Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: March 29, 2002 (South Korea) / August 19, 2005 (USA)

DVD Release Date: November 22, 2005

Plot 411: A deaf and mute brother will do anything he can to save his dying sister, even if it means kidnapping a little girl.

Review: I hadn't originally planned to watch this film. Oldboy, the next film by Chan-wook Park, came to me highly recommended so it was that film that I had my eyes set on. However, when I discovered there was a trilogy of revenge films I figured I'd might as well watch them in order. This movie was a little difficult to follow at times but the entire film taken together was wonderfully played. The emotional entanglements of all the characters make it seem as though their actions are justified. As dramatic and engaging as Othello or any other Shakespearean tragedy, this film is filled with evocative imagery.

Watch It: For an Asian twist on a European tradition that will live you breathless.

Skip It: If violence isn't your cup of tea. The bloodshed in this film isn't as gruesome as the Saw movies, for instance, but they pull more on your heartstrings because of the characters' motives.

Trailer: