The closing chapter in the Vengeance Trilogy. Though it’s far less bloody than the first two, Park Chan Wook’s Sympathy for Lady Vengeance should be held in just as high regard. It outclasses Tarantino’s Kill Bill as a revenge story with far deeper turmoil. Filmed in an almost grotesque fairytale manner, it is about the struggle between a saintly pale faced damsel in distress and a cunning witch donned in red eye make-up and classy heels. Stranger yet, is that both characters are one and the same - Ms Geum Ja (Lee Young-Ae) who seeks vengeance for crimes committed against her. This film has the right blend of humour, love, family elements yet maintains an incredibly intense dark tone throughout. The surreal shots, the use of music and the progression of the story are nearly flawless. I would happily use the words 'compelling' 'heart wrenching' and 'beautiful' to describe Park Chan Wook’s Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. However, to this description you must also add 'chilling' and 'horrifically sinister' to fully appreciate the depth and complexity of this film. Lady Vengeance provides the audiences with intense off-camera violence and in this film it is the aftermath of the violence that is most effective. It’s not the violence that bothers the viewer but the situation in which it arises. This offering by this amazing director is not for those who can only stomach physical brutality but that of the emotional type, thus making opinions surrounding this film as divisive as its predecessors. Like most pieces of art, it really depends on one’s taste. But one thing is for sure; whether you’re swayed by the deeper emotional content or the hard to ignore visual elements, there is at least one thing you’ll love about this film. Or if not, you won’t be able to forget it for a variety of reasons.