Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
Encyclopedia
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (Korean:복수는 나의 것) is a 2002 South Korean
film
directed by Park Chan-wook
which follows the character Ryu trying to earn enough money for his sister's kidney transplant and the path of vengeance that follows. It is the first part of The Vengeance Trilogy
and is followed by Oldboy
(2003) and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
(2005). The original Korean
title means "Vengeance is Mine" or "Revenge is Mine".
transplant. Ryu tries to donate one of his kidneys to his sister, but is told that as his blood type doesn't match that of his sister, he is not a suitable donor. After being laid off from his job by the factory boss, Ryu contacts a black market organ dealer who agrees to sell him a kidney suitable for his sister in exchange for 10,000,000 Korean won
, plus one of Ryu's own kidneys. He takes the severance pay from his factory job and offers the money to the organ dealers, who take the money and one of his kidneys, but then disappear. Three weeks later, Ryu learns from his doctor that a kidney has been found for his sister and that the operation will cost 10,000,000 won, but since the organ dealers stole his money, he won't be able to pay for it.
In need of money for the operation and in retaliation for his being fired, Ryu and his girlfriend Yeong-mi, a radical anarchist, conspire to kidnap the daughter of the boss who fired him. Instead he realizes that the kidnapping would immediately put them under police suspicion, and they decide to kidnap Yu-sun, the daughter of the boss's friend, Dong-jin, another factory executive. The girl stays with Ryu's sister (thinking that Ryu is merely babysitting
for a time), who takes care of her while the distraught Dong-jin arranges to pay her ransom
. After Ryu collects the money and returns home, he learns that his sister has discovered his scheme and, unwilling to be involved or burden Ryu further, has killed herself. Ryu takes Yu-sun and his sister's body into the countryside to bury her by a riverbed they used to frequent as children. While Ryu mourns, Yu-sun accidentally slips into the river and drowns.
Days later, as Dong-jin mourns his daughter and swears revenge at the river bank, Ryu ambushes and murders the organ dealers. Dong-jin, having investigated the identities of the kidnappers, finds Yeong-mi and begins interrogating her. Yeong-mi apologizes for Yu-sun's death but warns him of her membership in a terrorist organization which, knowing Dong-jin's identity, will kill him if she dies. Dong-jin, unfazed by the threats, tortures her to death by electrocuting
her. Ryu returns to Yeong-mi's apartment building and discovers the police removing her body on a stretcher. Ryu, consumed with grief, swears vengeance on Dong-jin.
Ryu arrives at Dong-jin's residence in an attempt to kill him. He waits for some time, but Dong-Jin does not arrive - he is, in fact, waiting at Ryu's apartment. After Dong-Jin does not arrive, Ryu returns to his apartment. However, Dong-jin had previously set up an electric booby trap on his doorknob, which knocks Ryu unconscious. Dong-jin then binds Ryu and returns him to the riverbed where Yu-sun died. After binding Ryu's hands and feet and bringing him chest-high into the water, an emotional Dong-jin acknowledges that although Ryu is a good man he has no choice; Dong-jin then slashes Ryu's Achilles tendon
s, resulting in his drowning.
Dong-jin drags Ryu back to shore, and then drives off to a desolate location to bury the body. Once there, he begins to dig a hole, but soon a group of men arrives. They surround and stab Dong-jin repeatedly, finally attaching a note to his chest identifying themselves as the terrorist group of which Yeong-mi was part. The group leave Dong-jin dying beside his car with the bloody tools and bags he used to chop up, dismember, and package Ryu's body.
n theatrical release from Tartan Films
beginning August 19, 2005 - over three years after it debuted in South Korea. In its opening weekend, it collected $9,827 ($3,276 per screen) from three New York city theaters. It played on six screens at its most widespread, and its total North American box office take was $45,243.
The film was named the best movie of 2002 by Harry Knowles
of Ain't It Cool News
, who praised the acting and the story. Bobo Deng from hdfest.com compliments the director of his visuals and the gruesome effects. The reviewer states although the film has extreme violence, it is used to help develop the story. Elaine Perrone from efilmcritic.com commented on the cinematography of Kim Byung-il, saying that the film is "far more visually striking" than its successor Oldboy
.
acquired the right for a US remake of the film. Brian Tucker is to write the screenplay.
Cinema of Korea
Korean cinema encompasses the motion picture industries of North and South Korea. As with all aspects of Korean life during the past century, the film industry has often been at the mercy of political events, from the late Joseon dynasty to the Korean War to domestic governmental interference...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. One of the most acclaimed and popular filmmakers in his native country, Park is most known for his films Joint Security Area, Thirst and what has become known as The Vengeance Trilogy, consisting of...
which follows the character Ryu trying to earn enough money for his sister's kidney transplant and the path of vengeance that follows. It is the first part of The Vengeance Trilogy
The Vengeance Trilogy
The Vengeance Trilogy are three films, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance , Oldboy , Sympathy for Lady Vengeance , directed by South Korean film director Park Chan-wook, which dealt with the themes of "revenge, violence and salvation"...
and is followed by Oldboy
Oldboy
Oldboy is a 2003 South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook. It is based on the Japanese manga of the same name written by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya. Oldboy is the second installment of The Vengeance Trilogy, preceded by Sympathy for Mr...
(2003) and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is a 2008 South Korean film by director Park Chan-wook. In North America and parts of Europe, the film has been screened under the title Lady Vengeance. The film is the third installment in Park's The Vengeance Trilogy, following Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy...
(2005). The original Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
title means "Vengeance is Mine" or "Revenge is Mine".
