Customer Reviews

Lady Vengeance

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is the last installment of Park Chan Wook's theme linked Vengeance trilogy - the first being Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and then OLdbOY....

Synopsis -

Geum-ja (Lee Young-ae), in her teen years is thrust into the spotlight when she is arrested and charged for the abduction and murder of a six year old boy, a crime she did not commit. The killer is Mr Baek (Old Boy's Choi Min-sik) framed her. While in jail, she gets allies to her cause for revenge and upon her release she takes her time to play out her fantasy of vengeance and the movie takes us through that journey as the director blends in a pespective of vengeance that is rather different from the last 2 films.

Review -

For fans of style , you will get your appetites filled as they are beautiful sets are littered all throughout the film. The violence is built up till the end when it erupts on screen. If you are a fan of OLdbOY, and that's the reason you are gonnna catch it; my suggestion is, do not expect an OLdbOY sequel or anything that resembles OLdbOY, as you will be sorely disappointed... Enter this film with the impression that is a whole new film experience and you will enjoy it......But mind you, this is a wonderful effort and a fantastic conclusion to the revenge trilogy....

The DVD -

2:35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 Surround tracks
English and Spanish subtitles
Theatrical trailer, and some preview trailers

The rest of the extras are still not released.... I will update them when i recieve them..

But it's been confirmed that the fade to black version of Lady Vengeance(which appears in the Korean Special edition) is not available here.

Ps: Please note that the Korean distributors of the movie have only released a 2 disc special edition and there is a HK single and double disc edition available. If there are anyone mentioning a Korean single disc edition - there is no such thing and they are not legal versions, beware such sellers!!!!

I would give this more stars if I could, I've made a list of "great movies" here on Amazon and when I see something I love I add it to my list, After this review this movie will be added, I believe I have it in some pretty amazing company.

Director Park Chan-Wook's conclusion to his vengeance trilogy is an amazing film. Out of the trilogy I have seen Oldboy (Three-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition), which i liked very much, i found this to be superior in every way, a masterpiece.

I will not go into any detail or spoil anything this movie is a rare treat and I wouldn't want to spoil any minute so I will give you the basic premises a beautiful woman Geum-ja Lee played perfectly by Yeong-ae Lee is wrongly imprisoned at the age of 18 for 13 years, so begins her plan of 13 years for revenge on the real criminal.

I believe this movie is all about choices and what is right and wrong. Are gods laws right? Are mans laws right? Lady Vengeance let's you analyze and decide that for yourself well after the credits roll.

On the cover it says "The best revenge thriller since Kill Bill." Kill bill was very good and entertaining movie, this movie goes deeper like all great movies it stays with you, you experience this film, it seeps into your subconscious, becomes one of your memories. I also enjoyed the Kill Bill's and as a drama and a thriller i believe it is better than both of them combined, however Kill Bill is superior on the action side of things.

This film is something you could debate and analyze it has deep meanings but it is also just a great story which keeps you guessing and at times can shock you while others make you laugh.

The score is beautiful to match the movie, the cinematography, and the transfer. Geum-ja Lee is referred to as an angel i believe she was an angel of vengeance and wrath. There is a beautiful shot at the end we get a god's eye view camera angle as snow falls onto three faces 2 open there mouths as if to receive communion from the white pure snow, but who doesn't? Was justice served? I think so.

Lady Vengeance was also on Reel's website on their top 10 of 2006, Was also on one of the editors at IFC's. It also has me rethinking which movie to drop from my personal top 10 of 2006 to make room for this gem.
Thanks for reading, share any thoughts.

DVD Special features (from the back of the dvd)
-Interview with director Park Chan-Wook
-The making of Lady Vengeance
-Audio Commentary by Director Park Chan-Wook
-Audio Commentary by Director, Cinematographer, and art dirctor
-Audio Commentary by Richard Pena- Program Editor, film society of Lincoln -Center, and associate professor of film, Columbia University
-International and U.S. theatrical Trailers
-English and Spanish subtitles

This film is really good. Park Chanwook made the perfect conclusion to a trilogy with Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. The three films work off each other beautifully, and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is far from a disappointment.The acting is top-notch, with cameos from Park Chanwook's first two films intermingling with new talent. The directing is superb, not quite eclipsing Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance or Oldboy but coming quite close. Park's directing style is solid and distinctive; he builds off earlier films and ideas to give an air of intensity surrounding the most innocent of scenes.

SFLV cuts back on the violence and focuses on personal turmoil, a welcome change from the beginning of his revenge trilogy. My favorite elements of this movie are the use of flashbacks to tell the witty, yet complicated story, and that the film sticks to its theme of vengeance with a die-hard, unwavering dedication. The only thing holding back from a perfect score is a slow ending, one which is necessary to bring the trilogy to a close but still slightly treading.

