Lady Vengeance (C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
'Lady Vengeance' is a Korean thriller/drama directed by Chan-wook Park. At the age of 19, Geum-Ja (Yeong-ae Lee) goes to prison for the abduction & murder of a child, Won-Mo. But she did not commit this crime. One, Mr. Baek (Min-sik Choi), makes her say that she did or else he'd kill her newborn baby. In prison, she forms the facade of a saint, gets released, and plans a bloody act of vengeance against the man. With the help of her fellow inmates, and families of Baek's other victims, she hopes to capture him. This is a complex exploration of one woman's deadly pursuit (a death wish), and the consequences she isn't scared to face. Wildly confusing at the onset, the story eventually evens out. And although it's a bit odd, and too gruesome, this is a GREAT revenge tale.
A plot summary is necessary here: Because Geum-Ja is so beautiful, her imprisonment had been a media sensation. In jail, she's quick to make friends so as to prepare her elaborate plan of retribution with allies. Killing them with kindness, Geum-Ja accepts a Christian life. She donates a kidney to an inmate & takes care on an elderly senile lady. Because of her help, one inmate even gives her a blueprint for a handgun. The fun doesn't stop there. Geum-Ja unloads (showing she has some malice after all) by killing a disgusting prison bully. She does so by poisoning her with bleach as the years go by; genius. As she leaves prison, a minister offers her tofu (symbolizing a fresh beginning), and she flatly refuses. Off she goes on her escapade to find her adopted girl, hunt down Baek, & wreak havoc.
Now freed, Geum-Ja calls on her new pals for clothes, a place to stay, another gun, and a job. In full vigilante mode, she wears menacing red eye-shadow to represent the evil she hopes to bestow upon Baek. Geum-Ja is able to locate the parents of the little boy who she was accused of killing and begs for forgiveness. Whether they forgive her or not, she cuts off one of her fingers to show them her remorse. Distraught that her long-lost daughter now lives in Australia, she travels there with hopes to see her (taking her back to Korea could only be a wishful bonus). 'Jenny' feels a connection with Geum-Ja and begs her parents to let her go with her rightful mom; they oblige. Back in Korea, Geum-Ja finds Baek (with help from his hateful wife). But Baek learns of his wife's deceit and kidnaps her.
Meanwhile, Baek's thugs then kidnap Geum-Ja & Jenny! With good fortune, Geum-Ja is able to shoot them with her gun(s), and her vengeful journey continues. Similarly, Baek's wife is somehow able to drug her captor, and dark plans proceed. After discovering more atrocious child killings by the hand of Mr. Baek, Geum-Ja shoots (but doesn't kill him). From here, she summons the parents of the children he killed over the years. As he listens in on their meeting, he hears how they all intend to slowly kill him in their own ways. They slip on some raincoats, take weapons by the hand ... and you can figure the rest. Alibis are produced, and all is well. They dig a ditch; throw him in. And it's only 'after' his death that Geum-Ja is finally content enough to shoot him & toss-in the gun. Finito.
Yeong-ae Lee's performance as Geum-Ja stands out here. There's a clever use of special effects, photography, scene transitions, and a sly use of colors (to create a desired effect). There's a dry, deadpan humor throughout this 'thriller'. I quite enjoyed that. It's wickedly evil, strange, & wonderful to see justice rewarded. You see, Geum-Ja 'may' not get her daughter back. But she can be with her, receive a 'snowflake' with her, and is finally able to devour that tofu cake (thus, accepting a pure life ... for good). So while the ending is emotionally rewarding, the journey to this conclusion is arduous. The story is often confusing, told in metaphors, told in frequently-changing timelines, and hard to figure out whom she's seeking until the midway point of the movie. The violence & sex scenes are over-the-top, though often used imaginatively. While I respect 'Lady Vengeance', the visual & narrative style muck up the coherence of a very busy story.
A plot summary is necessary here: Because Geum-Ja is so beautiful, her imprisonment had been a media sensation. In jail, she's quick to make friends so as to prepare her elaborate plan of retribution with allies. Killing them with kindness, Geum-Ja accepts a Christian life. She donates a kidney to an inmate & takes care on an elderly senile lady. Because of her help, one inmate even gives her a blueprint for a handgun. The fun doesn't stop there. Geum-Ja unloads (showing she has some malice after all) by killing a disgusting prison bully. She does so by poisoning her with bleach as the years go by; genius. As she leaves prison, a minister offers her tofu (symbolizing a fresh beginning), and she flatly refuses. Off she goes on her escapade to find her adopted girl, hunt down Baek, & wreak havoc.
Now freed, Geum-Ja calls on her new pals for clothes, a place to stay, another gun, and a job. In full vigilante mode, she wears menacing red eye-shadow to represent the evil she hopes to bestow upon Baek. Geum-Ja is able to locate the parents of the little boy who she was accused of killing and begs for forgiveness. Whether they forgive her or not, she cuts off one of her fingers to show them her remorse. Distraught that her long-lost daughter now lives in Australia, she travels there with hopes to see her (taking her back to Korea could only be a wishful bonus). 'Jenny' feels a connection with Geum-Ja and begs her parents to let her go with her rightful mom; they oblige. Back in Korea, Geum-Ja finds Baek (with help from his hateful wife). But Baek learns of his wife's deceit and kidnaps her.
Meanwhile, Baek's thugs then kidnap Geum-Ja & Jenny! With good fortune, Geum-Ja is able to shoot them with her gun(s), and her vengeful journey continues. Similarly, Baek's wife is somehow able to drug her captor, and dark plans proceed. After discovering more atrocious child killings by the hand of Mr. Baek, Geum-Ja shoots (but doesn't kill him). From here, she summons the parents of the children he killed over the years. As he listens in on their meeting, he hears how they all intend to slowly kill him in their own ways. They slip on some raincoats, take weapons by the hand ... and you can figure the rest. Alibis are produced, and all is well. They dig a ditch; throw him in. And it's only 'after' his death that Geum-Ja is finally content enough to shoot him & toss-in the gun. Finito.
Yeong-ae Lee's performance as Geum-Ja stands out here. There's a clever use of special effects, photography, scene transitions, and a sly use of colors (to create a desired effect). There's a dry, deadpan humor throughout this 'thriller'. I quite enjoyed that. It's wickedly evil, strange, & wonderful to see justice rewarded. You see, Geum-Ja 'may' not get her daughter back. But she can be with her, receive a 'snowflake' with her, and is finally able to devour that tofu cake (thus, accepting a pure life ... for good). So while the ending is emotionally rewarding, the journey to this conclusion is arduous. The story is often confusing, told in metaphors, told in frequently-changing timelines, and hard to figure out whom she's seeking until the midway point of the movie. The violence & sex scenes are over-the-top, though often used imaginatively. While I respect 'Lady Vengeance', the visual & narrative style muck up the coherence of a very busy story.