Park Chan-wook's Vengeance Trilogy (2002/03/05/Old Boy/Lady Vengeance/Sympathy
For Mr. Vengeance/Asia Extreme Palisades
Tartan Blu-ray Boxed Set)
Picture:
B Sound: B Extras: B-/A/A Films: B/B+/B-
Director
Park Chan-wook is responsible for creating the thematic series that has come to
be known as the Vengeance Trilogy. Through recurring actors, ideas and various
other stylistic choices, there are bonds that distinguish them as a connected
series of works. It can be surprising,
then, that in spite of these connections and with the central idea in each
being much the same, that each film can retain a unique identity. But I find that they do work, and that each
film plays to different strengths.
At this
point in time, these Blu-ray editions of the films are not available for
purchase separately, so you'll have to get them as a package deal or not at
all. Aside from the cardboard slipcase
(older copies were a Best Buy exclusive and housed in a metal tin), a smaller
version of the booklet that was included with the DVD set has been transplanted
to this release as well. A brief
suspension of Tartan production as it switched owners is part of why.
The
trilogy began in 2002 with the film Sympathy
For Mr. Vengeance. The story focuses
on the laid-off and desperate Ryu who is preparing to sell a kidney in order to
receive another one that will be a match for his dying sister. He strikes a deal with a group of organ
dealers who in turn steal his kidney and his cash. In a desperate bid to get the money he needs,
he hatches a plan to kidnap the daughter of the man who fired him. Things go from bad to worse for Ryu in short
order, and the consequences can be comically grim.
Extras
are the same as those found on the Vengeance
Trilogy DVD edition, and include a subtitled audio commentary with Park
Chan-wook and fellow director Ryoo Seung-wan. There are also four featurettes, a trailer,
storyboards, and an excerpt from the soundtrack accompanied by stills from the
film.
This film
was followed up a year later with what would end up being the director's most
well known work to date, Oldboy. Quentin Tarantino would prove to be a major
champion of the film, and his enthusiasm was a catalyst for the warm reception
that the film received in the U.S.
at the time of its release. In the film
we follow Oh Dae-su, a man abducted and confined to a single room for 15 years
without ever knowing his captor or the reason for his punishment. Without explanation, he is one day led outside
and given five days in which to solve the mystery of his imprisonment and
attempt to exact his own revenge upon the man who kept him locked away for so
long.
Extras on
the original DVD included a single commentary track from Park Chan-wook and
cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon, an interview, 9 deleted scenes, a photo
gallery and theatrical trailer. This
Blu-ray disc adds to that with 3 audio commentaries, 10 deleted scenes with
optional director commentary, cast and crew interviews and a La Grand Prix at Cannes featurette. Also included is the 3 hour video diary, The
Autobiography of Oldboy.
Lastly,
in Lady Vengeance, Lee Geum-ja is
released after serving a 13 year prison sentence for a crime she did not
commit. Now that she's out, she'll be
getting even with the murderer she did time for. The film is the weakest of the three, but
still worthwhile all around.
The
extras here are quite extensive and port over everything from the DVD set,
including both the original and “Fade To White” versions of the film as well as
three audio commentary tracks on the first disc. On the second we have a making of featurette,
several on camera interviews with Park, deleted scenes, poster gallery, and
trailers. I personally felt that the
Fade To White version's digital color removal was unnecessary, and that the
gradual loss of color wasn't totally apparent until the very end of the film.
The
Blu-rays are all in 1080p and are anamorphically enhanced with 2.35:1 aspect
ratios. Each title has a Korean 5.1
DTS-HD mix as their primary audio source, which I found to be quite good,
although Oldboy also has a 2.0 Dolby
track and a horrendous English dub, which is available in Dolby 5.1 and 2.0
mixes. The excellent look of both Oldboy and Lady Vengeance is largely thanks to the cinematography of Chung
Chung-hoon, although Kim Byung-il's work on Mr. Vengeance stands on its own and gives the film a unique
appearance.
I
recommend checking this set out, as there's not a dud in the bunch. If you're
not a film-goer who is typically interested in Asian cinema, Oldboy was previously available
stateside as a 2-disc Blu-ray, and if you can find a copy, it would be the one
to get your feet wet with if you're leery of going too far in.
For more
on the Trilogy, try this link of the
DVD version which has more links:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9728/The+Vengeance+Trilogy+(Old+Boy/Lad
- David Milchick
