Jan 10: I Saw the Devil

"When his pregnant fiancee becomes the latest victim of a serial killer, a secret agent blurs the line between good and evil in his pursuit of revenge."

   So, I thought I would be doing this blog with all fresh movies, or films that I haven't seen before; however, some movies just call back to you for a second viewing and this is one of them. 

  I Saw the Devil is a South Korean film, directed by Jee-woon Kim, who also directed The Good, The Bad, and the Weird and is now in production on his first English speaking film, starring the Terminator himself, Mr. Ahnuld Schawrastzanegar. 

I em bahk, bahbee. 

  The film follows a secret agent who, after his fiancé is murdered, vows to get revenge on her murderer. Now, revenge is kind of a big deal in South Korea, or, at least, according to their films (Oldboy, Mother, and pretty much anything with Vengeance in the title). 

   While on his quest to deliver his revenge, our hero marks and tracks the killer from place to place. Yes friends, he does not kill him right away. He GPS's his ass and just before the killer's about to attack someone new, the hero pops up and beats the living shit out of him over, and over, and over. It's something I have never seen in a film before and I absolutely love the idea of that dish best served cold being handed out for each meal of the day.

It's pretty much Kill Bill if there were about 9 Volumes.

   I am usually against remakes, because half of the time they blow harder than a turbine on a Boeing 457, but I would totally be welcome to having this one re-did. But, not because I found this film sub-par but because I loved the story so much, I want a larger audience to lay witness to it. So, yes, the story was exciting and very original. I cannot wait to see what other stories of revenge come out of South Korea (I'm assuming it's one of their biggest exports). 

The Avenger, shipping out 25,000 pounds of Imgonnagetyou.

   

   So, obviously a script doesn't make a movie alone. The acting was very impressive. Starring Oldboy himself, Min-sik Choi is the terrifying serial killer and Byung-hun Lee, is the Bourne-like secret agent out for revenge. Both take and give beatings you wouldn't even think anyone could survive. The fight scenes are filmed with intensity and rage and are all shot beautifully and stylized. The violence is very graphic, including a scene where an Achilles heel is cut through with a scalpel. The scene literally made my heel cringe, a motion usually reserved for when I try to force my foot into a new pair of shoes because I am too lazy to tie them every time.

They laugh when they're free. 

   I love I Saw the Devil and would hope more people would give the film a shot. Ignore the fact that it's subtitled. A lot of people don't even read books anymore, so do the next logical thing and read your movies. Some of the best films are not American, and I think it's about time more of us give them a chance. Check Netflix, your local Redbox or Blockbuster, and really give the foreign films an opportunity to blow your mind.

Sight: Jee-woon Kim is one hell of a director, and everything he makes is gorgeous and full of color, even if it's massive amounts of blood. 

Sound: I Saw the Devil's score is just as intense as the subject matter and packs quite the punch during the more emotional scenes. 

Skill: Like I mentioned before, the acting is incredible, as is expected when you have such great actors in each of the main roles. 

Script: Original, violent, and emotional, the script is excellent and the dialogue between the killer and his "hunter" are perfect.

Overall: 9.6/10

Best Quote: 

Kim Soo-hyeon: "I will kill you when you are in the most pain. When you're in the most pain, shivering out of fear, then I will kill you. That's a real revenge. A real complete revenge."