1. Park Chan-wook's Vengeance Trilogy
This probably comes as little surprise, but then again, was there ever any doubt? Park Chan-wook's Vengeance Trilogy is a large part of why Korean cinema is known in the west and across three innovative and singular works, the acclaimed cineaste had plenty of time to delve deep into the theme of revenge. That said, it's a little hard to ascertain exactly where he stands.
In his films, bad things happen to those who seek out revenge, yet Park fetishizes the violence that these vengeful acts entail. Thereby making us as well as himself (as he has stated that he wants to perpetually explore violence on screen) complicit in the brutal onscreen retribution.
Choosing a trilogy is perhaps a bit of a cop-out so to remedy this somewhat I will say that Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002), for its elementally upsetting impact among other things, is my favorite of the bunch, though only by a hair. I also adore Oldboy (2003), which has a lot going on beneath its very slick exterior. Perhaps a little too stylized, though still very satisfying in the way it ties the whole trilogy together, Lady Vengeance (2005) falls just behind.
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Great way to cheat: pick three entirely different films for the no. 1 slot...
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