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| I SAW THE
DEVIL |
Movie
review by EDF
Starring: Lee Byung-Hun, Choi Min-Sik, Chun Kook-Haun, Chun
Ho-Jin
Director: Kim Jee-Woon
More
details
One snowy night, a young woman Ju-yeon (San-ha Oh) has car trouble
and calls for the tow truck. While she is waiting, she phones her
fiancé Kim Soo-hyun (Byung-hun Lee). Midway through her
conversation, Kyung-Chul (Min-sik Choi) is driving past and stops to
offer to help. Soo-hyun tells Ju-yeon to refuse the offer, and she
politely refuses the stranger his help. Ju-yeon ends her phone
conversation and notices that the stranger has not driven away. As
she is pondering on this, Kyung-Chul brutally attacks Ju-yeon and
takes her unconscious body to a warehouse. Ju-yeon wakes up, naked
with her limbs stretched, tied to pillars. She begs for her life but
Kyung-Chul has already decided what her fate will be.
Police eventually find Ju-yeon‘s various body parts. What the
killer did not count on is that Ju-yeon is the daughter of Squad
Chief Jang (Gook-hwan Jeon). This time it will not be just the
police that will hunt the killer. Kim Soo-hyun will be looking for
vengeance of his own. Jang gives Soo-hyun information on the four
worst criminals who would commit this sort of violent murder.
Soo-hyun goes after them one by one, and they each suffer violent
retribution but when Soo-hyun comes across Kyung-Chul, he puts up a
fight and escapes. Soo-hyun turns this into a game of cat and mouse,
promising Kyung-Chul that he will turn his life into a nightmare.
This movie has stirred up some controversy for it’s portrayal of
women who fall prey to the violent acts of a serial killer. As this
is not your typical glossy Hollywood movie, the characters and the
murders portrayed seem very real and their circumstances can be
unsettling viewing for some. The two lead actors are extremely
watchable as Byung-hun Lee’s secret agent character goes from the
grieving fiancé to vengeful killer and all the while is descending
into darkness, blinded by his unwavering obsession in making life
hell for the serial killer. Meanwhile Min-sik Choi in the role of
the serial killer, plays it cold, calculating, even unemotional to
his victims cries but later becomes unhinged and mentally unbalanced
as his once controlled world crumbles down around him.
Best of all though is the direction and the cinematography. Director
Jee-woon Kim gets the best out of his two lead actors. The action
scenes are shot very well and the camera work especially in the taxi
scene is amazing. Even though the movie is over two hours long, it
does not drag too much as you are taken in by the story, fascinated
to where it will take you next. This movie will not be to
everyone’s liking as it is far darker than SEVEN and Kyung-Chul
would have Hannibal Lector for breakfast, lunch, tea and midnight
snack.
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