Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

Main Plot

"Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance," directed by Park Chan-wook, is a South Korean thriller that delves into themes of revenge and tragedy. The story follows a deaf-mute man who, desperate to save his ailing sister, resorts to kidnapping the daughter of a wealthy industrialist to raise money for her kidney transplant. However, the plan goes horribly wrong, leading to a series of violent and tragic events. As the consequences of the kidnapping spiral out of control, both the kidnapper and the victim's father find themselves on a relentless quest for vengeance. The film explores the devastating impact of their actions, highlighting the futility and destructiveness of revenge.

Characters

• Song Kang-ho plays Park Dong-jin, a factory owner who seeks revenge after his daughter is kidnapped and accidentally killed.
• Shin Ha-kyun plays Ryu, a deaf-mute factory worker who kidnaps his boss's daughter to fund his sister's kidney transplant, leading to tragic consequences.
• Bae Doona plays Cha Yeong-mi, an anarchist and girlfriend of the protagonist, Ryu. She helps plan the kidnapping that sets off the film's tragic chain of events.

Ending Explained

In the conclusion of Park Chan-wook's film "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance," the cycle of vengeance reaches a tragic and inevitable climax. Ryu, a deaf-mute man, initially kidnaps the daughter of a wealthy businessman, Dong-jin, to fund his sister's kidney transplant. However, the plan goes awry when the girl accidentally drowns. Consumed by grief and rage, Dong-jin embarks on a relentless quest for revenge. He eventually captures Ryu and tortures him before drowning him in the same river where his daughter died. As Dong-jin exacts his revenge, he is unaware that anarchists, who were friends of Ryu's deceased girlfriend, have been plotting against him. In the final scenes, Dong-jin is ambushed and brutally murdered by these anarchists, completing the cycle of vengeance. The film ends on a somber note, highlighting the destructive and unending nature of revenge. The characters' lives are irrevocably shattered, and the narrative underscores the futility and devastation wrought by their relentless pursuit of retribution.