Kim Ji-woon’s brutal revenge thriller I Saw the Devil (2010) is not for the faint of heart.
I Saw the Devil has gone down in the books as one of the great revenge films to come out of Korea, if not in all of world cinema. Directed by Kim Ji-woon (A Tale of Two Sisters) (A Bittersweet Life), this is a sleekly shot, brutal tale of revenge that battled the censorship boards in Korea before its release. After three re-edits, it was finally approved to have an 18+ rating and suitable for a wide theatrical release in 2010. Even with the edits, the film contains intense sequences of violence that can probably make even the more hardened film goers wince at times.
Veteran actor Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) (Crying Fist) pulls of a perfect performance portraying the psychotic killer. He truly has us convinced that he is evil incarnate and the last man you ever want to accidentally bump into.
Lee Byung-hun’s character first appears in a black and white suit and looks exactly like his character right out of A Bittersweet Life (2005). He has excellent combat skills that he puts to good use as he dishes out some relentless beatings upon the killer. His pursuit of the ultimate vengeance was a cool concept, but I was slightly off-put by the destructive and unintended side effects that ensued and that he ultimately causes more harm to others. Also, the actions of the police and detectives leave you shocked at their inability to handle the crimes being committed left and right. Whether this was an intended comment on the skills of the police in Korea or not I do not know.
Impressive performances aside, there are some great technical achievements on display as well. One of which is the superb lighting. It is unusual to make a comment on something like the lighting but many scenes were so well lit that it is worth praising. The use of reds and yellows in dark settings as Choi Min-sik embodies the devilish killer gives off the feeling that he really is from hell. The film is also tightly edited and there is a lot of tension brewing in scenes that will surely have you jump at times.
I Saw the Devil is an extremely popular revenge film around the world for the reasons stated above. If your a fan of Park Chan-wook’s revenge trilogy (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) and are not turned off by graphic violence, then I Saw the Devil comes highly recommended. It is slightly too long, but it is an intense ride that I will surely take again.
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