Watching Dragon, Hidden Growler

INDEX

<Seven Swords - A Review|Wu xia! A new era is dawning>

Many Chinese and East Asian films are very successful due to their fantastic creativity and innovation.

Here are a selection that deserve your attention.

Rawle Austin presents...

Lady Vengeance (Chinjeolhan Geum-Ja-Sri)

Those of a nervous disposition and are a bit squeamish, this film’s violence quotient is not for you. For everyone else, Director Park Chanwook has created a madcap journey through one woman’s quest for her own sense of justice. Having served time for a crime she did not commit, 13 years in jail in fact, Lee Geum-ja is played by one of Korea’s finest actresses, Lee Young –ae. On release, she immediately set out her plan. Vengeance, against the real perpetrator Teacher Baek, played by Choi Min-sik. Graphically detailed, punctuated with spurts of violence and the most unexpected graphic scenes this side of Tarantino. Park Chanwook clearly layers a black humour all over this tale to prevent it becoming just an orgy of depression. Lady Vengeance is the third of a trilogy of films by Park Chanwook. The first two being, ‘Sympathy for Mr Vengeance’ and ‘Oldboy’. I haven’t seen the first two but, they’ve had rather good reviews. Walking into this film I really didn’t know what to expect. We’re treated to a number of quite surprising scenes.

Click here to check out the Lady Vengeance [DVD]

The sections of the women’s jail sequences were quite brutal though necessary to develop characters fully. The film had a raw but polished feel to it.

No punches were pulled and the narrative was gripping from start to finish. I found myself drawn in almost morbidly, wondering what craziness could possibly happen next.

Surely Park Chanwook couldn’t top that last scene?! But he did everytime. The way how Park managed to shock yet lace it with humour I found quite clever.

Director’s quote “After making two revenge movies one after the other, I came to the conclusion that I needed to adopt a more graceful rage, a more classy hatred, and a more delicate violence.

In the end I wanted revenge to be an act of redemption, a vengeance carried out by a person who seeks to save her soul. And that’s how Lady Vengeance was born!”

Park Chanwook broke onto the scene after studying philosophy at Sogang University and discovering Alfred Hitchcock movies.

This inspired him to go into film-making and his first film ‘The Moon is the Sun’s Dream’ debuted in 1992. His potential immediately attracted attention from the critics.

2000 was his breakthrough year however, when he exploded onto Korea’s cinematic scene with the film JSA: Joint Security Area. This was the highest grossing film ever in Korea at the time and Park was quickly recognised as a top talent. He received numerous prizes at all of Korea’s film awards. Solidifying his reputation for using unique themes and style, Oldboy (2003) was a vengeance themed film. It gave Park his first taste of overseas success by taking the Grand Prix at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2004. Lee Young-ae is widely known as one of Korea’s sweetest actresses. She is loved by fans all over Asia and has big roles on television and cinema which feature her clean, beautiful image and confident manner. The first film she starred in was Inch’alla in 1997. Lady Vengeance is in fact Lee Young-ae’s second collaboration with director Park Chanwook, the first being JSA: Joint Security Area in 2000. This role cemented her good reputation as an actress which was further bolstered by playing a cheerful and strong character in the hit TV drama The Jewel in the Palace. This drew the highest TV audience ratings for that year.

Fascinated by her character in Lady Vengeance Lee Young-ae totally immersed herself in the role to create this mysterious figure.

Playing Lee Geum-ja finds her cast against type as she stars as an angel of vengeance.

Actor Choi Min-sik stars as Teacher Baek, the villain of the piece. The word villain is truly an understatement of his character.

Choi Min-sik has been acting since his first film Number 3 debuted in 1997.

He has since gone on to become one of Koreas’s most well known actors through his long string of diverse and memorable roles.

His most critically acclaimed role to date came in playing a man who was mysteriously imprisoned for 15 years without explanation in the 2003 film, Oldboy.

Lady Vengeance sees Choi playing a fully fledged brutal monster as he was fascinated by the role of Mr Baek.

Lady Vengeance is told in South Korean with a little spoken English thrown in at the most unexpected moments. There are English subtitles throughout.

The cinematography by director of photography Chung Chung-hoon and the score by music director Cho Young-wuk both have to be mentioned as both are great additions to the whole ensemble.

Lady Vengeance won a Young Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival in 2005 and will appeal to all Tarantino fans and those looking for something a little different.

It certainly is an interesting experience.

Running time: 112 mins, Certificate: 18

<Seven Swords - A Review|Wu xia! A new era is dawning>

Click here to learn more about the latest Chinese movies!

Check out Dianying.com for an extensive database of Chinese films.

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