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{{Short description|2002 South Korean thriller film}}
{{Short description|2002 South Korean thriller film}}
{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
| name = Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
| name = Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
| image = sfmvposter2.jpg
| image = sfmvposter2.jpg
| caption = Promotional release poster
| caption = Promotional release poster
| native_name = {{Infobox Chinese/Korean|child=yes|hide=no|header=none
| native_name = {{Infobox Chinese/Korean|child=yes|hide=no|header=none
|hangul = {{linktext|복수|는}} {{linktext|나의}} {{linktext|것}}
|hangul = 복수는 나의 것
|hanja = {{linktext|復讐}}는 나의 것
|hanja = 復讐는 나의 것
|rr = Boksuneun Naui Geot
|rr = Boksuneun Naui Geot
|mr = Poksunŭn Naŭi Kŏt}}
|mr = Poksunŭn Naŭi Kŏt}}
| director = [[Park Chan-wook]]
| director = [[Park Chan-wook]]
| producer = Im Jin-gyu
| producer = Im Jin-gyu
| writer = Park Chan-wook<br />Lee Jae-soon<br />Lee Moo-young<br />Lee Yong-jong
| writer = Park Chan-wook<br />Lee Jae-soon<br />Lee Moo-young<br />Lee Yong-jong
| starring = [[Song Kang-ho]]<br />[[Shin Ha-kyun]]<br />[[Bae Doona]]
| starring = [[Song Kang-ho]]<br />[[Shin Ha-kyun]]<br />[[Bae Doona]]
| music = Baik Hyun-jhin<br />Jang Young-gyu
| music = Baik Hyun-jhin<br />Jang Young-gyu
| editing = [[Kim Sang-bum (film editor)|Kim Sang-bum]]
| editing = [[Kim Sang-bum (film editor)|Kim Sang-bum]]
| cinematography = Kim Byung-il
| cinematography = Kim Byung-il
| studio = Studio Box<br />[[TMS Entertainment]]/Seoul Movie
| studio = Studio Box<br />[[TMS Entertainment]]/Seoul Movie
| distributor = [[CJ Entertainment]]<br />[[Tartan Films]]
| distributor = [[CJ Entertainment]] <br/> [[Palisades Tartan]]
| released = {{Film date|2002|03|29}}
| released = {{Film date|2002|03|29}}
| runtime = 129 minutes
| runtime = 129 minutes
| language = Korean
| language = Korean
| budget =
| budget =
| gross = {{USD|1,954,937}}<ref name=mojo>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=sympathyformrvengeance.htm|title=Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2005)|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=17 March 2014}}</ref>
| gross = {{USD|1,954,937}}<ref name=mojo>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=sympathyformrvengeance.htm|title=Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2005)|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=17 March 2014}}</ref>
}}
}}
'''''Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance''''' ({{ko-hhrm|복수는 나의 것}}; {{lit.}} "''Vengeance Is Mine''") is a 2002 South Korean [[neo-noir]] [[crime thriller film]] directed by [[Park Chan-wook]], who co-wrote the script with Lee Jae-soon, Lee Moo-young, and Lee Yong-jong. Starring [[Song Kang-ho]], [[Shin Ha-kyun]], and [[Bae Doona]], the film follows an ill-fated kidnapping of a wealthy man's daughter, leading to a path of vengeance.


⚫
''Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance'' did not fare well commercially upon its initial release in South Korea and garnered mixed reviews.<ref name=phillips>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2005-09-09-0509090357-story.html|title=Elegant facade hides dark heart|last=Phillips|first=Michael|author-link=Michael Phillips (critic)|date=9 September 2005|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> Despite this, it won several awards. It is the first installment in director Park's thematic ''[[Vengeance Trilogy]]'', and is followed by ''[[Oldboy (2003 film)|Oldboy]]'' (2003) and ''[[Lady Vengeance]]'' (2005).
'''''Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance''''' ({{ko-hhrm|복수는 나의 것||Boksuneun Naui Geot}}; lit. "Vengeance Is Mine") is a 2002 South Korean [[thriller film]] directed and co-written by [[Park Chan-wook]]. The film stars [[Shin Ha-kyun]] as Ryu, a young, deaf-mute factory worker trying to earn enough money for his sister's [[Kidney transplantation|kidney transplant]] by holding the daughter of a wealthy man for ransom, and the path of vengeance that follows when the plan goes awry. Alongside Ha-kyun, the film's cast includes [[Song Kang-ho]], [[Bae Doona]], [[Han Bo-bae]], and [[Im Ji-eun]].

