There aren't to many times when credits roll on a film and I want to immediately start watching it through again. This is one of the rare exceptions.

Visually stunning with artistic merit to almost every shot. Deliberate frame composition with the eye of a classical painter married to lighting that underscores the narrative with sublime control. The shots alternate between tight intimate shots with strong angles that elude to POV and deep staged shots in full focus throughout that nearly ride the axis like looking down the barrel of a rifle into the deepest darkest corners of our characters' lives.

The light and textures on screen are lush and rich and the focus generally deep like Seven or Silence of the Lambs. Solid DOP, solid Cinematographer, solid Production Designer, Solid Art Director, across the board this film stands up as tight, smart, unexpected, sometimes abusive and always engaging like a car wreck in all the charmed ways.

Dialogue, though minimal, is always apt and loaded. Sign language feels like Tai Chi, delicate here, fierce there, somehow clear I believe even without subtitles.

This gem is deliciously horrific, a complete study of tragedy and of theater grotesque. Like Scarface the film is laden with stomach clenching non-gratuitous gore which is somehow infinitely more disturbing.

The driving narrative is about vengeance, layer upon layer, constantly underscored by social commentary both direct and sub-textual addressing inequities, rights, justice and the cruelty / fairness of commerce, fate and basic karma.

Well crafted, well delivered, well done. Excellent. And absolutely NOT for people with weak gullets, true that.

In Seoul, the deaf and dumb worker Ryu (Ha-kyun Shin) is very attached to his sister, who needs a transplantation of kidney. He tries to donate his own kidney to his sister, but his blood B type is not compatible with her. When Ryu is fired from Ilshin Electronics, he meets illegal dealers of organs and the criminals propose Ryu's kidney plus ten millions Won per a kidney suitable for his sister. Ryu accepts the trade, but he does not have money to pay for the surgery. His anarchist revolutionary girlfriend Cha Young-mi (Du-na Bae) convinces him to kidnap Yossun (Bo-bae Han),the daughter of his former employer Park (Kang-ho Song),who owns Ilshin Electronics. However, a tragedy happens, generating revenge and a series of acts of violence.

"Boksuneun Naui Geot" is the first movie of the Chan-wook Park's vengeance trilogy and also excellent. The story is very well developed, using ellipsis in a very appropriate way without disrupting the sequences. The characters and the situations are credible and there is no apology to revenge. On the contrary, the lead character does not find any redemption with his acts and even questions them in the end. The movie is very violent, therefore it is not recommended to sensitive persons. The relationship of the gorgeous Du-na Bae (Ruy's girlfriend) and Ji-Eun Lim (Ryu's sister) is a little confused to understand in the beginning, but becomes clear when Cha Young-mi convinces Ryu to abduct Yossun. However, I have not understood how the couple brought the little girl to their place. The masturbation scene supposed to be funny is actually very silly, but does not spoil this great film. The angles of camera work are magnificent. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Mr. Vingança" ("Mr. Vengeance")

Coming to Sympathy for Mr Vengeance after watching Park Chan-Wook's later, better known films like OLDBOY, I'm once again blown away by his sheer ability as a director. This is a storyline that keeps you guessing, a film that takes sheer joy in the beauty of cinema and in depicting out-of-the-ordinary scenes and situations. It's also another film that's impossible to pigeonhole; whether you try and proclaim it a black comedy, a kidnap drama or a revenge thriller, you'll never be quite there. Instead it's a cross-genre masterpiece with an extremely black heart.

The film's main character is a deaf mute who finds himself in dire financial difficulty. He comes up with the idea of arranging a kidnapping to make some money, but as this is a film it all ends up going horribly wrong. The story sounds predictable when written down, but there's so much more to it than that. Of course, it's the direction that really makes the story. I'm struck here by the intricate editing, which leaves out key scenes for the better, like the second meeting with the organ traffickers. Most directors would have dwelt on that scene in all its grotesque glory, but the event feels all the more powerful here simply because it's missing and we only witness the aftermath. Truly, this is one of those films where every element has its place and nothing goes to waste.

The acting is excellent, particularly from Ha-kyun Shin. It's never easy to act purely through the eyes and facial expressions alone, but Shin convinces us of his character's plight and even elicits sympathy for his situation. Doona Bae has a lot of fun in a more minor role as his girlfriend, but it's Kang-ho Song who really gets the attention as the father of the kidnap victim. Song has gone from strength to strength in the likes of THE HOST and THIRST since his role here and it's easy to see the talents that make him one of Korea's biggest names.

Inevitably, this is a violent story with some very unpleasant incidents taking place, but each one has a place in the story and the violence, although extreme, never feels gratuitous. What's particularly interesting is the way the story plays out in shades of grey, refusing to judge any of its characters – which makes the last half an hour particularly hard hitting, as you're never quite sure of who to root for. Whew, I'm exhausted just from watching it; this is a great movie.