Lady Vengeance is the finale of Korean director Park Chan-wook's “vengeance” trilogy that began with Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (VL Online-12/05), and was followed by Oldboy (VL-9/05). The story is actually quite simple: a woman wrongly convicted of killing a young boy comes out of prison determined to bond with her daughter (who's been adopted by an Australian couple)…and inflict justice on the real murderer. But the director presents the story with all sorts of narrative fractures and flashbacks, ranging from the grimly humorous to the ethereally beautiful to the unpleasantly explicit, so that while Lady Vengeance does exhibit an elegant craftsmanship that's consistently eye-catching, the fragmentary narrative style and a distasteful final act are serious drawbacks. Aficionados of Park's bravura work won't be seriously disturbed by either the flamboyant style or the level of mayhem here, but others will definitely be turned off. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include three audio commentaries (the first by director Park Chan-wook; the second by Richard Pena, program director for the Film Society of Lincoln Center; and the third with the director, cinematographer, and art director), an interview with the director (42 min.), an 11-minute “making-of” featurette, and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a love-it-or-hate-it thriller.] (F. Swietek)
Lady Vengeance
Tartan, 112 min., in Korean w/English subtitles, R, DVD: $22.95 Volume 21, Issue 6
Lady Vengeance
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