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As so many other people I decided to watch this film because I was impressed by the brilliant "Oldboy" and wanted to check the previous work of this fine Korean director. Although "Sympathy for Mr Vengeance" is a little bit less impressive than "Oldboy", it is very powerful with some very brutal scenes of nasty revenge methods. The story has many surprises, and some back and forth movement regarding the time sequence, but the finale is unpredictable and hard hitting indeed!

Korean cinema continues to impress as Chan-Wook Park proves "JSA: Joint Security Area" was no fluke. "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" is not an easy movie to stomach. It contains some of the most graphic scenes of violence I've seen in a long time, and many of the subject matters it deals with are unsettling and downright depressing. It's an absolutely gripping film, however. As with JSA, the major strength is the solid premise and plot -- a chain reaction of tragedies of Shakespearian proportions. There is no clear line between good and evil -- it's merely a conflict between two groups of people who just happen to be on the opposite sides of the fence (metaphorically, this time).

There is very little dialogue (Park says he tried to limit it to bare minimum), but the superb acting (especially Du-Na Bae playing the villain against type and Ha-Kyun Shin as the deaf/mute protagonist) and stylish widescreen shots are more than enough to carry the story.

This is the first installment of Chan-wook Park's Revenge Trilogy (followed by "Oldboy" and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance").

After watching Park's film _Oldboy_ the night before, I decided to also watch his earlier film _Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance_ as well. Unlike _Oldboy_, I had heard very little concerning _Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance_, but considering the exhaustively emotional experience of watching the newer film, I definitely wanted to check out Park's earlier work. I must say that I found this film to be more disturbing than Park's blockbuster.

The film opens with a quite touching scene in which a letter sent by the death-mute Ryu is read at a radio station. The letter states how much Ryu appreciates the sacrifices his sister has made for him throughout his life and now, because his sister needs a kidney transplant, it is time for him to repay her kindness.

Sounds like the opening for a great tearjerker, but, being a Park Chan Wook film, things begin to go hideously wrong. Stuff begins to hit the fan when Ryu learns that his blood type is B while his sister's is A, so his kidney is useless to her. Not wanting to give up the fight, Ryu exchanges his kidney and 10 million Won, around ten thousand dollars, for a type A kidney. At least, this is what he had hoped to do. So penniless, and without one of his kidneys, Ryu soon learns that a kidney is available for his sister and he only needs to pay the ten million won to make his sister well. Of course Ryu is broke and to make matters worse he has also been fired, so what is our green haired protagonist to do? Teaming up with is sprightly revolutionist girlfriend Cha Yeongmi, Bae Du Na, Ryu plans to kidnap the daughter of his former boss. Things go well at first, but, of course, the situation becomes worse and worse for Ryu.

This is a frightening film. There were some truly terrifying moments in _Oldboy_, but this films works on a more visceral level. One can almost feel the tension boiling within Ryu and the desperation that he must feel in his desire to aid his older sister. Also, it should be mentioned that the acting of Sang Gang Ho, playing the part of the kidnapped girl's father, is extraordinary. He is definitely the most aggressive and frightening character in the film.

Old Boy is like eating cooked salmon.

This is like cutting into raw tuna.

I have never seen anything like this. This is more disturbing than any American/Japanese cinema combined.

Horrifyingly disjointed, disturbingly real--because it could happen to any one of us.

These Koreans. They can make movies. Jesus Christ.

I saw this and "Oldboy" in Minneapolis tonight. Of the two, I preferred "Vengeance". This film has more straightforward storytelling and is brimming with tension and suspense. The plot has some unexpected, but credible, surprises along the way. It is an uncompromising film. And, strangely, it is a beautiful film - with great cinematograghy. The acting by all involved was flawless and, frankly, very moving. But, as my title warns, viewers must be prepared for extreme violence and disturbing themes.

NO SPOILERS:

My suggestion is to go into this movie as blind as possible. Don't read the synopsis. Don't read the product desription, or any reviews that reveal too much of the plot. Don't even read the back of the box. Knock 1 Star off my review if you already did. The reason I say this is, the movies pacing slowly reveals it's plot, and if you know too much of it already it's going to drag like a zombie transvestite. There's very little dialogue; which is good 'cause i can't speak a syllable of Korean (and would rather watch the movie instead of reading it); and its bad 'cause it adds to the already slow pace. It's a revenge story, yes, but not an action movie. It's not as visceral as you would think going in, It's more human, but it does have its small pay-offs. Ultimately it asks "How far are you willing to go for the ones you love?" and, "If you seek revenge are you willing to drown in it?"

The main protagonist/antagonist is deaf & mute. (Don't worry that has nothing to do with the story),as a result any time someone communicates via sign-language, the screen goes black and displays what that person just mimed. (A nifty tool, reminiscent of the old silent films.)(Just figured I'd add that)

At its best this movie shows us the tumbling snowball that is vengeance. There is no definitive villian here. Everyone has been wronged, and seeks revenge, but its a vicious cycle, and everyone has someone who loves them and will carry it out on their behalf. At its worst, it's a slow movie that takes way too long to get where its going, and when it finally does, you feel cheated. Don't go into it expecting alot of blood, and violence,(I unfortunately did),there's some but its so spread out it's ineffective & unfulfilling. The acting is probably the best I've seen in an asian flick so far. But then again if there's too much dialogue in one, I seldom see the actors perform.

It's a heck of a great story, but it's not a wild ride. If you know nothing of the plot it will blow you away, but if you do, well, you ruined it for yourself.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Vengeance is a dish best served for two.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) is terrific opening on Chan-wook Park's Revenge trilogy followed by the brilliant Oldboy (2003) and later ended with Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005). Park simply transcends his visual violent story to a deeply meaningful tragedy where the protagonist's painful agony turns into a vengeful cinematic experience. However, it is within the agony where the film hides its true value, as it offers an opportunity to ponder the excruciating meaning of the suffering.