⚫
''Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance'' did not fare well commercially upon its initial release in South Korea,<ref name=phillips>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2005-09-09-0509090357-story.html|title=Elegant facade hides dark heart|last=Phillips|first=Michael|author-link=Michael Phillips (critic)|date=9 September 2005|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> and has garnered mixed reviews. Despite this, it won several awards. It is the first installment in director Park's thematic ''[[Vengeance Trilogy]]'', and is followed by ''[[Oldboy (2003 film)|Oldboy]]'' (2003) and ''[[Lady Vengeance]]'' (2005).


==Plot==
==Plot==
Ryu is a [[deaf-mute]] man who works in a factory. His ailing sister is in desperate need of a [[kidney transplant]], but Ryu's is not a match. After he loses his job, Ryu contacts a group of [[black market]] [[organ trafficking|organ dealers]] to exchange one of his kidneys for one that his sister can use. However, the dealers disappear after taking Ryu's kidney and severance money. A legitimate [[kidney donor]] is found, but after having been conned by the organ dealers, Ryu is unable to afford the operation. To raise money, Yeong-mi, Ryu's radical anarchist girlfriend, suggests kidnapping the daughter of the executive that fired Ryu. They observe the executive with company president Park Dong-jin arriving at the latter's home one day, where one of Dong-jin's employees, Peng, attempts to commit ''[[harakiri]]'' in front of them. Ryu and Yeong-mi change their plan, deciding to kidnap Dong-jin's young daughter Yu-sun.
Ryu is a [[deaf-mute]] man who works in a factory. His ailing sister is in desperate need of a [[kidney transplant]]. Unfortunately Ryu's blood type is not a match. After he loses his job, Ryu contacts a group of [[black market]] [[organ trafficking|organ dealers]] to exchange one of his kidneys as well as 10 million Won for one that his sister can use. However, the dealers disappear after taking Ryu's kidney and severance money. A legitimate [[kidney donor]] is found, but after having been conned by the organ dealers, Ryu is unable to afford the operation. To raise money, Yeong-mi, Ryu's radical anarchist girlfriend, suggests kidnapping the daughter of the executive who fired Ryu. They observe the executive with company president Park Dong-jin arriving at the latter's home one day, where one of Dong-jin's former employees, Peng, attempts to commit ''[[harakiri]]'' in front of them. Ryu and Yeong-mi change their plan, deciding to kidnap Dong-jin's young daughter Yu-sun instead.


Yu-sun stays with Ryu's sister, who believes that Ryu is babysitting her. Ryu and Yeong-mi send a request for ransom to Dong-jin, and he obliges. Upon returning home with the ransom money, Ryu discovers that his sister learned that Yu-sun was kidnapped and not wanting to be a burden any longer, has committed suicide. Ryu takes Yu-sun and his sister's body to a riverbed they frequented as children to bury her. Distracted by the burial and unable to hear, Ryu is unaware when Yu-sun slips into the river, and she drowns. After Yu-sun's body is discovered by authorities, a deeply mournful Dong-jin hires an [[private investigator|investigator]] to find her kidnappers. Dong-jin finds Ryu's sister's corpse by the [[riverbed]], where he interacts with a mentally disabled man who witnessed Ryu burying his sister, and begins to piece together the identities of Ryu and Yeong-mi.
Yu-sun stays with Ryu's sister, who believes that Ryu is babysitting her. Ryu, his sister and Yeong-Mi treat Yu-Sun with kindness while she is with her kidnappers, and when Yu-Sun reveals that her mom left the house after her parents' divorce, Ryu makes a necklace for Yu-Sun adorned with beads and seashells. While Ryu's sister blowdries Yu-Sun's hair, she asks her to come visit her again and gives her a note with her phone number. She then discovers Ryu job termination paper in his pants pocket while doing laundry and calls Ryu's employer to inquire. Meanwhile, Ryu and Yeong-mi send a request for ransom to Dong-jin, and he obliges. Upon returning home with the ransom money, Ryu discovers that his sister learned that Yu-sun was kidnapped and, not wanting to be a burden any longer, killed herself in the bathtub. Ryu takes Yu-sun and his sister's body to a riverbed they frequented as children to bury her. Distracted by the burial and unable to hear, Ryu is unaware when Yu-sun slips into the river, where she drowns. A disabled wanderer steals Yu-Sun's necklace. After Yu-sun's body is discovered by the authorities, a deeply mournful Dong-jin hires the detective on the case to find her kidnappers with bribe money from selling his company and house. The detective finds Ryu's sister note on Yu-Sun and searches their apartment but the place is abandoned and they cannot link the murder. Dong-Jin suspects that Peng is behind the murder but they find Peng and his family dead by suicide in their home. Dong-Jin realizes one of the children is barely alive and take him to the hospital, hoping to save him. Dong-Jin returns to Ryu's apartment and overhears a local radio program where the host reads a letter Ryu has sent about the painful death of his sister. Dong-Jin visits the radio station and sees a painting that Ryu has sent along with the letter depicting his sister's burial and Yu-Sun's death. Dong-jin finds Ryu's sister's corpse by the [[riverbed]], where he interacts with the disabled man who witnessed Ryu burying his sister, and finds the necklace Yu-Sun was wearing in her ransom picture. He begins to piece together the identities of Ryu and Yeong-mi.


