Nicole Mosley's Review
Favorite Character: Guem-ja
How come? : Guem-ja was in prison for thirteen years for a crime she did not commit. She confesses in order save her daughter’s life. I found that to be honorable, she scarfriced her freedom to save her daughter’s. In today’s society one hears so many horrific stories about mothers killing their children for the sake of keeping a man. Guem-ja did the opposite by protecting her daughter Jenny, she confessed to crime to protect her from an evil man, Mr. Baek. I liked how in prison she defended the weak against the aggressors in her cell, even though there were other motives behind each of the good deeds. Although I believe that she may have seen herself in those women she defended because of her past, succumbing to evil just to survive. I saw genuine sweetness about her even though she was angry inside and plotting her revenge on Mr.Baek, I sympathized with her character. No one can say what they will do, if they were placed in her situation. Yes, she may have used others to help her in her plans once released, but Guem-ja may have shared her past and why she needed their help. Also, she might have had a divine gift; the preacher called her an angel. There were scenes in the film when she is on her knees praying, a glowing light surrounded her. Her plot for vengeance did change when she was reunited with her daughter Jenny. I believe it was Jenny that changed Guem-ja, even though she was not ready to forgive herself and not letting go of the strong anger and sense of unworthiness to have her daughter or any goodness in her life. She constantly refers to herself as a sinner yet when she confessed to her daughter about her sins, Jenny forgave her. I believe that was the turning point for Guem-ja, a sense of redemption and grace. I believe that anyone that had been wronged by another to this point of anger and vengeance could identify with this character.
Most Dislike Character: Mr. Baek
How come? : He was the reason why Guem-ja was sent to prison for thirteen years. He was a cold, psychotic, kidnapper and murderer of children. He kidnapped them for a ransom and then murdered them after receiving the money in order to buy a yacht. He also black mailed Guem-ja to help him, which landed her in prison for taking the blame in order to save her daughter Jenny. The worst thing about this horrific character he was a pre-school teacher. As a viewer I was satisfied when he was dead at the end.
Name a cinematic device that you deem as the most important or stood out to you the most?
The use symbolization and visual imagery that Park used the film stood out the most. Park also used the color white (tofu, cakes, and snow) that symbolize purity, hope and the cleansing of one’s sins. The color of red was used often in the film (Guem-ja eye shadow, her bedroom, and high heels) that symbolize rage, fury or maybe the blood shed yet to come. The visual images that were used such as the writing in the sky “ I have no mother”, while Jenny was sitting at the tree, not knowing she was yet be reunited with her mother and when they reunited the clouds read “I have a mom” I found it to be a nice touch to that specific scene in the film. It was framed to look as if it were a dream sequence. What also stood for me was how each of Guem-ja’s cellmates were used as narrators and how the director would change different shots from past to present with speed cutting.
What did you think the plot was of this film?
At 19, Guem-ja was wrongly imprisoned for a crime she did not commit. She served thirteen years, during this time she was shown as a woman who has found religion while in prison. She becomes well-liked by other inmates and a model prisoner during the thirteen years. She is seen as kind, and develops superb baking skills during this period. Finally, she is revealed to be planning an elaborate revenge against Mr. Baek and gets the help of her fellow inmates in developing a plan. Then Guem-ja pulls a 180 degree turn from her reputation in prison; she begins to put her plan into action with the help of a retired cop and her daughter by her side. Then is the emotional and spiritual aftermath of her vengeance against Mr. Baek. Instead of taking vengeance by her own hands, she turned it over to the families of the murdered children that Mr.Baek had kidnapped. This movie in my opinion is about revenge, repentance, redemption, grace and forgiveness.
Ben RineHart's Review
Favorite Character: Geum-Ja
How come? : She is a tormented soul who is torn between the forces of darkness and light within her. I find her major transformation from Holy Martyr, to Bitter Avenger, to Sorrowful Penitent enlightening and invigorating.
Most Dislike Character: Mr. Baek
How come? : He is a sadistic, evil man, bent on brutally killing little children. How could one not hate him?
Name a cinematic device that you deem as the most important or stood out to you the most?
One cinematic device that is of particular use in Lady Vengeance is the use of color throughout the film. At the outset of the film, the author uses bright colors and by the end, the colors used are pretty much entirely black and white. When Guam-ja is released from prison, she is wearing a red coat. By the end it has switched to a black coat. The walls of the prison are colorful at the beginning, but by the end the walls of the school building are a drab grey. The lighting environment for the final scene in particular creates an eerie, “complete loss of innocence” feel by employing a single streetlight. Also employed here, to symbolize purity being destroyed is a tofu cake which the main character shoves into her face.
What did you think the plot was of this film?
A woman is sent to prison for a crime which she didn’t commit. She is known in prison as the kind-hearted angel. However, she is plotting the demise of the man who actually committed the crime which she has done time for. When she gets out of prison, a kind hearted pastor meets her and tries to give her charity; she refuses, seeking revenge instead. Upon finding the man, she realizes that he has an even darker secret, one that she cannot avenge herself. Thus chronicles the demise of both Geum-Ja and the murdering psychopath
Other comment:
This movie is perhaps my favorite of the trilogy, as it shows very clearly the progression of a person once they have begun meditating revenge. I liked the fact that in this movie, in comparison to the previous two movies, the character was female which opened up the story to many new possibilities.
