KMC Forums - I Saw the Devil

By: Brad Miska (MrDisgusting)
A challenger to Park Chan-wook as Korea�s most talented filmmakers is Kim Jee-woon, who directed such notable films as A Tale of Two Sisters, A Bittersweet Life and The Good, the Bad, the Weird. Jee-woon has been known to enjoy tackling different genres and this time takes a stab (pun intended) at horror with I Saw the Devil, a dark and demented tale of a crimson serial killer�and his hunter.

The delivered synopsis sums the film up quite well as it�s nothing original in any way, shape, or form, but what�s important is the execution. I Saw The Devil stars Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) as a psychopathic serial killer (Kyung-chul) up against Lee Byung-hun (Three... Extremes, G.I. Joe) as a special agent (Joo-yeon) whose fianc�e becomes one of his victims. Lee�s cool-headed and intelligent character in turn becomes a monster in order to avenge the killing. In short, he is intent on torturing Kyung-chul by catching him, beating the crap out of him, and then letting him go. Then repeat.

A film like I Saw the Devil makes quality filmmakers stand out like a sore thumb. As clich� as the thriller is, it was captivating from start to finish, and features some of the most brilliantly directed sequences of the year. In an extremely tense moment, a beaten and wounded Kyung-chul luckily lands a cab ride in the middle of nowhere. The audience knows he�s a psychopath, but what we don�t know is he just landed in a cab with two other homicidal maniacs. The tension is cut with a vicious stabbing scene that�s directed in such a way I�ve never witnessed. As Kyung-chul stabs the living sh*t out of these people, the camera spins along the inside of the car for a good 30 seconds. It was so brilliantly executed that I couldn�t even tell you how it was done.

The version shown at TIFF was the director�s 7-minutes longer cut that we�re told will be released in the States by Magnet. Jee-woon never tones down the violence for the audience as he cuts right through an Achilles tendon, beats a person�s head in with a rock, and decapitates another. And while the gore level if off the chain, he shows restraint and never quite pushes it over the top.

What truly makes I Saw the Devil one of my favorite films of the year is that Jee-woon makes each and every frame of the two and a half hour film interesting. There�s not a single boring moment as the intensity of the situation rises exponentially until the very last frame. In fact, Jee-woon has a taste for the bizarre giving audiences an homage to classics such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. In one of the crazier moments we�re introduced to Kyung-chul�s brother who has a taste for red meat, and causing pain. As the two reunite, his brother chomps down human meat as they go eye-to-eye in a psychopathic staring contest.

I could talk for hours about I Saw the Devil, but nothing I can say will ever do it justice. The film is an experience; it�s something that will have you emotionally invested in the characters, while also covering your eyes at the extreme violence. I Saw the Devil has everything a horror fan could want, and more. It easily rivals The Host, Oldboy and other Asian thrillers of the past ten years. If Magnet releases this in theaters it�s highly recommended that you take some time out and look the Devil right in the eyes.

Score: 9 / 10