Ryu, armed with a [[baseball bat]], locates the organ traffickers and murders them, receiving a stab wound in the process. Meanwhile, Dong-jin finds Yeong-mi and tortures her with electricity, also killing a deliveryman who comes to her apartment. She apologizes for Yu-sun's death but warns Dong-jin that her terrorist friends will kill him if she dies. Unfazed, Dong-jin electrocutes her. Ryu returns to Yeong-mi's apartment and sees the police removing her corpse. Dong-jin knocks Ryu unconscious with a [[booby trap]]. He takes Ryu to the riverbed where his daughter died and drags him into the water. Dong-jin slashes Ryu's [[Achilles tendon|achilles tendon]] and waits for him to drown. After Dong-jin dismembers Ryu's corpse, Yeong-mi's [[anarchist]] associates arrive and stab Dong-jin, where they pin a note to his chest with a knife, and leave him to die.
Ryu, armed with a [[baseball bat]], locates the organ traffickers, murders them, and eats their kidneys to avenge his sister's death, receiving a stab wound in the process. Meanwhile, Dong-jin finds Yeong-mi and tortures her with electricity, also killing a deliveryman who comes to her apartment. She apologizes for Yu-sun's death but warns Dong-jin that her terrorist friends will kill him if she dies. Unfazed, Dong-jin electrocutes her. Ryu returns to Yeong-mi's apartment and sees the police removing her corpse. Dong-jin locates Ryu's new whereabouts and waits for Ryu to return. He knocks Ryu unconscious with a [[booby trap]]. He takes Ryu to the riverbed where his daughter died and drags him into the water. Dong-jin slashes Ryu's [[Achilles tendon]]s and waits for him to drown. He then gets a call from the hospital as Peng's child has died. After Dong-jin dismembers Ryu's corpse, Yeong-mi's [[anarchist]] associates arrive and stab Dong-jin, pin a note to his chest with a knife and leave him to die.


==Cast==
==Cast==
* [[Song Kang-ho]] as Park Dong-jin, Yu-sun's father and the president of a manufacturing company who is a friend of Ryu's employers
* [[Song Kang-ho]] as Park Dong-jin, Yu-sun's father and the president of a manufacturing company who is a friend of Ryu's employers
* [[Shin Ha-kyun]] as Ryu, a deaf-mute factory worker trying to pay his sister's hospital bills
* [[Shin Ha-kyun]] as Ryu, a deaf-mute factory worker trying to pay his sister's hospital bills
* [[Bae Doona]] as Cha Yeong-mi, Ryu's girlfriend of several years
* [[Bae Doona]] as Cha Yeong-mi, Ryu's girlfriend of several years, member of an anarchist group, and former [[Undongkwon]].
⚫
* [[Im Ji-eun]] as Ryu's sister, who is in need of a kidney transplant
* [[Han Bo-bae]] as Yu-sun, Dong-jin's young daughter
* [[Han Bo-bae]] as Yu-sun, Dong-jin's young daughter
⚫
* [[Im Ji-eun]] as Ryu's sister, who is in need of a kidney transplant
* [[Lee Dae-yeon]] as Choi, the investigator hired by Dong-jin
* [[Lee Dae-yeon]] as Choi, the investigator hired by Dong-jin
* [[Ryoo Seung-bum]] as a mentally disabled person at the lake
* [[Ryoo Seung-bum]] as a mentally disabled man at the lake
* [[Ryoo Seung-wan]] as a food delivery person at Cha's apartment
* [[Ryoo Seung-wan]] as a food delivery man at Cha's apartment
* [[Oh Kwang-rok]] as an anarchist
* [[Oh Kwang-rok]] as an anarchist
* [[Lee Kan-hee]] as Park Dong-jin's ex-wife
* [[Lee Kan-hee]] as Park Dong-jin's ex-wife
* [[Jung Jae-young]] as the husband of Dong-jin's ex-wife
* [[Jung Jae-young]] as Dong-jin's ex-wife's new husband


