He finds numerous “trophies” of Jang’s crimes and his fiancé’s engagement ring. He launches an independent investigation, finally locating the killer’s apartment. As it turns out, her father is the commander of a police squad (Jeon Gook-hwan), and her fiancé Kim Soon-hyun (Lee Byung-hun), is a special agent in the National Intelligence Service. The killer shows no sign of humanity and is even amused by her pleading.Įventually, parts of the missing woman’s body are found and she is identified. The scene is almost unbearably sad as she begs for her life telling the killer she is engaged to be married. He assaults and murders the terrified woman, then dismembers her body.
#I SAW THE DEVIL SERIAL#
Jang Kyung-Chul (Choi Min-sik) is both a serial rapist and serial killer. A young woman Jang Yu-yun (Oh Han-sa) has a flat on a lonely stretch of road, one snowy night. The beginning sets the tone for the remainder of the story. I Saw the Devil has so many brilliantly staged set-pieces it’s difficult to single out one as being the best.
#I SAW THE DEVIL MOVIE#
Beyond that, the movie is brutally violent yet the director, Kim Jee-Woon films it in such a manner that is more fascinating than revolting. Its message, eloquently voiced, is that in life none of us are ever really safe and revenge does not offer salvation, but damnation.
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The film pulls off an incredible feat I Saw the Devil is a very bleak, dark and disturbing cinematic experience. The other is a continuation of the rape/revenge genre, first started by Ingmar Bergman’s The Virgin Spring and followed by the more modern exploitation films such as The Last House on the Left (which was inspired by Bergman’s film), I Spit on Your Grave and Chaos. First, as a superior cat and mouse detective/criminal story, with plenty of plot twists and suspense. I Saw the Devil is the penultimate representative of this new style of Korean cinema, with acting, cinematography, direction and production values equal to any of the world’s leading movie centers. The release of Oldboy (2003) put South Korean cinema back on the map, after seeing its once glorious traditions wane for many years. The South Korean film industry has enjoyed a twenty year renaissance especially in the thriller/horror/gore genres.