It's a rough ride, but an exhilarating and strangely moral one all the same.
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:53
Fresh:29
Rotten:24
Average Rating:6.1/10
Consensus: Though Park directs with stylistic flair, this revenge thriller is more excessively gruesome than thrilling.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong gruesome violence, strong sexuality, language and drug use
Runtime: 2 hrs 9 mins
Genre: Foreign Films
Theatrical Release:Aug 19, 2005 Limited
Synopsis: RYU (SHIN Ha-kyun), a young factory worker, has recently quit art school in order to look after his sister, who is dying a slow, agonizing death for want of a kidney. When a doctor tells Ryu that... RYU (SHIN Ha-kyun), a young factory worker, has recently quit art school in order to look after his sister, who is dying a slow, agonizing death for want of a kidney. When a doctor tells Ryu that he is an unsuitable donor and that the chances of finding one is slim, Ryu turns to the black market. But the old lady who runs an underground organ ring cheats him, taking both his life savings and his kidney and leaving him without the kidney she promised in exchange. Ryu's girlfriend, a Raggedy-Ann leftist named YOUNGMIN (BAE Doona), urges Ryu to kidnap the four-year-old daughter of industrialist owner PARK DONG-JIN (SONG Kang-ho), who recently laid off Ryu and many other workers from his factory. Ryu agrees, but just as the plan is on the verge of success, Ryu's sister discovers what Ryu and Youngmin have been up to, and kills herself in despair. Compounding the tragedy, Ryu loses track of his little illicit charge during a visit to his childhood haunts, and she drowns in the river Ryu and his sister played in as kids. Dong-jin's deep grief quickly turns to rage and he embarks on an implacable quest for vengeance. At the same time, Ryu goes after the organ traders, knowing that if they had come through, none of the tragic occurrences would ever have happened. Bound by their common sense of loss and deep-seated anger, the two are on a collision course of revenge. --© Tartan Films [More]
Starring: Ha-kyun Shin, Kang-ho Song, Doo-na Bae
Starring: Ha-kyun Shin, Kang-ho Song, Doo-na Bae
Director: Chan Wook Park
Director: Chan Wook Park
Screenwriter: Chan Wook Park
Studio: Tartan Films
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Reviews for Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
Lucidly [explores] the grey-area complexities of guilt, morality, and the reactionary justifications that lead humane people to seek unspeakable retribution.
Park is the most exciting filmmaker to burst into my conscience in the last few years.
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is a stylish bloodbath relieved by shafts of dark humor.
There is so much talent on display in Park Chanwook's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, it is a drag that the film never rises to the level of its director's obvious ability.
Slowly degenerates into a gory revenge thriller that is never thrilling, but is often boring and frequently repulsive.
Sporting one of the greatest titles ever, Park Chan-wook's 2002 thriller is similar to Oldboy in its subject matter but far plainer in its execution.
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is so badly told that it ends up dissecting a corruption that exudes from nowhere but itself.
Park Chanwook's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance accomplishes a miraculous feat by being harrowing and humane in equal measure.
Do roteiro moralmente complexo aos quadros impecáveis e repletos de significado concebidos por Park, este filme revela-se uma absoluta obra-prima.
The end result is a forgettable movie, notable only for its copious gore and bloodletting.
A daisy wheel of revenge-fueled gore speciously intercut with delusions of social commentary.
These are visions from among the dark recesses of the mind, shoved in our faces with ruthless imagination. Even beauty.
There's no flow or rhythm, and sometimes it feels like scenes are missing.
Latest News for Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
May 15, 2009:
Cannes 2009: The Tomato Report – Thirst’s Vampires Descend on the Croisette
Park Chan-wook is best known for his exceptional Vengeance Trilogy -- Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance -- three blood-soaked, expertly drawn films that... More...
March 17, 2008:
Charlize Theron Has Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
She'll spend the summer blending humor and superhero action with Will Smith and Jason Bateman in Hancock, but Charlize Theron already has Vengeance on her mind. More...
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