Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8089 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-02-28
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Collector's Edition, PAL, Widescreen
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 121 minutes

Synopsis
Korean Director Park Chan-Wook brings a dark and disturbing film that enters into pretty scary and possibly taboo territory, the organ transplant black market. A deaf mute is desperate to find a kidney for his dying sister, but has no money to pay for it. He and his terrorist girlfriend decide to take matters into their own hands and kidnap a business man's daughter, unaware that they are entering into a highly dangerous situation in a world of complete apathy and merciless violence. The three worlds of terrorism, business and murderers all have striking similarities. The violence in this film is a stark contrasted to Chan-Wook's beautiful filmmaking.

Customer Reviews

Awesome
Don't usually write reviews but felt a great sense of injustice at the rating it had. Anyone who liked Oldboy will like this equally, anyone who has not seen it is in for a treat. The production and direction is beautiful, the subject shocking and compelling, and the storyline keeps twisting and turning keeping you on the edge of your seat.

The only reason people are giving it mediocre reviews is that they love Oldboy so much and are comparing it to Oldboy. If Oldboy had never been made everyone would bang on about this film instead. The vengeance trilogy is my favourite trilogy ever. All 3 films are breathtaking, I can't reccomend them highly enough unless you are adverse to violence.

nothing in comparison to old boy
I had watched old boy before watching this one expecting it to be fast paced brutal and adrenaline packed!
It is nothing of the kind! It is no wonder that this film in its own country barely managed to recoup the money that was spent on it. There is very little dialogue, no music and the story quite frankly plods along and is quite dissappointing. Yes there are some brutal parts espeacially the scene at the end. but they are quite mild compared to some of the things you see in oldboy. It goes to show that sound is very important in any film.

overall.... if your expecting this film to be as good as oldboy FORGET IT! its slow and boring.

what would you do?
sympathy for mr vengeance is the first of parks three movies on vengeance,hence you should have an idea that revenge will be explored here and it is,it certainly is.
Released in 2002,this is a slow burning film,i dont think anyone would disagree with that,some will ponder that thought and go mad as many have done here and cry that the film plods along for the first hour,i guess on some levels i see their point of view,others,and im more inclined to go with this view,state that the film is slow because atmosphere is key here and then the brutal outcome is more damning,more vicious and more glorious,well thats what i feel anyway,but i can see both sides of the argument.
The film deals with a deaf mute who has a sister who needs a transplant or death is coming,when he sees a sticker stating organs for sale,he arranges to buy one,the terms though that you pay £10,000 and give your own organ to them and they find one for whom needs it,but its a con and he ends up with no money and missing a kidney.
So,now he wants revenge,on the other hand,a man whose daughter is kidnapped,wants more than police help,he wants revenge and the stories combine and to a very dense and bloody effect.
The director asks us to ask ourselves,what is good and justified in seas of rage and torture,and this film will draw an answer out of you,slow and brooding,tense and captivating,this film will cause you to think,and thats a sign of a good film.