==Reception==
==Reception==
===Box office===
===Box office===
''Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance'' opened in South Korea on March 29, 2002 and had a worldwide box office gross of {{USD|1,954,937}}.<ref name=mojo /> The film received a low-profile [[North America]]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 {{USD|9,827}} ({{USD|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 {{USD|45,243}}.<ref name=mojo />
''Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance'' opened in South Korea on March 29, 2002, and had a worldwide box office gross of {{USD|1,954,937}}.<ref name=mojo /> The film received a low-profile [[North America]]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 {{USD|9,827}} ({{USD|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 {{USD|45,243}}.<ref name=mojo />


===Critical response===
===Critical response===
Line 58: Line 57:
G. Allen Johnson of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' called the film "a waste", referring to it as "so bloody, scatologically violent and consistently shocking, [that] it seems to have no larger purpose than itself – which is pretty grim."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/FILM-CLIPS-Also-opening-Friday-2645223.php|title=Film Clips / Also opening Friday|last1=Allen Johnson|first1=G.|last2=Curiel|first2=Jonathan|last3=Addiego|first3=Walter|date=26 August 2005|website=[[SFGate]]|publisher=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> [[Manohla Dargis]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that "it is a drag that the film never rises to the level of its director's obvious ability", stating that "the violence [in the film] carries no meaning beyond the creator's ego."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/19/movies/a-child-is-kidnapped-and-an-explosion-of-shocking-violence-ensues.html|title=A Child Is Kidnapped and an Explosion of Shocking Violence Ensues|last=Dargis|first=Manohla|author-link=Manohla Dargis|date=19 August 2005|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> Daniel Eagan of ''[[Film Journal International]]'' called the film "glossy, morbid and childishly provocative", praising its visual style but criticizing director Park's "curdled vision".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/reviews/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001018397|title=Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance|last=Eagan|first=Daniel|date=19 August 2005|work=[[Film Journal International]]|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202210053/http://www.filmjournal.com/node/15778|archive-date=2 December 2017}}</ref> [[Michael Phillips (critic)|Michael Phillips]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' wrote: "[It] is a rigorously planned film. It's also a disingenuous one, somber in tone, callow at its core."<ref name=phillips />
G. Allen Johnson of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' called the film "a waste", referring to it as "so bloody, scatologically violent and consistently shocking, [that] it seems to have no larger purpose than itself – which is pretty grim."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/FILM-CLIPS-Also-opening-Friday-2645223.php|title=Film Clips / Also opening Friday|last1=Allen Johnson|first1=G.|last2=Curiel|first2=Jonathan|last3=Addiego|first3=Walter|date=26 August 2005|website=[[SFGate]]|publisher=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> [[Manohla Dargis]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that "it is a drag that the film never rises to the level of its director's obvious ability", stating that "the violence [in the film] carries no meaning beyond the creator's ego."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/19/movies/a-child-is-kidnapped-and-an-explosion-of-shocking-violence-ensues.html|title=A Child Is Kidnapped and an Explosion of Shocking Violence Ensues|last=Dargis|first=Manohla|author-link=Manohla Dargis|date=19 August 2005|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> Daniel Eagan of ''[[Film Journal International]]'' called the film "glossy, morbid and childishly provocative", praising its visual style but criticizing director Park's "curdled vision".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/reviews/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001018397|title=Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance|last=Eagan|first=Daniel|date=19 August 2005|work=[[Film Journal International]]|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202210053/http://www.filmjournal.com/node/15778|archive-date=2 December 2017}}</ref> [[Michael Phillips (critic)|Michael Phillips]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' wrote: "[It] is a rigorously planned film. It's also a disingenuous one, somber in tone, callow at its core."<ref name=phillips />


