Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Park Chan Wook's first movie in his Vengeance trilogy, is a brutal tale of love, death and revenge. It tells the story of Ryu, a green-haired deaf man who is dedicated to saving the life of his sister who desperately needs a kidney transplant.
When he is cheated out of his life's savings by unscrupulous organ traffickers (who also make off with one of his kidneys), Ryu, with the help of his political activist girlfriend, kidnaps the daughter of his ex-boss and holds her for ransom. However, when the little girl dies in a tragic accident whilst held by the amateur abductors, her father is determined to make them pay dearly for what they have done...
Despite having a solid plot and some terrific performances from the leads, the film ultimately fails somewhat due to the direction; every shot has been carefully planned, meticulously framed and precisely shot to such an extent that it detracts from the storytelling. The carefully structured style also feels totally at odds with the chaotic and gritty storyline.
The result is an aesthetically pleasing, but 'sterile' movie.
When he is cheated out of his life's savings by unscrupulous organ traffickers (who also make off with one of his kidneys), Ryu, with the help of his political activist girlfriend, kidnaps the daughter of his ex-boss and holds her for ransom. However, when the little girl dies in a tragic accident whilst held by the amateur abductors, her father is determined to make them pay dearly for what they have done...
Despite having a solid plot and some terrific performances from the leads, the film ultimately fails somewhat due to the direction; every shot has been carefully planned, meticulously framed and precisely shot to such an extent that it detracts from the storytelling. The carefully structured style also feels totally at odds with the chaotic and gritty storyline.
The result is an aesthetically pleasing, but 'sterile' movie.