I Saw the Devil

"I will kill you when you are in the most pain. When you're in the most pain and shivering out of fear, then I will kill you. That is a real revenge. A real, complete revenge."

I Saw the Devil is a 2010 Korean Revenge movie directed by Kim Ji-Woon (A Tale of Two Sisters, The Good, the Bad, the Weird). It stars Lee Byung-Hun as Kim Soo-Hyun, a government agent who swears to violently avenge the murder of his fiancée. Said crime was commited by Kyung-Chul Jang (Choi Min-Sik), a psychopath to whom kidnapping, raping and murdering young women come as easy as breathing. What ensues is a dangerous cat-and-mouse game in which both men vow to destroy one another's life.

This movie provides examples of the following:
"I'll promise this. I'll give him pain that's 1,000 times... no, 10,000 times more painful."
 * Agony of the Feet: Kyung-Chul's both feet.
 * Anti-Hero: Soo-Hyun, who doesn't seem to care that his plan for revenge also puts innocent bystanders in danger.
 * Attempted Rape
 * Badass: Soo-Hyun, especially during.
 * Bottomless Magazines: A mild case when Kyung-Chul shoots three times with a double barrel shotgun before reloading.
 * Bowdlerized: The Korean version was effectively censored by the Korea Media Rating Board; several shots of violence and some scenes depicting cannibalism had to be removed before being released. The international version is uncut and true to the director's intentions, however.
 * Cowboy Cop: Soo - Hyun.
 * Determinator: Soo-hyon.
 * Disposable Woman: Joo-Yun.
 * Film Noir
 * Glasgow Grin:
 * Gorn: Duh
 * He Who Fights Monsters: Explored and discussed.
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: Choi Min-sik was probably recognized (by Western audiences at least) as "the guy from Oldboy."
 * I'm a Humanitarian: Kyung-Chul is friends with some cannibals.
 * Infant Immortality: Just about the first thing the film does is subvert this.
 * It Got Worse
 * It's Not Rape If You Enjoyed It: A scene only available in the Korean version of the film (the director cut it out of the international version for pacing reasons) has Kyung-Chul raping his cannibal friend's wife only her for to enjoy it after a while.
 * Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: Soo-Hyun uses this on some suspects early on when he's looking for the killer.
 * Overt Operative: Soo-Hyun
 * Parental Abandonment: Kyung-Chul has a son whom he left with his parents.
 * Pay Evil Unto Evil: Soo-Hyun's vow.
 * Pay Evil Unto Evil: Soo-Hyun's vow.


 * Revenge:
 * Revenge Before Reason: What eventually defines Soo-Hyun.
 * Sacrificial Lamb: Joo-Yun, whose death at the hands of Kyung-Chul kicks off the plot.
 * Serial Killer: Kyung-Chul.
 * : Soo-Hyun
 * Shout-Out: Kyung-Chul ends up in a situation straight from Bloodsucking Freaks:.
 * Tranquil Fury: Soo-Hyun maintains this state throughout the movie.
 * Villainous Breakdown: Near the end of the movie.
 * What Happened to the Mouse?: What happened to the schoolgirl and the kidnapped victim in the cannibal's house? Also,
 * What Happened to the Mouse?: What happened to the schoolgirl and the kidnapped victim in the cannibal's house? Also,
 * What Happened to the Mouse?: What happened to the schoolgirl and the kidnapped victim in the cannibal's house? Also,