Derek Elley of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called the film "a gripping psychodrama, marbled with blackly ironic humor".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/sympathy-for-mr-vengeance-1200550525/|title=Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance|last=Elley|first=Derek|date=28 March 2002|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> ''[[The Guardian]]''{{'}}s [[Peter Bradshaw]] gave the film a score of three out of five stars, calling it "deeply twisted and bizarre" but noting its "weirdly nightmarish conviction."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2003/may/30/artsfeatures2|title=Sympathy for Mr Vengeance|last=Bradshaw|first=Peter|date=29 May 2003|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> [[Wesley Morris]] of ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' gave the film a positive review, calling it "a pristine-looking movie with astounding framing and a deftly handled sociopolitical bent", and concluding that, "despite the coldblooded killing and trail of the dead, ''Mr. Vengeance'' feels warmly suffused with life."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2005/10/28/mr_vengeance_is_a_deft_and_grisly_crime_thriller/|title='Mr. Vengeance' is a deft and grisly crime thriller|last=Morris|first=Wesley|author-link=Wesley Morris|date=28 October 2005|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> In her review of the film for ''[[The A.V. Club]]'', Tasha Robinson wrote that Park's "style is as bold and uncompromising as his story, which seems designed to show how revenge dehumanizes more than it satisfies, even for people who wholly deserve revenge. [...] It's a difficult balancing act, but Park crafts his layers carefully and masterfully."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://film.avclub.com/sympathy-for-mr-vengeance-1798201058|title=Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance|last=Robinson|first=Tasha|date=16 August 2005|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref>
Derek Elley of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called the film "a gripping psychodrama, marbled with blackly ironic humor".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/sympathy-for-mr-vengeance-1200550525/|title=Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance|last=Elley|first=Derek|date=28 March 2002|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> ''[[The Guardian]]''{{'}}s [[Peter Bradshaw]] gave the film a score of three out of five stars, calling it "deeply twisted and bizarre" but noting its "weirdly nightmarish conviction."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2003/may/30/artsfeatures2|title=Sympathy for Mr Vengeance|last=Bradshaw|first=Peter|date=29 May 2003|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> [[Wesley Morris]] of ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' gave the film a positive review, calling it "a pristine-looking movie with astounding framing and a deftly handled sociopolitical bent", and concluding that, "despite the coldblooded killing and trail of the dead, ''Mr. Vengeance'' feels warmly suffused with life."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2005/10/28/mr_vengeance_is_a_deft_and_grisly_crime_thriller/|title='Mr. Vengeance' is a deft and grisly crime thriller|last=Morris|first=Wesley|author-link=Wesley Morris|date=28 October 2005|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> In her review of the film for ''[[The A.V. Club]]'', Tasha Robinson wrote that Park's "style is as bold and uncompromising as his story, which seems designed to show how revenge dehumanizes more than it satisfies, even for people who wholly deserve revenge. [...] It's a difficult balancing act, but Park crafts his layers carefully and masterfully."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/sympathy-for-mr-vengeance-1798201058|title=Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance|last=Robinson|first=Tasha|date=16 August 2005|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref>


