Pound-of-flesh cinema, you might say.
Lady Vengeance (2005)
Rated: 18
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Theatrical Release: 10-02-2006
Synopsis: South Korean maestro Park Chan-wook concludes his Revenge Trilogy with the operatic, mesmerizing SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE. Unlike the first two films in the trilogy--SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE and OLDBOY--this time around, the hero is a heroine. On the heels of her release from prison,... South Korean maestro Park Chan-wook concludes his Revenge Trilogy with the operatic, mesmerizing SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE. Unlike the first two films in the trilogy--SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE and OLDBOY--this time around, the hero is a heroine. On the heels of her release from prison, Lee Geum-ja (Lee Yeong-ae) embarks on a mission to track down the man responsible for her imprisonment, which also resulted in her being forced to give up her daughter for adoption. Hardened by years in the penitentiary and endlessly fantasizing about the right way to exact revenge, she enlists the help of former cellmates to accomplish her goal. But what she uncovers is a secret so horrifying that no revenge seems fitting. Employing the same techniques (symphonic music, electrifying cinematography, sharp editing) that made OLDBOY such a thrilling cinematic experience, Park Chan-wook concludes his trilogy on a somber note. Beginning as a flashy, almost lighthearted spectacle, SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE gradually reveals itself to be a poignant commentary on the futility of revenge. Fortunately, the director's sheer audacity and technical virtuosity keeps it from succumbing to total darkness. This filmed screened as part of Lincoln Center's 2005 New York Film Festival. [More]
Genre: Foreign Films
Starring: Yeong-ae Lee, Choi Min-Sik, Yeong-ae Lee
DVD Info
Release:
Feb 9, 2008
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- NTSC
- Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - Korean
- Subtitles - English, Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentary - Richard Pena
- Interview - Chan Wook Park - Director
- Trailers - Theatrical Trailer
Reviews
Slick and frequently mesmerising, but ultimately it feels as calculated as the murky, melodramatic denouement.
The first hour will test the patience of all but diehard fans of the genre, flipping randomly through time before things settle down for a final 50 minutes examining the ethics of revenge.
An unsettling mix of stylish visuals, surreal fantasy, and shocking violence.
The kind of glorious sensory rush that you can only get when a supremely confident director fully kicks out the jams. Submerged within the flash, however, is a nihilistic worldview that may be even more curdled than its predecessors.
in Lady Vengeance, revenge is ultimately a shabby, sordid business that leaves everybody soiled and in need of purification - or at least of a pie in the face.
If you have a taste for revenge or just a taste for wickedly well-done filmmaking, help yourself to a serving of Lady Vengeance.
What most will take from Lady Vengeance is a director in love with film and the ability to express that passion through the language of his medium.
No capítulo final de sua trilogia sobre a Vingança, Park (com seu dom habitual para criar belíssimos quadros) concebe um conto de moralidade surpreendente, complexo e assustador, levando o espectador a confrontar sua própria percepção sobre o assunto.
Park Chanwook's latest revenge thriller isn't as graphic as earlier ones, but may be even more psychologically violent -- and that's a compliment, as it leads to astounding revelations about guilt and justice.
The theme of how all-around bad revenge is starts to wear a little thin... But there's always a perverse delight in just watching how a Park movie is executed.
It has an operatic scale and an emotional eloquence and, along the way, in the juxtaposition of its variously conflicting elements, we see how vengeance turns to redemption.
may be the most emotionally affecting, perversely amusing and deeply disturbing of the trilogy.
Park cleverly shows us that justice and revenge can be equally horrifying
Related Forums

by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/29/06

by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/29/06

by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/29/06

by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/29/06
by: Tarantino's Tourniquet 8/16/06
Trailers & Clips
Watch Now >>
News
posted by Jeff Giles March 17, 2008
She'll spend the summer blending humor and superhero action with Will Smith and Jason Bateman in Hancock, but Charlize...


Top Critic