Review of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) by Demetrios M — 06 Mar 2013

The first in Chan Wook Park's Vengeance trilogy is a well executed dramatic thriller that is superbly acted and directed. The film tells a great story to boot, which will surely entertain the viewer from start to finish.

What I love about this film is that it differs very much from other revenge movies as it adds a touch of genuine human emotion to the chaos. This is a very violent film that is sure to disturb the viewer.

However there is a purpose to the violence and it plays out almost like another character in the film. This is a well crafted film that is engaging from beginning to end, and you see hints of Park's brilliant work that would come out in his second vengeance film, Oldboy.

This one on the other hand was getting the grooves right, and I find that with Oldboy Park would be much more confident with the subject at hand and make his masterwork. This is still a worthwhile film to watch and boasts a great story as well.

The cast do a fine job with the material and each bring something wonderful to the screen. Along with its follow up Oldboy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is among the best revenge films ever made and is a haunting piece of work that if you love foreign cinema, you'll surely enjoy this picture.

This is a near perfect film that has stood out above others and relies on basic elements to tell a convincing story, something that lacks in many American films. The film leaves room for improvement, luckily Park would find the perfect formula with Oldboy and he would craft a stellar second revenge outing.

For what it is, this is a must see for film buffs and it sets the stage for the other two films that would follow this first picture.