==Awards==
==Awards==
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==Remake==
==Remake==
In January 2010, [[Warner Bros.]] acquired the rights for an American [[remake]] of the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/35239/warner-has-sympathy-mr-vengeance|title=Warner Has Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance|last=Barton|first=Steve|date=7 January 2010|website=[[Dread Central]]|access-date=18 July 2014}}</ref> [[Brian Tucker (screenwriter)|Brian Tucker]] was attached to write the screenplay, to be produced by [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] and Mark Vahradian, in a team-up with [[CJ Entertainment]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2010/biz/news/wb-wants-vengeance-1118013427/|title=WB wants ''Vengeance''|last=Fleming|first=Michael|date=6 January 2010|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=18 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.|title=Cannes: Park Chan-wook's ''Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance'' Getting Remake|url=https://www.deadline.com/2013/05/cannes-park-chan-wooks-sympathy-for-mr-vengeance-getting-remake/|date=20 May 2013|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=18 July 2014}}</ref>
In January 2010, [[Warner Bros.]] acquired the rights for an American [[remake]] of the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/35239/warner-has-sympathy-mr-vengeance|title=Warner Has Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance|last=Barton|first=Steve|date=7 January 2010|website=[[Dread Central]]|access-date=18 July 2014}}</ref> [[Brian Tucker (screenwriter)|Brian Tucker]] was attached to write the screenplay, to be produced by [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] and Mark Vahradian, in a team-up with [[CJ Entertainment]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2010/biz/news/wb-wants-vengeance-1118013427/|title=WB wants ''Vengeance''|last=Fleming|first=Michael|date=6 January 2010|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=18 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.|title=Cannes: Park Chan-wook's ''Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance'' Getting Remake|url=https://deadline.com/2013/05/cannes-park-chan-wooks-sympathy-for-mr-vengeance-getting-remake-504409/|date=20 May 2013|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=18 July 2014}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
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* {{kmdb film|05557}}
* {{kmdb film|05557}}
* {{IMDb title|0310775}}
* {{IMDb title|0310775}}
* {{Amg movie|284095}}
* {{Rotten-tomatoes|sympathy_for_mr_vengeance_2002}}
* {{Rotten-tomatoes|sympathy_for_mr_vengeance_2002}}
* [http://koreanfilm.org/kfilm02.html#sympathy Review] at Koreanfilm.org
* [http://koreanfilm.org/kfilm02.html#sympathy Review] at Koreanfilm.org


{{The Vengeance Trilogy}}
{{Park Chan-wook}}
{{Park Chan-wook}}
{{Portal bar|South Korea|Film}}
{{Portal bar|South Korea|Film}}


⚫
[[Category:The Vengeance Trilogy]]
[[Category:2002 films]]
[[Category:2002 films]]
[[Category:2000s crime thriller films]]
[[Category:2002 crime thriller films]]
[[Category:2002 action thriller films]]
[[Category:2002 action thriller films]]
[[Category:2000s thriller drama films]]
[[Category:South Korean action thriller films]]
[[Category:South Korean action thriller films]]
⚫
[[Category:2002 drama films]]
[[Category:South Korean crime thriller films]]
[[Category:South Korean crime thriller films]]
[[Category:South Korean neo-noir films]]
[[Category:South Korean neo-noir films]]

Latest revision as of 09:30, 27 December 2024

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
Promotional release poster
Hangul
복수는 나의 것
Hanja
復讐는 나의 것
Revised RomanizationBoksuneun Naui Geot
McCune–ReischauerPoksunŭn Naŭi Kŏt
Directed byPark Chan-wook
Written byPark Chan-wook
Lee Jae-soon
Lee Moo-young
Lee Yong-jong
Produced byIm Jin-gyu
StarringSong Kang-ho
Shin Ha-kyun
Bae Doona
CinematographyKim Byung-il
Edited byKim Sang-bum
Music byBaik Hyun-jhin
Jang Young-gyu
Production
companies
Studio Box
TMS Entertainment/Seoul Movie
Distributed byCJ Entertainment
Palisades Tartan
Release date
  • March 29, 2002 (2002-03-29)
Running time
129 minutes
LanguageKorean
Box officeUS$1,954,937[1]

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (Korean: 복수는 나의 것; lit. "Vengeance Is Mine") is a 2002 South Korean neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Park Chan-wook, who co-wrote the script with Lee Jae-soon, Lee Moo-young, and Lee Yong-jong. Starring Song Kang-ho, Shin Ha-kyun, and Bae Doona, the film follows an ill-fated kidnapping of a wealthy man's daughter, leading to a path of vengeance.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance did not fare well commercially upon its initial release in South Korea and garnered mixed reviews.[2] Despite this, it won several awards. It is the first installment in director Park's thematic Vengeance Trilogy, and is followed by Oldboy (2003) and Lady Vengeance (2005).

