When Parasite (2019) was released onto the world to say it caused a splash would be an understatement. Away from all the award hype and love it received, I couldn’t move for people speaking about it. And this wasn’t just in my circle of friends who are really into films, but also those who are less frequent watchers. As someone who loves films, it genuinely made me so happy that an international film was getting so much acclaim both critically and with wider audiences, and it sparked an interest in South Korean film specifically. However, for myself, this wasn’t my first foray into the world of South Korean cinema. That honour was held by a film released 16 years earlier, Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy (2003). It may be seen as more of a cult classic today, but it did cause a splash when it was first released and even managed to get itself an American remake (which I cannot comment on as I haven’t seen it). But what I didn’t realise when I first watched it is that it is actually the centrepiece of an unofficial trilogy dubbed the ‘Vengeance Trilogy’. It is unofficial as the films have no narrative links and were never made to be a trilogy but share themes and styles that make it impossible to not see the similarities. And it is this trilogy I will be talking about today. It gets wild, bloody, and sometimes quite upsetting, so strap yourself in.
Sympathy for Mr Vengeance (2002)
The trilogy kicks off with a story of kidnap, stolen organs, and bloody revenge in what is a very solid start. In regard to critical consensus, this one is the least liked of the three, and while I did like it a lot I would agree with that view, mostly for one sticking point of the narrative. Without spoiling too much, the issue I had was that the escalation of violence feels completely earned for one character and massively rushed for the other. The film eventually drags it back and makes it feel a more believable growth of the character, but for a little while, it does jump the shark and get extreme without the narrative backing up the extremity. That being said, the film is still totally engaging and has a stylistic flair that is so visually engaging that any narrative issues I had could be forgiven more because the film looked great. It is a slow burn for a good chunk of the film, but it never gets boring, and the slow burn means that the conclusion hits harder when it does come. Also, if you liked the social commentary that was throughout Parasite, those same social issues are very much present in this film and form a lot of the narrative and themes throughout.
Oldboy (2003)
So, I hadn’t seen this in a few years and everything I remembered of it was the stuff that made me interested in watching it in the first place. That being the fucked-up stuff. And it still remains fucked up. Granted it is easier to stomach when you know where everything is going, but it was still enough to have me squirming in my chair. The way all the messed-up aspects of the narrative converge and are revealed by the end is done so well that it hits even harder, and it feels totally earned throughout the film, but it is not for the faint of heart. What I didn’t remember about the film was just how bloody good it is. In terms of cinematography and style, it is an absolute triumph. It just looks incredible from start to finish and I could easily sit and watch it in silence and get a visually superb experience. I can’t stress enough how much I loved the look of this film, and I can’t believe it didn’t strike me a lot the first time around. It also moves. Whereas Sympathy for Mr Vengeance is a slow-moving revenge thriller, this one doesn’t stop. It is in your face from the very first moment and almost never gives you a moment of relief. While this is a little exhausting, the film is so exciting that it doesn’t matter, and it makes its 2-hour runtime feel like 45 minutes. It is definitely not a film that I would recommend for everyone due to the narrative being as uncomfortable as it is, but holy hell if you can deal with that it is an incredible viewing experience.
Lady Vengeance (2005)
The final part of the trilogy and Park Chan-wook reverts to a much slower, methodical revenge thriller with this film. This film feels much closer to Sympathy for Mr Vengeance than Oldboy in its tone but feels closer to the latter with its visual style. While never reaching the heights of that film with its visuals, it is still very much a pleasure for the eyes. The cinematography throughout the trilogy is superb and it continues to be as much here. Narratively the film takes a while to really get going. Maybe it is just me, but the first portion of the film introduces a lot of characters while jumping between timelines and it all became a little confusing. Once it settles it is engaging and hooked me in, but still left me wondering why we were introduced to so many characters who would later come to be almost nothing parts in the narrative. It was a little odd, but they were effectively there to build up the protagonist and further her character, so they do have their place. In terms of violence, or at least seen violence, this is the tamest of the three films, and yet it ended up being the one that upset me the most While the prior two films had some moment of comedic value, that is not the case here. It still feels upbeat at times which is a theme of these films, but it is much more serious and hard-hitting than the other two. One scene in particular really upset me. Now, I would say my tolerance when it comes to ‘disturbing’ or distressing scenes in films is quite high, so to say that this scene had me upset and not wanting to watch I think says a good amount. I’m glad I stuck with it as the film is great, but I don’t think I can possibly recommend it because of that one scene.
And there you have it, the ‘Vengeance’ trilogy in one condensed package. Not the easiest set of films to sit through, but I still think more than worth it especially for the visuals which are some of the best I have seen in a film in a long time. So, if Parasite did whet your appetite for Korean film these might just be for you. Maybe just come in with the knowledge that they may mess you up.
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