, the tone was really different. Whereas 'Oldboy' was a fascinating mind-f*ck, this was more like a black comedy with some pitch-black humor. However, in the last 30 minutes, it became increasingly heartbreaking especially with the children videos. Even there, the funny bits didn't stop coming and the mix was pretty interesting but not really my cup of tea, I guess. To conclude, I don't think it is really a masterpiece like 'Oldboy', it was way too messy, but it is still pretty good and remain a very interesting flick and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

''Do you really think an angel resides in me? If so, where was that angel...When I was committing such an evil act?''

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...

Yeong-ae Lee: Geum-ja Lee

Chinjeolhan geumjassi(2005) translating as Lady Vengeance is the third instalment of the Vengeance trilogy, telling the unique story of a lady, Geum-ja Lee, whom is sent to prison for 13 years for supposedly kidnapping and murdering a young boy.
She was not guilty of the crime, though she had a merely a minimal part involving the kidnapping. Rather Geum-ja was forced to admit to the crime by her accomplice Mr. Baek(Oldboy's main character actor Min-sik Choi). While in prison, she becomes something of an angel to her fellow inmates, showing them a kindness and love that not only effects their lives but changes them. She is a different person upon her release from prison yet is still determined on making Mr. Baek atone for his sins.



Rarely are films or stories presented in such a stylistically fresh way, usually absent from Western projects. It has an independent art house feel to it, yet still extremely stylish and polished. Chan-wook Park is quite an artist as well as Directorial visionary, and with his trilogy, he has insured that any future projects he is involved with spark international curiosity.
The story turns from one of vengeance to redemption, but this is certainly not a simple journey for Geum-ja. In fact, the actress in that role, Yeong-ae Lee, is in nearly every scene of the film's story and she certainly makes it her own.
She plays everything. The angel who glows with a smile. The cold hard bitch. The victim. The mother. Yet above all this, she also comes to realize that she needs to set things right for more than just herself. She is far from Mr. Baek's only victim and she let's the parents of the other child victims share in her revenge with their own. The parents also being victims of loss and pain.

Having wanted to make a film on a middle aged woman's revenge, Director Chan-wook Park originally considered casting Du-shim Ko for the part of Geum-ja. However, he had to abandon his plan for a couple of reasons. He found that Ms. Ko was rather old for the character and was afraid that the movie would look quite similar to John Cassavetes' Gloria(1980).
Interestingly, the snow at the end is not real. They brought two trucks of salt, scattered it all over the street and finally adjusted the scene using computer graphics.
Also, the bakery that Geumja works in is called Naruse, which is the name of the Japanese director Mikio Naruse.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, and Lady Vengeance are not directly connected by any characters, but again all share the common theme of Vengeance. Each takes it's own unique path and tribute to the study of revenge. Mr. Vengeance essentially has no villains, but features tragedy for all. Oldboy is the tale of ultimate revenge, with a plot so horrid that it necessitates locking a victim up for 15 years in isolation, then releases him so he can seek vengeance on an unknown entity with unclear motives. In this third film, the lead doesn't quite sink to the level of becoming a complete monster. She finds something very special to redeem herself, and involves her plans with others resulting in peace for them as well. Lady Vengeance is about revenge yes but is also about parents protecting their children from a sadistic child serial killer. Then when they lose their children carrying out their vengeance upon the monster himself. As with all the other stories acts of revenge, of vengeance are merely a temporary state for it's user. Once the act is fulfilled it becomes an obsolete action or state, and the same can be said of Lady Vengeance. Savour the incredible experience while it lasts and be in awe of a story transcending vengeance with redemption.

''Big atonement for big sins...Small atonement for small sins.''

Part of a Vengeance Trilogy of which the more well-renowned Oldboy belongs to. IMO, of the trio, I find that Sympathy For Lady V to more strongly emphasize director Park Chan-wook's "poetic" use of visuals (a phrase you'll probably be able to understand better once you watch it) with a story that flows much smoother into it's gritty climax that, for my money, is richly laden with an equal balance of above-the-law justice & a plausible & sensible empathy for it's unique plot-device.
So while I also recommend Oldboy as a great flick that is armed with a more in-your-face type of plot twist, I still find that my sympathies tend to lean stronger towards Lady Vengeance.



8.5/10