Pound-of-flesh cinema, you might say.
Lady Vengeance (2005)
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Reviews Counted:82
Fresh:60
Rotten:22
Average Rating:6.9/10
Consensus: Stylistically flashy and gruesomely violent, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance fits in nicely with the other two films of Park's revenge trilogy.
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... 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]
Starring: Yeong-ae Lee, Choi Min-Sik
Starring: Yeong-ae Lee, Choi Min-Sik
Director: Chan Wook Park
Director: Chan Wook Park
Studio: Tartan Films
Reviews for Lady Vengeance
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.
Talks Sin and Salvation while spending all his creative energies on debasing gags and sneering wide-angle shots
Park Chanwook works his Grand Guignol sense of humor against Korean social conditions to effect a call-and-response logic to the metaphoric and literal things that happen onscreen.
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.
Latest News for Lady Vengeance
May 15, 2009:
Cannes 2009: The Tomato Report – Thirst’s Vampires Descend on the Croisette
Park Chan-wook is best known for his exceptional Vengeance Trilogy -- Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance -- three blood-soaked, expertly drawn films that... More...
May 10, 2009:
Cannes 2009: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
The Cannes Film Festival will screen nearly 100 films as part of its Official Selection and associated sidebars when it kicks off next week in the Southern France town. The... More...
March 17, 2008:
Charlize Theron Has Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
She'll spend the summer blending humor and superhero action with Will Smith and Jason Bateman in Hancock, but Charlize Theron already has Vengeance on her mind. More...
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