I Saw the Devil

Too lengthy, too inconsistent. Ji-un Kim knows how to make a film, I won’t argue against that, but I don’t know whether I was supposed to get something out of this one, or only be entertained (or something else), it didn’t succeed at either anyway. I just watched it without much interest and forgot about it. There are a couple of suggestive scenes, the violence is unpleasant, but as a whole it’s from a different realm than I like visiting. (12/08/2010)

In a way, it's a work of genius. On the other hand, I'm a little ashamed to be so positive about so much evil. But I've been taught that "such is life". I have huge sympathy for Byeong-heon Lee and I understood all his inhumane actions the whole time. He simply had a lot to avenge. Again, no one could have been better chosen for the role of the devil than Min-sik Choi. I often thought it was too open-ended, but otherwise the viewer probably wouldn't have properly felt the desire for revenge. My 5 stars are for the fantastic script and great acting and direction. (10/02/2011)

I’m accustomed to intense material from Koreans, which you rarely find in American or European films, but I Saw the Devil would probably fit into a category of its own. The naturalistic depiction of violence and unsettling situations that make you uncomfortable during viewing is quite rare. At times, I actually hesitated to continue watching the film, not due to any lack of quality, but because of the explicitness that permeates every aspect of it. However, I overcame that impulse and was ultimately glad I did. I have to commend the filmmakers for their bravery in portraying the actions of a serial killer in such an unacceptable manner for many people. The two main characters are played by renowned actors from the Asian peninsula, and the audience immediately understands that they will be treated to a script with finely crafted dialogue down to the smallest detail. The conversations between the characters are among the most intricate aspects of the film. However, I must point out one flaw: the lack of a more impactful ending. Yes, the conclusion cannot be described as bad or poorly executed, but the buildup suggested it could be one of the best detective thrillers, and the actual climax left me expecting something even grander. Still, I can recommend it. I’m giving it 81%. (07/29/2019)

An uncomfortably naturalistic spectacle that incorporates the old familiar concept of "righteous vengeance" as well as serial murder. With the exception of the first half hour, this is indeed a strong revenge movie, in which the psychology of the two main characters is pretty sparse (we learn absolutely nothing about the killer's past), which on the other hand gives more room for gore and action scenes. At its core, it's a very superficial and overexposed contribution to the serial killer genre, but it can't be denied a few strong scenes and formally a completely professional execution. (10/15/2019)

Formally excellent but otherwise a dud of a revenge film. In bullet points: 1) Jee-woon Kim does a good job of pacing the scenes, but not the film. That's because revenge, by design, has to work as a gradually accelerating carousel, with scenes escalating and reining in or, as in Lady Vengeance, maintaining the same mood line. I Saw the Devil jumps back and forth between them the whole time, which achieves at most the effect of knowing from the start how it's all going to turn out, and the director makes it clear that he's not concerned with the film as a whole, but just the (in the words of Rob Roy) attractions. These are successful (in particular the stabbing of two guys in a taxi and the murder of a policeman with a baseball bat are perfect shots), but many times unfinished (which, as I later learned, is the result of the film being edited down film to a more tolerable level, phew). 2) As a Korean director, someone must have explained to Jee-woon Kim the necessity of using that visual brashness that characterizes that cinematic nation, which here in turn gets in the way. With such a spare plot, I think such overblown visuals take away from the concept. In particular, the constant perpendicular shots from above make it clear that the director is rather trying to meet the stipulated criteria. What’s more, it is with this visual that the film mystifies and the entire time convinces the audience that they are looking at something higher than it really is. 3) The characters are geometric points, not people. They have no background, no history, and none of the audience’s trust. The character of the killer, while unprecedented, is without charisma because he doesn't work on mythicization (like Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men) or as a twisted parody of humanity because he doesn't come into contact with any humanity he could be parodying. The protagonist operates on the same motivations as Marv from Sin City; unfortunately, I Saw the Devil provides a minimum of perspective, making him pretty hard to relate to. It's just the violence that works best on this film, and not in its brutality, but in its aggressiveness. It's got an awful lot of pace, but also a lot of twisted ankles. (03/27/2012)