How should we interpret the now-overwhelming theme of revenge that has permeated South Korean film-making for the past decade? Most notably (and stylishly) explored in Park Chan-wook’s Vengeance Trilogy, the idea of planned, often horrifically violent retribution seems far-removed from the similarly themed American revenge films of the 1970s which often focuses on ordinary citizens who felt handcuffed by the limitations of the law. While elements of this still exist in the Korean counterparts, there’s something much more deliberate and brutal in the redemptive efforts of the protagonists that often goes far beyond the simplistic “shoot the baddies” vigilantism on display in films like Death Wish. I
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