The World of Horror

Sympathy for Mr Vengeance - Reviewed by Miss Twisted
Korean title; Boksuneun naui geot, means 'Vengeance is Mine'

Released: March 29th 2002 (South Korea)
Run Time: 2 hrs 9 mins
Starring: Shin Ha-kyun (Thirst, Save the Green Planet),
Song Kang-ho (The Host, Thirst), Bae Doona, Lim Ji-eun.
Directed by: Park Chan-wook

This visually striking film tells us the cruel story of Ryu, a deaf and mute man who is laid off from his factory job whilst his sister is desperately in need of a kidney transplant. As she waits on the list for a matching donor, Ryu discovers he can get one quickly on the black market, but it will cost 10,000,000 Korean Won and one of his own kidneys, which are sadly not a match for his sister. Using his severance pay he agrees to the illicit deal. He awakes from his operation to find one of his kidneys, the money and the dealers all gone without a trace.
And fates way of helping out is the usual salt to wounds friction as just three weeks later doctors find a donor for his sister, but need 10,000,000 Won to go ahead. Talk about kick a man while he's down huh?!

So here's where the tale gets complicated... If I told you the full details I would give away the whole film, so I'm going to use a little 'Miss Twisted Logic'... Man A and Woman A decide to kidnap Girl A, who is the daughter of Man B, to save Woman B. And why Girl A?? Because Man B fired Man A when he most needed the help to save Woman B... Man A and Woman A, who happens to be an anarchist, then change their minds about taking Girl A and instead choose Girl B. So Man A and Woman A abduct Girl B and leave her to be cared for by the unknowing Woman B (Are you still following me here guys?!?!). We then have Tragedy A, quickly followed by Tragedy B.
Now the father of Girl B, Man C, who works with Man B, who fired Man A (remember??), well he, Man C does a little investigating and basically we then have Tragedy C, Tragedy D and Tragedy E all unfold over the next 30-40 minutes. And then the credits roll.

Hmm... I should probably tell you that I intended for my readers to zone out during the early part of the above paragraph, scan read the majority and then re-focus somewhere near its end. That way I have done my part as a reviewer in covering the plot, but have also stayed true to the avid film fan within me and revealed no spoilers! Perhaps I should have warned you before you started reading the paragraph?! Anyway, back to the film...

So yes it really is that bleak when you strip it down to its bare bones. But this story is well told using, at times, extreme violence to help develop the story. The visuals are excellent and the gruesome effects really do add to Sympathy for Mr Vengeance in a positive way.
Although it had a low profile theatrical release and isn't really known other than as part of director Park Chan-wook's revenge threesome, The Vengeance Trilogy, this film really should be appreciated in its own right. The script itself was completed in just 20 hours non-stop. A writing marathon like this ought to be respected anyway, but when it involves a story with so many key characters all entwined in such a complicated way we, the audience, should truly be in awe of such skills.
Another awesome fact is that this was the first film in history to have a sex scene with sign language. On paper it almost sounds comical, but this was one of the most tender sex scenes I have seen. It really is beautiful it watch.

6/10 is my rating here.

Although its strengths clearly do outweigh its weaknesses, compared with other revenge themed world cinema movies out there, it isn't great. Sympathy with Mr Vengeance is a film that can be respected as one of the directors earlier projects, being more of a strong foundation than a spring board for future success.

- Miss Twisted is off to learn some sign language!