I Saw The Devil

I SAW THE DEVIL (DVD)
Optimum Releasing

Release date: May 9th, 2011
Certificate (UK): 18
Running time: 141 minutes

Country of origin: South Korea
Original language: Korean with English subtitles

Director: Kim Jee-Woon
Writer: Park Hoon-jung

Cast: Lee Byung-hun, Oh San-ha, Choi Min-sik

“He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster.
When you gaze into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.”
~ Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil (1886)

While watching I Saw The Devil, I couldn’t but help but think back to this passage I read by the 19th century German philosopher. It’s something that’s always stayed with me; the idea of the abyss becoming part of you if you look at it for too long. It’s also the idea which embodies this film.

I Saw The Devil begins with a grisly murder. Ju-yeon (Oh San-ha), the daughter of a retired police chief is on her way home one snowy night when her car breaks down. Stranded and awaiting the arrival of a tow truck, she becomes Kyung-Chul’s (Choi Min-sik) latest victim.

Ju-yeon’s fiancé, Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun), a top secret agent, decides to take two weeks off from his job but instead of using the time to grieve for her, he goes on a manhunt for Kyung-Chul. His mission becomes merciless, bloody and vengeful. He risks becoming a monster just like the one he’s after.

The film takes its cue from other Korean revenge thrillers such as Park Chan-wook’s Vengeance Trilogy; Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005), Oldboy (2003) Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002), but it pit two deranged characters at the story’s core.

It’s extremely brutal in its depiction of Kyung-Chul’s lack of empathy toward his victims, yet when Soo-hyun finally catches him, the moment of retribution is short lived; it’s only the beginning of a twisted plan.

In an attempt to make the murderer feel remorse for his actions, Dae-Hoon continues to torment him, playing a game of catch-and-release, but therein lies the problem.

Although the film is masterfully shot and the performances verge on terrifying, I Saw The Devil’s premise starts to wear thin after the first hour when you get the feeling things should be wrapping up now. The constant game of catch-and-release adds nothing new to the story and only serves to show us what we already know about these characters. By this time as well, the gore no longer shocks or comes as a surprise, and are no substitute for plot development.

That’s not to say its all blood and entrails though. There’s a fair amount of melodrama here too. Emotions and family histories are expounded right from the beginning, allowing us much time to witness Ju-yeon’s father’s reaction when they find the remains of her body, right up to the film’s nail-biting conclusion when Kyung-Chul’s parents come searching for him.

While these moments are not as fast-paced as we’re probably used to in western films, it’s slowly drawn out tension, suspense and horror is what makes them a moment to behold here rather than its gory counterparts. It serves the human element of the story well, reminding us that we can all become monsters if we look into that abyss long enough.

Patrick Samuel

The founder of Static Mass Emporium and one of its Editors in Chief is a composer and music producer with a philosophy degree. Static Mass is where he lives his passion for film and writing about it. A fan of film classics, documentaries and World Cinema, Patrick prefers films with an impeccable way of storytelling that reflect on the human condition.

You can find his music on Soundcloud .

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