The story takes place in the background of South Korean poverty and struggle for survival where hospital care is beyond the reach for the poor life Ryu, a deaf-mute man. Ryu's sister also struggles with failing kidneys and must receive care soon or she will perish. Ryu has dropped out of school and taken a factory job through which he attempts to raise the money for a kidney transplant for his sister. He also attempts to donate his kidney, but he cannot as he has a different blood type. It all seems bleak, as the doctors cannot find a matching kidney. In desperation Ryu contacts black-market organ dealers that will find a matching kidney for his sister in trade for Ryu's own kidney. As Ryu recovers he finds out that he has been laid off as a result of low company profits and as a consequence Ryu does not have money for his sister's kidney transplant. Ryu's girlfriend, a Marxist terrorist, suggests that they should kidnap his former boss's daughter for a ransom of 10 million won, which should pay for the transplantation. However, Ryu's sister finds out that there is no money for the transplant, and commits suicide.

The complexity of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance brings forth an intelligent and well-written story that is based on a tragedy within a tragedy. This doubling or even tripling of sadness compounds and brings an extremely depressing story to the audience. The depressing theme is augmented through a careful balance between Ryu's soundless world and the deafening sound of factory machines and torturous screams. These moments of silence and noise are continuously set to aesthetically brilliant cinematography that enhances the visual symbolism projected on the screen, which furthers the artistic perspective on how each scene can be perceived. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is an upsetting story that grabs the audience by the throat with a tightening grip that does not let go until the final scene.

i got old boy first and then i got lady and mr vengeance after the fact. mr vengeance was very disturbing. the fact that the main character was deaf and dumb really made me feel frustrated at times. i found myself yelling at the tv "turn around! look! look behind you!". it was very well executed. he was trying to do good but things went terribly wrong. the tragic irony of the whole situation made my stomach hurt. it was awesome. just writing this review makes me want to watch it right now. if you like great movies with twists, turns, and a mess of blood check it out. you have to get old boy, and lady vengenace too. they are a series but they arent related. there are some references in the movies that youll pick up on which is cool. its like...korean kevin smith only really really good.

Before you watch this film, just be aware that you're not going to walk away from it with a big smile on your face. More like you'll want to slit your wrists. To say that Mr. Vengeance is a powerful, gut-wrenching nightmare is like saying that DaVinci merely dabbled in art.

The plot is so simple yet so complex. The direction is so elegant yet so hard-hitting. The simplistic nature of the story makes the descent into hell so shocking and captivating. You don't realize there is no going back until it's far, FAR too late.

Ryu is a deaf/mute who works in the loudest factory in the world, doing a really depressing job. His sister needs a kidney transplant, but they don't have the money to pay for it. He cannot give her one of his own because their blood types do not match. Ryu decides to go to black market organ traders to trade one of his own for one that matches his sister. Waking up naked and kidney-less in an abandoned building he now needs to raise money for his own kidney.

Ryu is now fired from his job by President Park, who is downsizing the company. His anarchist girlfriend Yeong-mi convinces him to kidnap Park's daughter and hold her to ransom. From then on, things get very, very, VERY heavy and the idea of who exactly Mr. Vengeance is is blurred and sympathy is felt for almost everyone. Revenge comes at a high price and seemingly never ends. Not that I am saying forgiving and forgetting is the way. But this movie will make you think twice about getting your own back.

The violence is spontaneous and extremely graphic without ever feeling exploitational. Sometimes it has a darkly comic feel to it, the rest of the time it's goddamn hardcore. You'll wince a great deal during this movie, that's for damn sure.

Park Chan-wook directs with such beautifully composed images that are far from the the garish MTV-style action/thriller movies produced in Hollywood these days. I don't want to sound like some sort of snob who proclaims all foreign films to be great and all Hollywood to be crap but it's not very often that Hollywood makes a film like this unless it's a remake. Written in a mere 20 hours in a single massive, creative outburst, this movie seems to have genius laced through every minute of it's running time.

Not a date movie, not a whogivesadamn pig-out movie. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is a film you will be sucked right into and you'll be far from happy when you emerge at the end. But what a horrific ride!

The DVD is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby/DTS 6.1 sound.

This is the first in Chan-Wook Park's series of revenge tales. Ryu, who is deaf-mute, has quit art school to get a job to support his sister, who needs a kidney transplant. In desperation Ryu gives a kidney and all his savings to illegal organ dealers in exchange for one for his sister. They don't keep their end of the deal, and when a legitimate donor is found, Ryu can't pay for the operation. His anarchist girlfriend talks him into kidnapping the daughter of his rich former boss and holding her for ransom to get the money he needs. It's about this point that the movie begins its descent into a bleak cycle of revenge. Needless to say, it doesn't end well for anyone.

Unlike most movies, which use violence merely as another prop, the violence here grows naturally out of the story. The acts his characters commit are horrifying (the scenes of torture and murder may be more excruciating for the audience to watch than for the characters to suffer through), but understandable, given what's been taken from them. But vengeance doesn't do anything to restore what they've lost. In the end they are consumed by the need to destroy those who have caused their suffering (one anguished protagonist says, "I know you're a good guy, but you know why I have to kill you, right?") Of Park's three stories of vengeance, this is the one which most directly portrays its dehumanizing nature, and ultimately this makes the movie itself somewhat inhuman. Although it's not as satisfying as Oldboy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is nonetheless a memorable and thoroughly disturbing film.