After the box office failure of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and the box office success of Oldboy, Park Chan-Wook wanted to continue with the themes he’d been exploring of revenge but he wasn’t sure what angle to use. That’s when he struck on the idea of having a female protagonist. That, paired with the concept of justified vengeance, gave Park the idea he needed and Lady Vengeance was born. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we wrap up our series on Park Chan-Wook’s unofficial vengeance trilogy with his 2005 film Lady Vengeance.
We talk about our feelings for the film and dig into why one of us really enjoyed the film and the other didn’t. (Hint: it largely centers around videos shown near the climax of the film.) We talk about Park and his cinematic style, looking at the successful elements that give so much life to his films, and the ones that are less successful, like his somewhat chaotic storytelling. We chat about the brilliant performance by Lee Yeong-Ae in the lead role and how she brings so much power to her performance. We touch on the cinematography by Chung Chung-hoon and why there is something really special with how Park works with his camera team. And we debate the concept of the ‘fade to black and white’ version that exists and ponder if we’ll ever get a chance to see it.
It’s a very divisive film that won’t be for everyone, but it made for a stimulating conversation. Check it out… if you think you’re up for it, then tune in! The Next Reel. When the movie ends, our conversation begins.
