In the western world, Hollywood blockbusters are generally the order of the day. The never-ending stream of conventional films is rarely interrupted by something truly original and intelligent. Lady Vengeance is one of these rarities and provides you with an intoxicating saunter off the beaten track. It’s the third instalment in Park Chan-Wook’s so-called “revenge” trilogy, which includes Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and the more recent Oldboy, and it promises to deliver the same level of ingenuity, fluidity and beauty that its predecessors have been hailed for.

You just put one thumb in each ear and hold them like this.

Lee Guem-Ja (Yeong-ae Lee) has been released from prison after serving a 13 year sentence for child kidnapping and murder, but the betrayal which led her there is fresh in her mind and she sets out, with the aid of some former inmates, to punish the man responsible. What follows is a twisted and somewhat peculiar series of events that will either leave you floored or utterly confused.

Lady Vengeance is a fluently poetic film, there’s plenty of dialogue that will provoke further thought and the emotional vein of the film is expressed in a clever and sagacious way. The storyline relies on flashbacks before each of Guem-Ja’s actions, to both explain why she is doing what she is doing and also to show us why her companions from prison are so willing to help her exact revenge. Lee’s performance as Guem-Ja is fittingly dry and she manages to imitate the “tough shell and soft centre” personality in a pleasingly accomplished manner – something unexpected because in Asia she is typecast as the quiet, intelligent type as opposed to being controlling and violent (a welcome change for her no doubt).

Rather than opting for the hands-on, overbearing violence seen in many similar Asian films and western equivalents, Lady Vengeance likes to stand back and watch, rather than participate in the macabre. Until, that is, she tracks down Mr. Baek (Oldboy’s Min-sik Choi) – her betrayer. From then onwards the film seems to unsheathe its sword and commence the slicing, dicing and grisly torture in a partially unoriginal, but nevertheless, wholly exciting manner.

Warning: The thumbscrews enclosed may have adverse effects.

In terms of DVD extras, there’s not anything significant on offer apart from a rather long interview with Park Chan-Wook – this is definitely worth a watch if you enjoyed the film because he may answer some of your lingering questions. The original theatrical trailer is also on offer as well as some teasers for other related releases but these aren’t particularly stimulating. A ‘making of’ documentary would have been perfect for fans interested in seeing more, but perhaps the absence of one from this release means one be included in a later version.

Despite being less appealing than Oldboy, Lady Vengeance is a clever and artistic vision. It combines some magnificent cinematography with the gritty sensibilities of an offbeat drama. But however striking the film is, the storyline is very circuitous and will dissuade some viewers; a second watch is vital if you want to fully understand the first act and even then, some things will pass you by. Vengeance is a very intriguing and seductive affair, its obscurity and unashamed quirkiness is lovable but ultimately it does not live up to the greatness that we know Chan-Wook is capable of.

8/10