Lady Vengeance
The third in Park Chan-Wook’s thematically-linked ‘revenge trilogy’, Lady Vengeance shows a more calculating and visually sumptuous take on the subject of revenge. Framed for the kidnapping and murder of a young boy and with her own daughter taken away from her as a result, prison inmate Geum-ja (played to perfection by Yeong-ae Lee) spends her time inside hatching a complex and elaborate plan to exact revenge on Mr. Baek, the man who is responsible for it all.Those who have seen the likes of Oldboy and Sympathy For Mr Vengeance will be familiar with Wook’s thematic and visual styles: black-as-pitch humour and shocking violence, portrayed through very artistic camerawork. Lady Vengeance is no exception, showing some of his most stunning visuals to date, not to mention portraying the act of revenge with a very feminine face. The colours and landscapes glow with beauty and optimism, not unlike Amelie or The Royal Tenenbaums; later the backgrounds become darker as the lead is drawn down a cold and lonely path by her own actions.
