'Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance (2002)' is bleak, almost nihilistic. It's the start of Park's 'vengeance' trilogy, the spiritual predecessor to 'Oldboy (2003)' and 'Lady Vengeance (2005)'. It's linked to its siblings via themes of circular violence, endless revenge, universal cruelty and cosmic 'justice', presenting a world full of amoral heroes whose downfalls are all of their own doing. The movie is bathed in a cold, uncaring light, depicting its increasingly brutal events with a callous distance. That doesn't mean that its narrative isn't affecting or resonant, though; it actually stays with you for long after it's over. It isn't constantly dour - I mean, its occasional absurdity often borders on being comedic (although it never quite is) - but it is constantly ominous, slowly spiralling out of control and leaving you unable to do anything but watch. Its construction is actually masterful, with brilliant direction and editing highlighting the similarities between its two lead characters. It even manages to survive a near protagonist switch at its mid-point. The piece isn't always easy viewing, nor exactly enjoyable, but it's incredibly compelling throughout. It's pretty great, actually. 7/10
Review of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
