Hey folks, Harry here - SYMPATHY FOR MR VENGEANCE was my #1 pick for Best Film of 2002. I picked it over THE PIANIST & THE TWO TOWERS - and 3 years later as it has FINALLY made it's way to the United States and film screens under the loving watch of Tartan Films' Asian Extreme label - you may remember they were smart enough to release OLDBOY domestically. Now, I love OLDBOY - and I really do feel that it is a film that is more compelling in the sense of feeling "badass", but OLDBOY is Opera and SYMPATHY FOR MR VENGEANCE is eating a curb... it's that brutal cycle of vengeance ruining every life it touches... and how it truly is a never ending consuming monster of humans. I love the film. The love scene mentioned below is just fantastic, the elec... well if you haven't seen the film - I so envy you. You're going to see one of your favorite movies of the year, the way it was absolutely meant to be seen. On The Big Screen. If you want to read what I wrote about it all those years ago - when the film and the filmmaker were nearly completely unknown in the U.S. - Here you go: CLICK HERE!
Wow, theres really been a dead silence for the U.S release of "Sympathy for Mr.Vegeance".
I remember the movie fondly not for the movie itself but for the memorable moment when I was perusing in one of your top ten lists for I think 2003 and my jaw dropping as a korean movie was named #1.
Back then I had watched virtually no Korean movies even though I'm Korean. I had associated Korean films as being mediocre, weird and inferior to Hollywood films. (Seems stupid now)
As for the film itself Im a bit mixed on it. It had some tremendous moments such as the opening bit with the radio host speaking for the mute Ryu, Ryu playing with the kidnapped girl, the scene where Ryu and his girlfriend are talking in bed through sign language and the father of the kidnapped girl tied up and yelling for help in the night while a dog barks.
But I never really embraced the film as a whole. It is a bit violent and I don't really get any social message or really the point of it all. I read your review of the film and I have to think whether I'm not getting something or I missed something.
Speaking of your review I thought that was the one of my favorites. Maybye you could repost it to remind everyone why Mr.Vengeance was so great. At least post it so I can see my one of my favorite quotes, the "Blockbuster" one.
Opening on the same day as Rachel McAdams and Red Eye. Hmm, I wonder who'll win that box office battle?