All in all, this film represents a master finishing his masterpiece, should be viewed by everyone, and works perfectly as a separate film and not a piece of a trilogy. Violence is minimal compared to Park's first two films, but is graphic. "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" is one of the few films that will make people cry not out of sadness but out of love.

An absolute masterpiece. Each film in the Park's vengeance series stands on its own as a great film. Nevertheless, Lady Vengeance stands out from Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Old Boy for the simple reason that the story is seen through the blood-red eyes of a woman scorned. This could be misinterpreted as a cheap gimmick or Kill Bill ripoff, but I assure you that is not the case. Far from it, Lady Vengeance plunges you into the mind and soul of a woman to live out the betrayl, pain, loss, vengeance, and even redemption as a woman. This is not a movie that crams a macho-dude-with-guns into a super-model. This a masterfully crafted story of a character who uses her wits, cunning, love, kindness, seduction, patience, and consideration to exact her revenge on one of the most rutheless villains in modern cinema.

There's a couple of movies that for some reason I waited months to watch after I bought them. They sat there in a pile, and I couldn't get myself to open them, and then I put them in and kicked myself for waiting so long.

Old Boy and Lady Vengeance are two of those.

I saw Lady Vengeance compared to Audry Hepburn (sp?) acting the part of a hitman. I think that's the perfect description. She's sharp, elegant, perceptive and strong. And she's dynamic. That's all I'll say without giving away the end.

This film is an exciting and poignant depiction of a woman whose life has reached the point of no return. The story unfolds in an intelligent way encouraging you to continue to engage with it. The music used is haunting and entirely appropriate for each scene adding to the drama.

This movie is not for the faint of heart. It deals with adult themes and criminal activity. It does this in a completely artful way. I saw the film originally during a Korean film festival on television and subsequently bought it as a gift for a family member.

Having seen all of the films in the Park Chan-Wook's vengeance trilogy, I must write that this one is another great gem of a film by this remarkable director. The film centers on the life of Geum-ja (Yeong-ae Lee); who has been convicted and sentenced to prison for murdering a child. However, there is more to the story than meets the eye. The usual unpredictable storytelling of director Park Chan-Wook has weaved another masterful revenge film. This film cannot, and should not be compared to the other two films in the trilogy. Each is different and diverges into the dark recesses of the human soul in its own way. I happen to think that this film deserves praise for its originality, and the depth of the characters in the film. Many of the actors you will recognize as those who portrayed both the protagonist's and antagonist's in the other films of the trilogy, "Oldboy" and "Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance."

When Geum-ja is finally released from prison after 13 years, she has appeared to have gone through a transformation in her life by converting to Christianity and earning the nickname 'The kindhearted Geum-ja." However, while in prison she has had only one thought in her mind: REVENGE. The object of her obsession for the past 13 years has been Mr. Baek (Min-Sik Choi). Furthermore, it is her friends from prison that she enlists in her quest to seek vengeance. Yeong-ae Lee gives a tremendous performance in the film, and the films success is due in great part to her great acting. Although this film is not as violent as the first two, the story itself is very good. However, the films nuances are great, and both Geum-ja, and the rest of the characters in the film pull off great a performance in their respective roles.

Also, the cinematography in this particular episode is magnificent. The array of colors and beautifully shot scenes are just terrific. Moreover, the film is more subtle than the previous two films of the trilogy, and this works well within the film. As this film has a different sort of twist on those seeking revenge, than the other two previous films had. I don't wish to spoil the film for those of you who have not seen this great film, however, its is a great film, and if you liked either of the other films, or any film with great suspenseful dramatic acting, then you will definetly like this film. However, do not go into this film expecting an "Oldboy"' type film, this one is different. I know many who do no like "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" [even though it had a more realistic and plausible plot than "Oldboy"] and as a result, they wound up disliking that particular film. Each of these films is a gem in its own right. I like ALL of them, each has a different story to tell, and each is uniquely great. The film is highly recommended. [Stars: 5+]

this movie popped up on my netflix as a "suggestion" and i didn't give it much thought but added it anyway. that was six months ago. i have rented it another two times since and now i'm just going to break down and buy it. i have since seen the other two installments in the revenge trilogy (in backwards order) and this is by far the most thrilling for me. the imagery and soundtrack are stellar and the story is engaging. i'm pretty picky about movies and i'm not easily impressed. this film left more than an impression

Young boy, sad mistake
Thirteen years, long time to wait
Snow falls on white cake

This movie was great. I am a fan of the vengeance trillogy. Lady Vengeance really didn't let me down. I personally think that this one is my second favorite of the three. I have watched it with some of my friends. Some didn't like it as much as the other movies when others liked it the most. This movie is a great flick. Check it out some time.