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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).
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.
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.
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 .
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