Sylvia DeMarco's Review
Favorite Character: The Older Women who lost her Grandchild
How come? : At the very end of the film, “Lady Vengeance” finds out the man who framed her actually killed others. He actually killed four other children other than the one she was accused of killing. When she came to this realization; she could not kill him. She realized she was not the only one that had the right to end his life. She decided to contact all the families that lost their children and give them the opportunity to avenge their children’s death. Each member got to go at him as they wished. The reason the older women stood out to me was because she was different then the others when it came to be her turn. She went straight for the kill. She stabbed him right in the neck with a pair of scissors. However, it was not the fact that she went right for the kill that struck me. It was the fact the scissors she used were her grandchild’s scissors.
Most Dislike Character: The Preacher
How come? He betrayed Geum-ja Lee, the main character. He was her spiritual leader and pastor before she was put in prison. He seemed to care for her very much. He went out of his way to be there for her during her time in prison. However, the whole time he was photographing and documenting her life Mr. Baek. He did it for money. When they showed him receiving payment for betraying her; I lost complete respect for him as spiritual leader. I could have understood a little if he was being blackmailed by Mr. Baek.
Name a cinematic device that you deem as the most important or stood out to you the most?
The one narrative device that stood out to me the most was introduction of the Geum-ja Lee’s fellow cellmates. Whenever, a new cellmate was revealed the film shot would freeze or the people would stop moving for a time. Then words on the bottom would appear that stated their names and years of imprisonment. This cinematic device emphasized the passing of time for the main character. It also acted as a source of insight for the viewers. For example, when the actual murderer finally appears, the viewer also met another fellow cellmate of Geum-ja Lee. The way she was introduced was unexpected. The scene opens with her and the bad guy eating dinner. One comes to the conlcions they are in relationship especially when he proceeds to take advantage of her right at the dinner table. However, it was at this point when her name and the prison time appear. It is at this moment one becomes aware that she is not his pawn as it would seem.
What did you think the plot was of this film?
It is the idea that vengeance and justice are more similar than different. I came to this conclusion closer to the end of the film. The one goal of Geum-ja Lee was to find and kill the man that framed her. She was pursuing him for revenge and justice for killing an innocent child. However, when she finally had to the chance to kill him; she came to realization that he had killed four other children. When she became aware of these other children; she recognized that she was not the one to seek vengeance for these children. The parents were the ones who had the right. At the end of the film, she eventually gathered all the parents or relatives of the lost children. During this gathering, she requested them all to decide the fate of Mr. Baek. They all agreed the man deserved to be punished for his crimes. However, the real question was should they turn him over to the police or provoke their own justice on him. They all agreed that they should be the ones to punish him for his crimes. In essence, justice and vengeance seek to punish those who have committed a wrong against another.
Angie Schapiro's Review
Favorite Character: Australin Couple
How come? : My favorite characters in the movie were the Australian couple, the little girl’s parents by adoption. The odd couple, that briefly graced the movie, really provided the comic relief that the movie needed as again it was bloody and disturbing. A scene in particular that adds comedy to the movie is when the main character, Lee Geum-ja, goes to visit the Australians to see her daughter for the first time since she went into prison. The parents welcome her in and soon have her drunk along with the two of them in the kitchen while the little girl waits patiently in the living room. They share a time of laughing, rambling about serious matters in a nonchalant manor, and falling over in chairs in their drunkenness. This part had me a laughing aloud to myself and again, added the comic relief the movie begged for.
Most Dislike Character: Mr. Baek
How come? : Of course I didn’t like Mr. Baek who killed four children and then turned the guilt onto Lee Geum-ja who ultimately served the time in jail that he should have endured. However, what surprised me the most was that I didn’t care much for Lee Geum-ja. I had a hard time connecting with her character and felt that though she had been through jail and fought for the parents who lost their children she was still rotten or unrepentant of her actions. She became a killer herself amongst fighting the violence that took place before her imprisonment.
Name a cinematic device that you deem as the most important or stood out to you the most?
A cinematic device that stood out to me was Chan Wook Park’s use of sound. Not only were the scenes disturbing but the sound effects were more than enough get across his gruesome aspirations in this film.
What did you think the plot was of this film?
The story is of Lee-Geum-ja who was wrongly put into prison for someone else’s act of murder. In going to prison she has to give up her child, and in the mean time builds relationships within the prison she is residing to formulate a plan of revenge for when she is released from prison. With the help of the former inmates and the parents of the children who were murdered she brings revenge to Mr. Baek who was responsible for killing all four children in the first place.
Brynt Werntz's Review
Favorite Character: Geum-ja
How come? : She is very friendly, has a mom-like attitude, and even donates a kidney to on of her fellow inmates. She protects them too.
Most Dislike Character: Mr. Baek
How come? : He was the real killer.
Name a cinematic device that you deem as the most important or stood out to you the most?
Wide angle and overhead shots, this allowed the viewer to see everything that was going on during the movie and pick up certain things that Park wanted everyone to capture.
What did you think the plot was of this film?
Soon to be let out of jail, Lee Geum-ja starts the process to find the man who allowed he to be locked away in prison. After being in jail for a long time, she constantly thinks of the right way to get revenge on the man who was the real killer. Thinking of the right way to take revenge, she asked cellmates to help her in her revenge. She finds something out very disturbing and it almost makes it seem like no revenge could be enough.
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