Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

REVIEW
Deaf and dumb Ryu will do anything to get a kidney for his sister: he quits art school, takes a job of factory smelting to raise money and lies about his blood type in an attempt to donate part of his own kidney to her. Unsuccessful in his efforts made through regular channels, laid off from his factory job, Ryu loses his savings and more trying to find a suitable organ on the black market. Unable to just watch his sister die, he accedes to his girlfriend’s kidnapping scheme, to hold for ransom the daughter of his former boss. The plan goes spectacularly badly. Director Park uses arresting visuals to create the gritty atmosphere of an oppressive, industrialized yet feudal society. A brilliant and inventive sound design conveys Ryu’s aural isolation, clearly communicating his silent world. Graphic, stunning violence is interspersed with moments of calm serenity as the film moves inexorably to a conclusion at once inevitable and preventable. Park moves the film with swift incisiveness, and Shin makes the character of Ryu accessible and intelligible. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is a cautionary tale told with power and discernment.