The Vengeance Trilogy

Vengeance Trilogy

By Park Chan-Wook

The Vengeance Trilogy is not a set of sequels. It is a triptych of films with a similar theme…revenge. We all know as human beings that revenge is a natural thought, human nature if you will. We also know the consequences and eventual fallout if we were to act upon these urges.

These films deal with different types of revenge and motives, but the story is all the same. Who were we before? Who are we now? What will we become?

Never have I seen a film, or in this case films, that was able to open my mind and soul to the reality of these questions. We all think that nothing will change, that vindication is absolute, and that the consequences are worth it all. With three different approaches we are shown the folly of our ways, we are given an intimate glimpse into a possible reality that could happen to any one of us. After watching these films we no longer know what we knew, we UNDERSTAND.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance


Synopsis:
Unable to afford proper care for his sister dying from kidney failure, Ryu turns to the black market to sell his own organs only to end up cheated of his life savings. His girlfriend urges Ryu to kidnap the daughter of wealthy industrialist Dong-jin, who recently laid him off. Ryu agrees, but unforeseen tragedies turn an innocent con into a merciless quest for revenge. Bound by their personal losses and deep-seated anger, the two men are thrust into a spiral of destruction.

Review:
One thing the synopsis fails to mention is that Ryu is a deaf-mute. Due to this fact the film is extremely subdued. A tribute to the acting skills involved! Because of his affliction everyone else in the movie speaks only when necessary, everything else is shown through facial expressions and pure, raw emotion that transcends any language barrier. The title Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is truer than any title I can think of. The story, acting, script, everything about this movie succeeds in gaining the viewers attention, gaining their sympathy. You may hear that this film, as with the other films in the Vengeance Trilogy, is excessively and graphically violent. Maybe I am just desensitized to violence from decades of horror films, but the violence was not excessive but necessary in conveying the emotion and feeling the film needed to give. I have felt bad or sorry for characters in other movies due to a situation they are placed in; but never have I felt such sympathy that I understood the gravity of the film’s situation. A slow burn for the start, this film is never boring but rather increasingly interesting. Knowing this could never end well, I still found myself hoping for the best, wishing well upon the actors in this tragedy play. This film may be a hard watch for some but that is only because it digs into the viewers’ soul and gives them truth. The ugly truths we hope to forget but must understand in order prevent such mistakes in our own lives.
9/10

Oldboy


Synopsis:
Oh Dae-su is an ordinary Seoul businessman with a wife and little daughter. After a drunken night on the town, he is abducted and locked up in a strange, private “prison.” No one will tell him why he’s there and who his jailer is and his fury builds to a single-minded focus of revenge. 15 years later, he is unexpectedly freed, given a new suit, a cell phone and 5 days to unravel the mystery and discover the identity of the enemy who had him imprisoned. Seeking vengeance on all those involved, he soon finds that his enemy’s tortures are just beginning.

Review:
This was the only film in the Vengeance Trilogy I had had previous knowledge of. A film I heard was good and always wanted to see. I was not prepared for what came afterwards. Where Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance took my heart and thrust me into a world that I wished could be fixed; Oldboy kept me outside the world. A Tom peeping in to see what mustn’t be seen. The performances in this film are so grand and deep, the situation so unbelievable that the viewer can only watch in horror as they have no control over the events unraveling. All you can do is watch. You may read about a twist ending, this is no M. Night Shyamalan twist. You are not going to go “Wow! I didn’t see that coming.” You will simply stare in horror as everything that has been built comes crashing down in a swirl of emotion and violence. The main cast is so powerful that they themselves torment you, asking you to help them solve the mystery and free them from their chains; but we cannot. At the end of the film, I was not touched emotionally at all as I was with Mr. Vengeance. My mind and soul were thoroughly broken however as I lay in shambles, a shell of the person I once was. As I watched and could do nothing, as I realized the evil in men’s hearts, the lengths of which men will go to fulfill their vengeance, the depths of the human soul; I saw the world around me, my own heart, and my own thoughts. Our world is dark, our world is hate; we have the power to change this, we can prevent events such as the ones depicted in Oldboy from happening, we can save ourselves.
Not for everyone I must warn, but worth the viewing nonetheless.
11/10

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance


Synopsis:
After being blackmailed and wrongly imprisoned for 13 years, a beautiful woman is finally set free. Now her brutally elaborate plan for vengeance against the true criminal can begin to unfold.

Review:
After watching the previous films in the Vengeance Trilogy, I was prepared for another great film but unaware of what this one would do to me, could do to me. As the film begins, I am sad to say, I was let down. The main actress presents a very cold spiteful woman, and presents this well. However, the structuring of the first 30 – 40 minutes leaves much to be desired. It was too broken, Oldboy was broken but coherent, but this was broken and had TOO MUCH narrative. I could not get involved with the character, her plight, and her feelings. I understood her stance but was not sucked in as I previously had been. Then all of a sudden it grabbed me. After she goes looking for her daughter I began to see her conflict. I was shown and began to understand her anger and her pain. Events quickly build and even quicker die out with no pay off. A cop-out you say? Hell no! The conclusion to this movie will draw upon many morality issues, but I for one will say that I am for what this movie represents and ultimately gives us. Those who will have issues are too ignorant in human emotion and could never understand until they are in a position similar to those in this movie. This is revenge fantasy at its most striking. Yet, director Chan-Wook never allows us to revel in it, he shows us the reality. The reality may not be as harsh as the previous films but it is there and it is true. While not perfect overall due to the lackluster beginning, Chan-Wook shows his ability to create great, powerful scenes that will stay with the viewer long after the credits roll.
8/10

Conclusion:
While each film is a powerful, engaging watch, only after viewing the trilogy as a whole does it really begin to affect the viewer. Three stories; three morality plays with revenge as both the pivot and the crux; three different manners in which we are affected in both real life and in the experience of watching these films. The box set is worth the price of admission, watch in the order as described here because only then will you not be totally jarred; only then will you have hope and redemption similar to the lead in Lady Vengeance; only then does everything become clear and your life can start anew.
9.5/10