Plot
Ryu, a deaf and mute man, works in a factory to support his ailing sister who is in desperate need of a kidneyKidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
transplant. Ryu tries to donate one of his kidneys to his sister, but is told that as his blood type doesn't match that of his sister, he is not a suitable donor. After being laid off from his job by the factory boss, Ryu contacts a black market organ dealer who agrees to sell him a kidney suitable for his sister in exchange for 10,000,000 Korean won
South Korean won
The won is the currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and appears only in foreign exchange rates...
, plus one of Ryu's own kidneys. He takes the severance pay from his factory job and offers the money to the organ dealers, who take the money and one of his kidneys, but then disappear. Three weeks later, Ryu learns from his doctor that a kidney has been found for his sister and that the operation will cost 10,000,000 won, but since the organ dealers stole his money, he won't be able to pay for it.
In need of money for the operation and in retaliation for his being fired, Ryu and his girlfriend Yeong-mi, a radical anarchist, conspire to kidnap the daughter of the boss who fired him. Instead he realizes that the kidnapping would immediately put them under police suspicion, and they decide to kidnap Yu-sun, the daughter of the boss's friend, Dong-jin, another factory executive. The girl stays with Ryu's sister (thinking that Ryu is merely babysitting
Babysitting
Babysitting is the practice of temporarily caring for a child on behalf of the child's parents. Babysitting is commonly performed as an odd job by teenagers for extra money.-General:...
for a time), who takes care of her while the distraught Dong-jin arranges to pay her ransom
Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
. After Ryu collects the money and returns home, he learns that his sister has discovered his scheme and, unwilling to be involved or burden Ryu further, has killed herself. Ryu takes Yu-sun and his sister's body into the countryside to bury her by a riverbed they used to frequent as children. While Ryu mourns, Yu-sun accidentally slips into the river and drowns.
Days later, as Dong-jin mourns his daughter and swears revenge at the river bank, Ryu ambushes and murders the organ dealers. Dong-jin, having investigated the identities of the kidnappers, finds Yeong-mi and begins interrogating her. Yeong-mi apologizes for Yu-sun's death but warns him of her membership in a terrorist organization which, knowing Dong-jin's identity, will kill him if she dies. Dong-jin, unfazed by the threats, tortures her to death by electrocuting
Electrocution
Electrocution is a type of electric shock that, as determined by a stopped heart, can end life. Electrocution is frequently used to refer to any electric shock received but is technically incorrect; the choice of definition varies from dictionary to dictionary...
her. Ryu returns to Yeong-mi's apartment building and discovers the police removing her body on a stretcher. Ryu, consumed with grief, swears vengeance on Dong-jin.
Ryu arrives at Dong-jin's residence in an attempt to kill him. He waits for some time, but Dong-Jin does not arrive - he is, in fact, waiting at Ryu's apartment. After Dong-Jin does not arrive, Ryu returns to his apartment. However, Dong-jin had previously set up an electric booby trap on his doorknob, which knocks Ryu unconscious. Dong-jin then binds Ryu and returns him to the riverbed where Yu-sun died. After binding Ryu's hands and feet and bringing him chest-high into the water, an emotional Dong-jin acknowledges that although Ryu is a good man he has no choice; Dong-jin then slashes Ryu's Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
s, resulting in his drowning.
Dong-jin drags Ryu back to shore, and then drives off to a desolate location to bury the body. Once there, he begins to dig a hole, but soon a group of men arrives. They surround and stab Dong-jin repeatedly, finally attaching a note to his chest identifying themselves as the terrorist group of which Yeong-mi was part. The group leave Dong-jin dying beside his car with the bloody tools and bags he used to chop up, dismember, and package Ryu's body.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Song Kang-ho Song Kang-ho Song Kang-ho is a leading South Korean film actor.- Career:Song Kang-ho never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theater groups after graduating from Kimhae High School... |
Park Dong-jin |
| Shin Ha-kyun Shin Ha-kyun Shin Ha-kyun is a South Korean actor. He first trained as a stage actor at the Seoul Institute of the Arts, before transitioning to film and gaining national fame with his role as a North Korean soldier in Joint Security Area... |
Ryu |
| Bae Doona | Cha Yeong-mi |
| Lim Ji-eun | Ryu's sister |
Reception
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance opened in South Korea on March 29, 2002 and had a worldwide box office gross of $1,954,937. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance received a low-profile North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n theatrical release from Tartan Films
Tartan Films
Palisades Tartan is a US and UK film distribution company, founded by US-based Palisades Media Group to take over the film library of Tartan Films after it folded in Summer 2008.-History:...
beginning August 19, 2005 - over three years after it debuted in South Korea. In its opening weekend, it collected $9,827 ($3,276 per screen) from three New York city theaters. It played on six screens at its most widespread, and its total North American box office take was $45,243.
The film was named the best movie of 2002 by Harry Knowles
Harry Knowles
Harry Knowles is known for his website called Ain't It Cool News. Knowles is a member of the Austin Film Critics Association.-Biography:...
of Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News is a website founded and run by Harry Knowles, dedicated to news, rumors and reviews of upcoming and currently playing films and television projects, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic-book and action genres...
, who praised the acting and the story. Bobo Deng from hdfest.com compliments the director of his visuals and the gruesome effects. The reviewer states although the film has extreme violence, it is used to help develop the story. Elaine Perrone from efilmcritic.com commented on the cinematography of Kim Byung-il, saying that the film is "far more visually striking" than its successor Oldboy
Oldboy
Oldboy is a 2003 South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook. It is based on the Japanese manga of the same name written by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya. Oldboy is the second installment of The Vengeance Trilogy, preceded by Sympathy for Mr...
.
Remake
In January 2010, Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
acquired the right for a US remake of the film. Brian Tucker is to write the screenplay.
External links
- Review at koreanfilm.org