Movie Review: ‘I SAW THE DEVIL’

Vengeance is a subject that has been explored many times in past films and will continue to be a subject to be explored in future films.  The idea that a man or woman can be pushed to the edge (or over in some cases) and seek out retribution for acts committed against themself or a loved one, is a mindset that many of us can easily grapple with; which in a lot of ways is very scary to think about.  Many directors have shown a spotlight on the protagonist’s journey.  Yet not many have shown the other side: The side of the killer.  Director Ji-woon Kim’s recent revenge film I Saw the Devil does just that.  While acknowledging the revenge genre, Kim’s film just as easily flips it on its head with gory and exciting results.

I Saw the Devil opens with the death of the young and pretty Joo-yeon (San-ha Oh).  Joo-yeon is the daughter of a retired police chief and the fiancée of special agent Kim Soo-hyeon (Byung-hun Lee).  Soo-hyeon is given two weeks leave of absence so that he can deal with his fiancée’s death.  Instead of grieving, Soo-hyeon makes a promise to find the man responsible and unleash “10000 times more pain than he caused.”  What follows is a cat and mouse game that almost sounds too ridiculous to believe: Upon capturing the serial killer and inflicting pain, the agent releases him again and again and again in order to cause more pain.  The result is some of the most exciting and creatively structured action sequences seen in any horror film of late.

To call I Saw the Devil just a revenge film is doing it a great disservice.  Instead of turning in a “B movie” with ample gore, Kim presents one of the most beautifully and artistically shot films you will most likely see in any genre.  His energetic film style mixes seamlessly with a haunting and beautiful music score that amps up the dread in the film.  With each scene, Kim seems to be challenging himself (and his cinematographer) to think outside the box.  Every set-piece, whether it is a speeding car, a green house, a nurse’s office, or an antique mansion, is filmed to showcase the environment just as much as the actors.  In a lot of ways, the use of color and attention to detail in these sets reminded me of the films of art house director Wes Anderson.

These stylistic sequences would not be anything if it were not for the amazing acting by our two leads.  Oldboy’s Min-sik Choi plays our villain with an appetite for slicing up young women.  His subtle and creepy performance never once comes off as typical or contrived.  His opposite is young actor Byung-hun Lee.  Lee, though extremely confident in the numerous fight sequences, gives a fine performance with what little he is given.  This is both a positive and a negative in this film.  I enjoyed the fact that the director choose to focus so much of his attention on the killer.  About 75% of the film follows Choi’s unhealthy lust for his next victim.  Unfortunately, this leaves not a whole lot of room in the film for Lee to explore his character. Thus, we never really feel the full weight of Soo-hyeon’s grief and loss.  This, combined with the fact that the film felt about 10-15 minutes too long (its 2 hrs and 21 mins.) are the only two minor detractors to this otherwise engaging thriller.

Where other Korean films have tackled vengeance in the philosophical and ethical terms (Oldboy, Symphanthy for Mr. Vengeance, and my personal favorite – Lady Vengeance), I Saw the Devil is a little more interested in presenting an excruciating journey through violence and action.  It is less a thinking man’s film and more  . . . well . . . interested in sliced tendons, pummeled genitals, and severed heads.  Given those facts, if you are ready for a revenge film with teeth, look no further.  I Saw the Devil is one of the most rewarding horror films you will see this year.