Lady Vengeance

Film Review: Revenge served cold, as it should be
Nick Pannu,The Peak

Lady Vengeance is currently playing at Granville 7 Cinemas.

Director Chan-Wok Park returns with Lady Vengeance, following 2004’s Old Boy. Lady Vengeance tones down the perversity, yet explicit, grotesque, and bloody scenes are still woven into the film, a common thread through the series thus far. Preceded by this repertoire, Park’s reputation abroad would undoubtedly be threatened if a bizarre and eccentric storyline were not in place. There is a scene where the heroine voluntarily chops off her finger, and in another scene the character uses a puppy as a test subject for her new revolver.

Lady Vengeance cannot be berated for its lack of originality; the plot involves a kindergarten teacher befriending a teenage mother, and then framing her for a crime that he commits. Geum-ja (Yeong-ae Lee) is coerced into confessing that she murdered a five-year-old boy after her own daughter is kidnapped and used as collateral. Naïve and vulnerable to the whims of her daughter’s captor, Geum-ja breaks down and publicly confesses to a barrage of media attention. Throughout the film there are various flashbacks of Geum-ja’s incarceration. Upon first arriving, her innocent demeanor makes her instant prey for the seasoned inmates, but surprisingly, she is able to dispose of the dominant con. Thereafter, her tenure in prison becomes less threatening. Geum-ja manages to also befriend many inmates through her various good deeds, such as caring for an Alzheimer’s patient. She maintains her composure and sanity through the duration of her 14 years of incarceration. One main objective sustains her: revenge upon the one responsible for destroying her life – the school teacher, Mr. Baek.

There are other pivotal characters in Lady Vengeance, but a lot is invested into the central character, Geum-ja. Constructing a paradox, Park projects the heroine of the film as a villain to the other characters. There is no denying Yeong-ae Lee’s versatility as an actor as the main catalyst for the character’s ability to convincingly change and evolve. Yet there are other catalysts within the film that allow this realism to manifest itself. Park constructs specific dynamics that allow Geum-ja to realistically plot her revenge. Recently released inmates and those still incarcerated set up a network to provide her with the resources to tactfully prey on the unsuspecting Mr. Baek.

Living up to the acclaim of Old Boy is an obvious challenge for Chan-Wok Park, but he doesn’t seem intent on following the same formula that made his previous film a success. He seems to start off with a clean slate and new vision. Subduing the perverse antics of Old Boy, Park concentrates on facilitating the journey of an innocent character evolving and becoming empowered so she is no longer the victim, but the predator. Although the special effects are watered down when compared to Old Boy, cinematographer Jeong Jeong-hun deserves special praise for the miraculous imagery he creates in Lady Vengeance.