The Next Reel Film Podcast

Did Park Chan-Wook set out to make a challenging film or did it just naturally end up that way? Who is the eponymous character? And what is Park saying about the nature of revenge in film? Tune in to this week’s show to find out!

Show Notes

"I’m not just any ordinary person."

Park Chan-Wook never set out to make a trilogy. His ‘vengeance trilogy,’ in fact, only was later dubbed that by international critics who felt the three films were connected through themes of revenge, violence, and salvation. Luckily, he was able to make the second and third films in this ‘trilogy’ because this first one didn’t connect with audiences and it lost money. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we kick off a new series looking at Park Chan-Wook’s Vengeance Trilogy with his 2002 film Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. 

We talk about the unique tone of the film, balancing absurdist humor with the dark themes of sacrifice, loss and revenge, and why that is possibly why audiences couldn’t connect with the film. We also look at the way that Park constructs films, and how his challenging storytelling style may also have kept audiences away. We chat about the editing, cinematography and script, looking at how they all come together to push the story forward in unexpected ways while allowing Park incredibly creative ways to show off his understanding of the language of cinema. We look at the interesting — and challenging — way the sound was designed and why it works in context of the film. And we look at some of the performances and why they work so well here. 

It’s a challenging film for sure, but one that we liked quite a bit. We have a great time talking about it here so check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins.

Film Sundries

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What is The Next Reel Film Podcast?

The Next Reel team has been dedicated to reviews, news, and commentary on world film for a decade. This podcast is The Next Reel master feed including all the episodes of The Next Reel, Trailer Rewind, The Film Board, The Speakeasy, and the other shorts, interviews, and specials we've produced over the years.