It's been a few days since I saw I Saw the Devil and having since convinced an Hollywood volunteer to see the film after her shift and subsequently talking about it after, I felt compelled to write about it. I Saw the Devil is a brutal movie and I understand that it may be tough for some viewers to stomach, but it's not gratuitous. Plus, I often think about how people flocked to Passion of the Christ even though it is similarly brutal, so I know the general public can take a bit of blood and torture (I guess gore is tolerable when it's in service of one's beliefs...). Some minor spoilers below, though nothing that will ruin the movie.
In lieu of a summary, here's the trailer:
I Saw the Devil is an incredible, if slightly long (140 minutes) revenge tale, though I'd really call it an anti-revenge tale (not against revenge, but used like the term anti-Western in film). Our "hero," Soo-hyeon, loses any sense of humanity in his quest to avenge his fiancee. Because his particular brand of justice involves tormenting the killer, Kyung-chui, instead of just killing him or turning him in, Soo-hyeon endangers others, so he pays them little consideration (I'm kind of reminded of Liam Neeson's character in Taken when he ignores all of the other drugged up women who have been kidnapped because he only wants to get his daughter back). Soo-hyeon becomes nearly as culpable in Kyung-chui's crimes as Kyung-chui. After all, the police were all set to arrest Kyung-chui. On a very basic and quite obvious level, Soo-hyeon becomes just as much of a monster as Kyung-chui and one wonders just how much satisfaction Soo-hyeon is getting from all of this because even though he says it's for his fiancee, we all know it's for him.
Brutality and Blood
There are lots of movies where the viewer is meant to root for the hero to kick the ass of then kill the bad guy. This is especially true of revenge movies (though Dirty Harry is the film that immediately pops into my mind, but I don't think that vigilante movies and revenge movies are that far apart). Generally, these movies shy away from showing the real life ramifications of shooting the shit out of someone (or however the protagonist dispatches his or her rival). There may be a spurt of blood or some pooling, but it's usually nothing CSI doesn't show every week. I Saw the Devil, on the other hand, gets you right in there and pretty much forces the viewer to watch (as someone who watches a lot of this type of movie, for better or worse, I was surprised at the restraint shown at times). The effect is that the viewer no longer thinks "hell yeah! Kick that guy's ass!" but "dear god, just kill him or turn him in!" By showing the beatings in realistic gruesome detail (ok, maybe the Kyung-chui wouldn't just sleep off his head being smashed repeatedly into a rock), it alienates the audience from his quest. Soo-hyeon is dehumanized.
A Sympathetic Serial Killer?
Not only is Soo-hyeon dehumanized, but he's a flat character. He's got no depth beyond his desire for vengeance. Kyung-chui is far more interesting and developed. He may be psychotic, but he's not insane. The viewer gets a very firm grasp of who he is even if the viewer doesn't know his motives (of course, who he is happens to be pure evil, so maybe it's not that difficult to make someone grasp that). He shows no remorse and instead of trying to hide when he's being pursued, he keeps going after women. But he still keeps contact with his son (I can't help but wonder what happened to his son's mother), but not his parents in an effort, it seems to me at least, to keep them distanced from his exploits. Kyung-chui is a fascinating character who, while not exactly sympathetic, is well-developed. By dehumanizing the protagonist and humanizing the antagonist, director Kim Jee-woon and writer Park Hoon-jung level the playing field. Now it's a game that the viewer wants a third party to win before things get really out of hand (and things do get really out of hand).
Portrayal of Women
The aforementioned volunteer came down from the film part-way through to get another beer and expressed concern about the lack of care for the women in I Saw the Devil. She's not wrong. There's no strong female character (most are victims) and even Soo-hyeon seems unconcerned as to whether the potential victims are hurt. In the world of I Saw the Devil, women are victims (similarly, Korea is a place where serial killers freely roam the streets at night looking for victims). Is there a point to this? Obviously, I'm going to say yes. Once again, by showing the blatant disregard for others solidifies Soo-hyeon's descent into obsession. He was probably once a kind and caring man (he did sneak off to sing to his wife while on a secret service mission). So women don't come out of I Saw the Devil with much to do, but since everything is viewed through the lens of two psychotic men, I think it can be excused (who wants to talk about Straw Dogs now?)
Anti-Revenge
When I describe I Saw the Devil to people (which I've done a lot), it really sounds like a kick-ass revenge movie (and it is kick-ass). But I just don't feel comfortable calling it a revenge movie since it so squarely falls into the "what does one gain from revenge?" question. I Saw the Devil is a rumination on the nature of revenge and what it can do to us and its ramifications for those around us. Yes, it's bloody. Yes, it's intense. But those elements are necessary to drive home the message.
Or, I'm just trying to justify it because I love Kim Jee-woon's films so much. See I Saw the Devil and let me know.
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