I Saw the Devil

Review

written by

not_mine

At first, I wasn't really into it; it felt too fast-paced, like they weren't giving the story enough weight, or that it lacked depth. By the end of the movie, my opinion on that last part of the previous sentence hadn't changed, I think the story could have said more, touched on more themes, and given the characters more complexity. I don’t think it’s poorly written; it has a fast pace, yes, but it’s well-executed. The characters aren’t very multi-layered, but even so, and thanks to very good performances from everyone you see a fully-formed character, not just an acting performance (I don’t know if you understand what I mean). I liked the film’s theme and its ending—this is extremely personal, but I like revenge; I’m someone who doesn’t forget, much less forgive. I wouldn’t have chosen the same ending as the protagonist, of course; I liked that he didn’t change his mind; he wants the revenge to come from him, with his own hands; he wants to control all the pain, fear, and negative emotions of his enemy, I liked the fact that not always will the protagonist be the "better person", or will the movie be about his redemption; likewise, I don’t think it’s a movie that encourages revenge. It shows that being vengeful makes you almost the same as the person you’re seeking revenge against—you lose yourself in a feeling, in this case, anger. P.S.: The film didn't need to show so much violence against women; there comes a point where it's just too much. It's clear he's not a good person—there's no need to show any more.