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Director: Chan-wook Park
Lady Vengeance is the third film in Park's vengeance trilogy and in many ways it parallels the second film Oldboy. Geum-ja Lee has just been released from prison where she served a sentence for kidnapping and smothering a five year old boy. We understand early on in the film that things are not what they seem, so the mystery of what Geum-ja Lee's role in the actual crime is lasts throughout the film.
The first half of the film we spend getting to know Lee and the people in her life. This character has a strong sense of right and wrong and is not afraid to dish out her brand of justice to anyone that wrongs her or others in her life. We also learn that she has a daughter who becomes not only integral to Lee's character but a very strong part of the emotional tie the audience will have with the movie. Similar to the protagonist in Oldboy we develop a large amount of sympathy for Lee. She is a tortured soul but one that is more than capable of showing sympathy and affection for others. Appropriately Park never lets us forget that Lee is tragically flawed and that her actions are not to be celebrated. Park knows that revenge is something that we all feel and may even fantasize about at times, but he is quick to pull us back by showing us how ultimately it does not change our circumstances and lessens who we are in the process. Park could not have done a better job of driving this point home in the second half of Lady Vengeance. I refuse to spoil a minute of what transpires, but if revenge and it effects is a theme that intrigues you in the slightest this is must viewing.
I have two issues with this film. The first is the way that Park causes the viewer to lose their sense of time and place at many points during the first half of the film. I do not require a straight forward narrative to enjoy a film. However if I spend any amount of time wondering where,who, and what I am viewing instead of spending my time getting to know the characters it removes me from the film and lessens my experience. That happened to me more than once here. I also remained not entirely clear on Lee's ultimate role in what she was accused of at the beginning of the film. Whether left deliberately ambiguous by Park or if it was explained but missed by me in the messier aspects of the first half I am unsure. In my mind the fact that I am unsure is the fault of the film and again lessened my experience. I could be, and hope to be, proven wrong on this point in future viewings.
Again, like Oldboy, Park's use of color and music is impeccable. The atmosphere that he sets in his films is unmatched and certainly adds to the enjoyment of Lady Vengeance. I could not be happier that I have began to experience Park's films. He will most certainly become a director whose work I look forward to. Lady Vengeance is a visceral experience that should not be missed by film fans.
Director: Chan-wook Park
Lady Vengeance is the third film in Park's vengeance trilogy and in many ways it parallels the second film Oldboy. Geum-ja Lee has just been released from prison where she served a sentence for kidnapping and smothering a five year old boy. We understand early on in the film that things are not what they seem, so the mystery of what Geum-ja Lee's role in the actual crime is lasts throughout the film.
The first half of the film we spend getting to know Lee and the people in her life. This character has a strong sense of right and wrong and is not afraid to dish out her brand of justice to anyone that wrongs her or others in her life. We also learn that she has a daughter who becomes not only integral to Lee's character but a very strong part of the emotional tie the audience will have with the movie. Similar to the protagonist in Oldboy we develop a large amount of sympathy for Lee. She is a tortured soul but one that is more than capable of showing sympathy and affection for others. Appropriately Park never lets us forget that Lee is tragically flawed and that her actions are not to be celebrated. Park knows that revenge is something that we all feel and may even fantasize about at times, but he is quick to pull us back by showing us how ultimately it does not change our circumstances and lessens who we are in the process. Park could not have done a better job of driving this point home in the second half of Lady Vengeance. I refuse to spoil a minute of what transpires, but if revenge and it effects is a theme that intrigues you in the slightest this is must viewing.
I have two issues with this film. The first is the way that Park causes the viewer to lose their sense of time and place at many points during the first half of the film. I do not require a straight forward narrative to enjoy a film. However if I spend any amount of time wondering where,who, and what I am viewing instead of spending my time getting to know the characters it removes me from the film and lessens my experience. That happened to me more than once here. I also remained not entirely clear on Lee's ultimate role in what she was accused of at the beginning of the film. Whether left deliberately ambiguous by Park or if it was explained but missed by me in the messier aspects of the first half I am unsure. In my mind the fact that I am unsure is the fault of the film and again lessened my experience. I could be, and hope to be, proven wrong on this point in future viewings.
Again, like Oldboy, Park's use of color and music is impeccable. The atmosphere that he sets in his films is unmatched and certainly adds to the enjoyment of Lady Vengeance. I could not be happier that I have began to experience Park's films. He will most certainly become a director whose work I look forward to. Lady Vengeance is a visceral experience that should not be missed by film fans.