Plot

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Ryu is a deaf-mute man who works in a factory. His ailing sister is in desperate need of a kidney transplant. Unfortunately Ryu's blood type is not a match. After he loses his job, Ryu contacts a group of black market organ dealers to exchange one of his kidneys as well as 10 million Won for one that his sister can use. However, the dealers disappear after taking Ryu's kidney and severance money. A legitimate kidney donor is found, but after having been conned by the organ dealers, Ryu is unable to afford the operation. To raise money, Yeong-mi, Ryu's radical anarchist girlfriend, suggests kidnapping the daughter of the executive who fired Ryu. They observe the executive with company president Park Dong-jin arriving at the latter's home one day, where one of Dong-jin's former employees, Peng, attempts to commit harakiri in front of them. Ryu and Yeong-mi change their plan, deciding to kidnap Dong-jin's young daughter Yu-sun instead.

Yu-sun stays with Ryu's sister, who believes that Ryu is babysitting her. Ryu, his sister and Yeong-Mi treat Yu-Sun with kindness while she is with her kidnappers, and when Yu-Sun reveals that her mom left the house after her parents' divorce, Ryu makes a necklace for Yu-Sun adorned with beads and seashells. While Ryu's sister blowdries Yu-Sun's hair, she asks her to come visit her again and gives her a note with her phone number. She then discovers Ryu job termination paper in his pants pocket while doing laundry and calls Ryu's employer to inquire. Meanwhile, Ryu and Yeong-mi send a request for ransom to Dong-jin, and he obliges. Upon returning home with the ransom money, Ryu discovers that his sister learned that Yu-sun was kidnapped and, not wanting to be a burden any longer, killed herself in the bathtub. Ryu takes Yu-sun and his sister's body to a riverbed they frequented as children to bury her. Distracted by the burial and unable to hear, Ryu is unaware when Yu-sun slips into the river, where she drowns. A disabled wanderer steals Yu-Sun's necklace. After Yu-sun's body is discovered by the authorities, a deeply mournful Dong-jin hires the detective on the case to find her kidnappers with bribe money from selling his company and house. The detective finds Ryu's sister note on Yu-Sun and searches their apartment but the place is abandoned and they cannot link the murder. Dong-Jin suspects that Peng is behind the murder but they find Peng and his family dead by suicide in their home. Dong-Jin realizes one of the children is barely alive and take him to the hospital, hoping to save him. Dong-Jin returns to Ryu's apartment and overhears a local radio program where the host reads a letter Ryu has sent about the painful death of his sister. Dong-Jin visits the radio station and sees a painting that Ryu has sent along with the letter depicting his sister's burial and Yu-Sun's death. Dong-jin finds Ryu's sister's corpse by the riverbed, where he interacts with the disabled man who witnessed Ryu burying his sister, and finds the necklace Yu-Sun was wearing in her ransom picture. He begins to piece together the identities of Ryu and Yeong-mi.

Ryu, armed with a baseball bat, locates the organ traffickers, murders them, and eats their kidneys to avenge his sister's death, receiving a stab wound in the process. Meanwhile, Dong-jin finds Yeong-mi and tortures her with electricity, also killing a deliveryman who comes to her apartment. She apologizes for Yu-sun's death but warns Dong-jin that her terrorist friends will kill him if she dies. Unfazed, Dong-jin electrocutes her. Ryu returns to Yeong-mi's apartment and sees the police removing her corpse. Dong-jin locates Ryu's new whereabouts and waits for Ryu to return. He knocks Ryu unconscious with a booby trap. He takes Ryu to the riverbed where his daughter died and drags him into the water. Dong-jin slashes Ryu's Achilles tendons and waits for him to drown. He then gets a call from the hospital as Peng's child has died. After Dong-jin dismembers Ryu's corpse, Yeong-mi's anarchist associates arrive and stab Dong-jin, pin a note to his chest with a knife and leave him to die.

