I Saw the Devil - 2010

[Darren Aronofsky]

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Directed by Jee-woon Kim



Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik) is a dangerous psychopath who kills for pleasure. He has committed infernal serial murders in diabolic ways that one cannot even imagine and his victims range from young women to even children. The police have chased him for a long time, but were unable to catch him. One day, Joo-yeon, daughter of a retired police chief becomes his prey and is found dead in a horrific state. Her fiance Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun), a top secret agent, decides to track down the murderer himself. He promises himself that he will do everything in his power to take bloody vengeance against the killer, even if it means that he must become a monster himself to get this monstrous and inhumane killer (plot).


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This movie is excellent. Beautiful cinematography contrasts the stark, dimly lit scenes where the murders, or gritty fight scenes, occur. The camera work is simple but effective; the viewer is often treated to close-ups of both Byung-hun Lee and Mik-sik Choi, and their facial expressions tell us more than dialogue ever could. There is also contrast between Lee and Choi. Lee, clean and stoic, and Choi, filthy and madly expressive. They compliment each other very well, and play off of each others strengths effectively.


The story itself is typical of revenge films, but fantastic in its execution. Lee's character experiences a profound loss at the hands of Choi's character, and in the process of seeking revenge begins to resemble the man he so hates. The line between "victim" and "aggressor" becomes blurred between both characters. This is where the film shines. There is no black and white in "I Saw the Devil"; the viewer is left with shades of grey.


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The devil is performed by Min-sik Choi which is known for Oldboy and Lady Vengeance . In the other corner we have Byung-hun Lee , known for The Good ,The Bad and The Weird and the Korean drama series Iris ( Ailiseu) . The acting is stunning .From a long time i didn't seen such a well defined expressions of the main characters .The characterization through actions won't mislead you . The devil ,a ' serial killer ' or a 'monster ' acts perfectly for his stereotype : a misfit of the society ,a sick guy degraded to extreme , a vicious single man who lost his faith in humanity .He's the Devil .The one who does bad things without searching for a reason .His opponent is not the good embodied .In fact he's not even the justice as his job is meant to be . He's symbolizing Vengeance,Vengeance taken to extreme .His Will to keep his promise and destroy his wife's assassin is bigger than his will to live and protect the ones he love .A fatal mistake which will be his tombstone .His lack of emotions is showing that he changed .He lost everything : his wife , his life and even more .You may think he lost his human part , but you'll have a surprise in the end .


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Director Ji-woon Kim delivers on the type of film stylings that we have come to expect from him. Not only is this an impressive revenge film but it questions the idea of right and wrong and how far someone would go to make a point. The movie carries on for quite some time and really drive home the pain and suffering of mind, body and soul in our characters. Horror fans should make this a permanent part of there collection for its bold story and riveting performances.

5/5

[TheUsualSuspect]

Great film, but a tad too long for me. I thought it was going to be over at the house, then it went on for another 30 minutes. The taxi cab scene is intense as hell.

[akatemple]

One of the best films I have ever seen, the whole revenge part of it was awesome. I loved this movie and tell all of my friends that they have to watch this. The greenhouse scene was one of the best aside from the ending, it's hard for me to choose. Hell yeah it get's a 5.

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[TheUsualSuspect]

He is one badass character, I must say. I was totally engrossed in the film, even though I mentioned it was a tad long, I was still enthralled till the very end.

[mark f]

I thought it was over-everything, but I believe that's the point. It's supposed to be flamboyant but after 140 minutes, I was happy to see it end. I'd still give it 3 which is a thumbs up from me, but a few scenes got me to wondering if I was being too lenient. I mean, most every "victim" in the film was subjected to so much on-screen violent abuse that they should have died several times over, and even then some of them didn't die. It turned the film into something approaching a fantasy which I believe works against the theme it develops.

[filmgirlinterrupted]

Loved it, but it was a bit too long 4

[Arequipa]

This movie was A Toast for me. I loved it.
Verdict: However, if you have the stoic nerve to process the unbridled carnage then I Saw the Devil is one incredible film that shouldn’t be missed and certainly, if you are fan of Oldboy, I Saw the Devil should be required viewing.

[The Prestige]

I thought it was pretty entertaining, though it reminded me of Dexter a lot of the times. But overall, I think Mark's feelings echo mine. It got a little cartoony at times with the brutal violence to the point where it was boderline slapstick, but then the film seems to seriously address the nature of revenge, so it makes it a bit uneven for me.

[bouncingbrick]

I thought it was over-everything, but I believe that's the point. It's supposed to be flamboyant but after 140 minutes, I was happy to see it end. I'd still give it 3 which is a thumbs up from me, but a few scenes got me to wondering if I was being too lenient. I mean, most every "victim" in the film was subjected to so much on-screen violent abuse that they should have died several times over, and even then some of them didn't die. It turned the film into something approaching a fantasy which I believe works against the theme it develops.

I felt that was part of the purpose of the film. By dragging Soo-hyeon into a world that's completely over-the-top it litterally takes him down to their level. It plays up the metaphore of the title to the nth degree. It is called I Saw the Devil, afterall. :D

From my blog:

Review: I Saw the Devil is a Korean revenge film from the director of The Good, the Bad, the Weird (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0901487/). It's the type of revenge film set-up that you may have seen before, if you're a fan of this sub-genre, but this film is far from standard.

I Saw the Devil opens with the brutal murder of Joo-yeon, the daughter of a retired police chief and fiancee to Soo-hyeon (played brilliantly by Byung-hun Lee) by serial killer Kyung-chul (Min-sik Choi of Oldboy). Kyung-chul has been killing women and eluding police for years, but he gets far more than he bargained for when Soo-hyeon uses his secret agent connections and talents to track down and hunt him. I can't say much more than that about the plot because, while being a simple story, it involves a few twists and turns that shouldn't be spoiled.

Soo-hyeon's journey in the film is a spectacle to watch, as he makes his bloody way through a universe that seems inhabited by serial killers and psychopaths. It's tough to call him a protagonist because, while his motivation certainly seems relatable, the lengths he goes to enacting his revenge take him into quite villainous territory. Despite these actions, I still found myself rooting for him, because Kyung-chul is such a despicable character. He prays on young women, doing quite awful things.

This is the perfect example of the revenge thriller sub-genre of film. It's brutal, violent and unrelenting. But it also makes Soo-hyeon a very solid emotional center, which makes the violence that unfolds all the more potent. Most revenge films skimp on making the characters feel human which makes the violence and gore exploitative. I Saw the Devil makes the brilliant move of making you care about Soo-hyeon and root for his success. It also drags you into his own type of madness, and in the end leaves just as many questions as answers.

The two leads are turning in amazing performances, and director Jee-woon is perfectly orchestrating the dark twists and turns of this film. It's such a compelling film that the 2 hour and 20 minutes run time flies past, bringing the viewer to a conclusion that must be seen to be believed.

While I Saw the Devil may be far too violent for all tastes, it's still an amazing contemplation on revenge as justice and the depths that people would go to avenge someone they love.