Lady Vengeance serves it cold
April 19th 2008 04:50
*Mild spoilers below*
I love revenge narratives, in both books and movies. For this reason, I'm a fan of Korean director Park Chan-wook's 'Vengeance Trilogy', which comprises Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance (2002), Oldboy (2003), and Sympathy For Lady Vengeance (2005). Although I believe Oldboy to be the best of the three, each film has its unique brand of revenge: Mr. Vengeance is the most ruthlessly bloody, Oldboy is brooding yet operatic, and Lady Vengeance is both baroque and tightly controlled. Lady Vengeance is also the only film in the trilogy with a female protagonist.
Sympathy For Lady Vengeance starts with a preacher and a Christian singing group dressed in Santa suits, waiting outside a prison for the release of one of its inmates. The preacher offers the cake to the woman, urging her to "live white" (i.e., live free of sin). But the woman pushes the cake to the ground and gives the preacher a few choice words.
Through extensive use of flashbacks, the film reveals that the woman, Lee Geum-ja (played by the amazing Lee Yeong-ae), was wrongfully imprisoned for thirteen years for the kidnapping and murder of a little boy. Geum-ja had confessed to the murder because the real murderer, Mr. Baek (Choi Min-Sik), threatened to kill her baby daughter.
Geum-ja's case had become a media sensation because of her youth and innocent beauty. In prison, she was a model prisoner, an "angel" who was kind to all inmates, and who movingly showed repentance for her crime. As a result of her behaviour in prison, she garnered the respect and devotion of the other inmates, and also the favour of the preacher.
Geum-ja's first acts after her release are to visit other ex-convicts, who are glad to repay her for her past kindnesses. Through her contacts, she finds a job and a place to live, procures a custom-made gun, and tracks down Mr. Baek. People remark to Geum-ja that she's "changed", not only in looks but in attitude. In prison, she was angelic, sweet--beatific, even. Upon her release, her penchant for trenchcoats, high heels, and red eyeshadow signifies her new femme fatale persona.
Geum-ja's "magnificent plan" for revenge (as one of her contacts calls it) is complicated, however, by her reunion with her daughter Jenny, who had been living with adoptive parents in Australia. In addition, when Geum-ja finally gets close to Baek, she discovers that his crimes are worse than she initially supposed.
Geum-ja realises that she cannot reconcile her deeds with her uneasy, but affectionate, relationship with Jenny. The mother-daughter relationship distinguishes this film from the others in the Vengeance Trilogy--not because of gender, and not even because it is the main reason for Geum-ja's need for redemption--but because it has a real warmth and sadness that the other movies eschew.
In the end, revenge ends up being more than just cold (after waiting thirteen years, what's a little more time to perfect the plan?); it is collaborative. The film's cheerfully over-the-top tone morphs into something almost clinical in the last third, which is not to say that it loses its effectiveness. Rather, the film focuses on others' desire for revenge, of which Geum-ja is but a facilitator. It might be the first time that she does something for someone other than herself. The desire to redeem herself somewhat quells her bloodthirst.
People have called Sympathy for Lady Vengeance a feminist movie. Certainly, the argument can be made: Geum-ja uses her beauty and others' preconceptions of her to get what she wants, she has a network of female ex-cons to help her, and the film touches on issues important to women, such as mothering, single parenting, and violence in marriage. Still, I think the most convincing reason for calling Lady Vengeance a feminist movie is how Geum-ja is flawed and contradictory, yet sympathetic. She may not be an angel, but she possesses a believability and depth that make her much more interesting than what passes for 'strong female characters' these days.
Watch the trailer for Sympathy For Lady Vengeance:
I love revenge narratives, in both books and movies. For this reason, I'm a fan of Korean director Park Chan-wook's 'Vengeance Trilogy', which comprises Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance (2002), Oldboy (2003), and Sympathy For Lady Vengeance (2005). Although I believe Oldboy to be the best of the three, each film has its unique brand of revenge: Mr. Vengeance is the most ruthlessly bloody, Oldboy is brooding yet operatic, and Lady Vengeance is both baroque and tightly controlled. Lady Vengeance is also the only film in the trilogy with a female protagonist.
Sympathy For Lady Vengeance starts with a preacher and a Christian singing group dressed in Santa suits, waiting outside a prison for the release of one of its inmates. The preacher offers the cake to the woman, urging her to "live white" (i.e., live free of sin). But the woman pushes the cake to the ground and gives the preacher a few choice words.
Through extensive use of flashbacks, the film reveals that the woman, Lee Geum-ja (played by the amazing Lee Yeong-ae), was wrongfully imprisoned for thirteen years for the kidnapping and murder of a little boy. Geum-ja had confessed to the murder because the real murderer, Mr. Baek (Choi Min-Sik), threatened to kill her baby daughter.
Geum-ja's case had become a media sensation because of her youth and innocent beauty. In prison, she was a model prisoner, an "angel" who was kind to all inmates, and who movingly showed repentance for her crime. As a result of her behaviour in prison, she garnered the respect and devotion of the other inmates, and also the favour of the preacher.
Geum-ja's first acts after her release are to visit other ex-convicts, who are glad to repay her for her past kindnesses. Through her contacts, she finds a job and a place to live, procures a custom-made gun, and tracks down Mr. Baek. People remark to Geum-ja that she's "changed", not only in looks but in attitude. In prison, she was angelic, sweet--beatific, even. Upon her release, her penchant for trenchcoats, high heels, and red eyeshadow signifies her new femme fatale persona.
Geum-ja's "magnificent plan" for revenge (as one of her contacts calls it) is complicated, however, by her reunion with her daughter Jenny, who had been living with adoptive parents in Australia. In addition, when Geum-ja finally gets close to Baek, she discovers that his crimes are worse than she initially supposed.
Geum-ja realises that she cannot reconcile her deeds with her uneasy, but affectionate, relationship with Jenny. The mother-daughter relationship distinguishes this film from the others in the Vengeance Trilogy--not because of gender, and not even because it is the main reason for Geum-ja's need for redemption--but because it has a real warmth and sadness that the other movies eschew.
In the end, revenge ends up being more than just cold (after waiting thirteen years, what's a little more time to perfect the plan?); it is collaborative. The film's cheerfully over-the-top tone morphs into something almost clinical in the last third, which is not to say that it loses its effectiveness. Rather, the film focuses on others' desire for revenge, of which Geum-ja is but a facilitator. It might be the first time that she does something for someone other than herself. The desire to redeem herself somewhat quells her bloodthirst.
People have called Sympathy for Lady Vengeance a feminist movie. Certainly, the argument can be made: Geum-ja uses her beauty and others' preconceptions of her to get what she wants, she has a network of female ex-cons to help her, and the film touches on issues important to women, such as mothering, single parenting, and violence in marriage. Still, I think the most convincing reason for calling Lady Vengeance a feminist movie is how Geum-ja is flawed and contradictory, yet sympathetic. She may not be an angel, but she possesses a believability and depth that make her much more interesting than what passes for 'strong female characters' these days.
Watch the trailer for Sympathy For Lady Vengeance:
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Totally agree that Oldboy is the high point of the trilogy.
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is an intriguing, if flawed film. I enjoy the parody elements of the work plus of course the observation on violence and guilt.
If your interested you can read my review for the film which appeared in FilmInk magazine by clicking HERE
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Going over to your blog now~
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I just love your banner, the old fashioned images always get me in. A sense of nostalgia inherited from my Mother, I guess.
Keep up the good work.
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