Cast

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  • Song Kang-ho as Park Dong-jin, Yu-sun's father and the president of a manufacturing company who is a friend of Ryu's employers
  • Shin Ha-kyun as Ryu, a deaf-mute factory worker trying to pay his sister's hospital bills
  • Bae Doona as Cha Yeong-mi, Ryu's girlfriend of several years, member of an anarchist group, and former Undongkwon.
  • Im Ji-eun as Ryu's sister, who is in need of a kidney transplant
  • Han Bo-bae as Yu-sun, Dong-jin's young daughter
  • Lee Dae-yeon as Choi, the investigator hired by Dong-jin
  • Ryoo Seung-bum as a mentally disabled man at the lake
  • Ryoo Seung-wan as a food delivery man at Cha's apartment
  • Oh Kwang-rok as an anarchist
  • Lee Kan-hee as Park Dong-jin's ex-wife
  • Jung Jae-young as Dong-jin's ex-wife's new husband

Reception

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Box office

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Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance opened in South Korea on March 29, 2002, and had a worldwide box office gross of US$1,954,937.[1] The film received a low-profile North American theatrical release from Tartan Films beginning August 19, 2005, over three years after it debuted in South Korea. In its opening weekend, it collected US$9,827 (US$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 US$45,243.[1]

Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 54% based on 56 reviews, with an average rating of 6.16/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Though Park directs with stylistic flair, this revenge thriller is more excessively gruesome than thrilling."[3] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 56/100 based on 21 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[4]

G. Allen Johnson of the San Francisco Chronicle called the film "a waste", referring to it as "so bloody, scatologically violent and consistently shocking, [that] it seems to have no larger purpose than itself – which is pretty grim."[5] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times wrote that "it is a drag that the film never rises to the level of its director's obvious ability", stating that "the violence [in the film] carries no meaning beyond the creator's ego."[6] Daniel Eagan of Film Journal International called the film "glossy, morbid and childishly provocative", praising its visual style but criticizing director Park's "curdled vision".[7] Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune wrote: "[It] is a rigorously planned film. It's also a disingenuous one, somber in tone, callow at its core."[2]

Derek Elley of Variety called the film "a gripping psychodrama, marbled with blackly ironic humor".[8] The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw gave the film a score of three out of five stars, calling it "deeply twisted and bizarre" but noting its "weirdly nightmarish conviction."[9] Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe gave the film a positive review, calling it "a pristine-looking movie with astounding framing and a deftly handled sociopolitical bent", and concluding that, "despite the coldblooded killing and trail of the dead, Mr. Vengeance feels warmly suffused with life."[10] In her review of the film for The A.V. Club, Tasha Robinson wrote that Park's "style is as bold and uncompromising as his story, which seems designed to show how revenge dehumanizes more than it satisfies, even for people who wholly deserve revenge. [...] It's a difficult balancing act, but Park crafts his layers carefully and masterfully."[11]

Awards

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2002 Busan Film Critics Awards[12]
2002 Chunsa Film Art Awards
  • Best Music – Baik Hyun-jhin and Jang Young-gyu (UhUhBoo Project)
2002 Korean Association of Film Critics Awards
2002 Korean Film Awards
  • Best Cinematography – Kim Byung-il
  • Best Editing – Kim Sang-bum
  • Best Lighting – Park Hyun-won
2002 Director's Cut Awards

Remake

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In January 2010, Warner Bros. acquired the rights for an American remake of the film.[13] Brian Tucker was attached to write the screenplay, to be produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian, in a team-up with CJ Entertainment.[14][15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  2. ^ a b Phillips, Michael (9 September 2005). "Elegant facade hides dark heart". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Sympathy for Mr Vengeance (2002)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  4. ^ "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  5. ^ Allen Johnson, G.; Curiel, Jonathan; Addiego, Walter (26 August 2005). "Film Clips / Also opening Friday". SFGate. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  6. ^ Dargis, Manohla (19 August 2005). "A Child Is Kidnapped and an Explosion of Shocking Violence Ensues". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  7. ^ Eagan, Daniel (19 August 2005). "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance". Film Journal International. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  8. ^ Elley, Derek (28 March 2002). "Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance". Variety. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  9. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (29 May 2003). "Sympathy for Mr Vengeance". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  10. ^ Morris, Wesley (28 October 2005). "'Mr. Vengeance' is a deft and grisly crime thriller". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  11. ^ Robinson, Tasha (16 August 2005). "Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  12. ^ "Sympathy for Mr Vengeance". Cinemasie.com. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  13. ^ Barton, Steve (7 January 2010). "Warner Has Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance". Dread Central. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  14. ^ Fleming, Michael (6 January 2010). "WB wants Vengeance". Variety. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  15. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (20 May 2013). "Cannes: Park Chan-wook's Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance Getting Remake". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
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