The Vengeance Trilogy
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The Vengeance Trilogy is a term used to describe three films directed by South Korean film director Park Chan-wook which dealt with the theme of revenge. Tartan Films released the three films on DVD in 2007. They are:
- Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)
- Oldboy (2003)
- Lady Vengeance (2005)
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[edit] Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
The first installment in Park’s trilogy was the bleak and violent, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, a tale of revenge gone wrong. It tells the story of a poor deaf man who kidnaps a young girl to pay for his sister’s much-needed transplant. When the young girl accidentally dies, her bereaved father goes on a search for answers and vengeance. The film did reasonably well at the box office in South Korea and was named the best film of 2002 by film critic Harry Knowles.[1]
[edit] Oldboy
Park’s next film in the trilogy was the hugely successful 2003 film, Oldboy. It told the story of a man who is imprisoned for fifteen years and then released with no explanation as to why he has escaped. Now his captor has given him a limited amount of time to find out who his captor is or his new love interest will be killed. The film was very well received at film festivals and at the box office in South Korea. It won the Grand Prix award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and received great reviews from critics. The film has gained a cult following in the years following its release and is seen as a classic to many.[2]
[edit] Lady Vengeance
The third and final installment in the trilogy was the 2005 thriller, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (or Lady Vengeance). The film tells the tale of a young woman who is released from prison after doing hard time for a child killer who remains at large. Upon her liberation she seeks out her long lost daughter and unveils her plan for revenge against the ghastly man that she served time for. This film was also well received by critics and South Korean audiences alike. It grossed $7,382,034 in its opening week and competed for the Golden Lion at the 62nd Venice International Film Festival in September 2005.[3]
