Isla sangrienta

"Bedevilled" is another and once again brilliant tale of revenge coming from South Korea which is in the vein of already now legendary masterpieces such as "Oldboy" and "I saw the devil".

What distinguishes this movie from the other ones and justifies itself to merit a place in the top notch of this genre can be told in three little points. First of all, this movie tells the tale of revenge from the point of view from a person that is neither the central evil nor the central avenger part of the movie. Thanks to many flashbacks and secondary story lines, the culpability and responsibility of the main actress is though revealed all over the movie and gives us philosophical and introspective insights while the person witnesses a tale of revenge.

Second, the movie takes its time to introduce all the important characters very slowly. This develops a dark empathy with the main victim that is treated and slowly becomes a monster. The movie creates cruel and gripping personalities and shows us the degree of culpability for all of them. The acting in this intense but slow paced movie is very well done and authentic and it's a very positive and refreshing aspect that the true revenge tale only kicks off after more than the half of the movie has already passed.

Third, this movie focuses especially on the relationship between the avenger and the person that introduces slowly us to the main story line. It's the first time I see two equally convincing female characters in this kind of tough, cruel and highly emotive roles in this kind of genre and they have done such excellent jobs that I'm looking forward to have a closer look at their filmographies.

As a fourth very positive point I might finally add that this movie is also intriguing because it takes places on an isolated island and is a huge criticism towards past and contemporary society in South Korea. This movie is much more than just a bloody tale of revenge, at first glimpse it's especially a very intense drama with gripping characters.

In the end, I highly suggest anyone that likes South Korean movies to watch out for this film that has only recently been released in North America. This is another masterpiece of a unique genre coming from a unique country and you won't find this kind of high quality in any cinema or contemporary American blockbuster. South Korea is the best place for original, gripping and extreme contemporary movies and this movie underlines the country's unique status and will hopefully inspire our culture to take some inspirations from them without dishonouring their creative pieces of art.

It is difficult to describe the movie. Actually to describe what is attractive and/or exciting about the movie for me. You could say that it begins more than slow, but will build up and be very disturbing toward the end. I'm not gonna give anything away from the story, but if you have seen some Korean movies, you might know what you are getting yourself into here!

It is sort of a character study and a very weird and dark social commentary to (if you want it to be). I liked the group dynamic, I liked the grey tones, I liked that it was different. I can't guarantee though that you will like it. And it might not be the ideal choice to start getting to know Korean cinema. I'm sure though that somewhere along the line, there is an US Remake waiting to happen (if they can pull it off ... they don't seem to be able to do so with Old Boy either).

First things first.. I really don't know whether the people from the West who aren't that familiar with Asian culture, that too the rural culture would really relate well to this movie. But I think it's one of the most interesting movies I've ever seen, to be frank. I've seen the rural life in India and kinda lived it a bit too and I was kinda really surprised by the similarity that I could find in this movie, be it regarding the gender bias or the illiteracy thing or the domestic violence that illiterate women have to tolerate and just live as if they are born to bear that kind of treatment from sadistic husbands.

As much as I was amazed from the similarity that I could find, I was spellbound by the kind of story telling that this movie was. You would never feel bored although the story goes at a very slow pace, although towards the end it gets to your nerves. The acting by every one of them is appreciable as you never feel that they are really just playing the character in the movie.

I've been watching Korean movies for a while now and have become a big fan of them since, and I certainly think this's one of the best among them. For those who have watched 'Oldboy' or 'I Saw the Devil', you would know what's the kind of gory it would reach. It's truly "Korean", in every way.

If you are a K-movie fan then you would certainly love this one! This one is going into 'My Collection'!

This film, of which the international title "Bedevilled" is a lot easier to remember than the original South Korean one, and its director Cheol- Soo Jang seemingly appeared out of nowhere but nevertheless left quite an impression at several internationally acclaimed film festivals around the world. Perhaps this is simply because the director is an acolyte of Kim Ki-Duk, or perhaps it's because he actually delivered a unique and hard-to-categorize motion picture that spooks through your head long after you finished seeing it. Throughout approximately 75 minutes (three quarters of the full running time), "Bedevilled" is a very slow and harrowing drama focusing on the life of one poor woman. Then suddenly, almost when you totally don't expect it anymore, the film converts into a harsh and downright savage tale of revenge and oppressed anger. The sudden transition is abrupt and shocking, but also strangely justified and efficient. One moment you're witnessing the "Via Dolorosa" of a seemingly timid and vulnerable young woman, yet the next moment this timid and vulnerable young woman is coloring the entire island blood red with a primitive sickle.

The story opens in modern day Seoul, where the egocentric and obnoxious Hae-Won is close to reaching an emotional and professional burnout. She goes on a vacation to Moodo, the island where she spent her childhood holidays with her friend Kim Bok-Nam. Kim Bok-Nam is very happy to see Hae-Won, because she thinks her friend has come to save her and her daughter, like she begged her to in all those letters. Kim Bok-Nam's life is worse than that of a slave. She's abused and humiliated by her husband and the rest of the island's population, both male and female. Another long series of events, including the disinterested reaction of her friend, slowly lead to a gigantic tragedy.

The first three quarters of "Bedevilled" may come across and dull and eventful – especially when shown at 2am on a Saturday morning in a theater full of horror junkies – but the slow pace and melodramatic atmosphere are fundamental for the film. Cheol-Soo Jang carefully takes his time to illustrate that Moodo truly is a very isolated setting, completely devoid of legislation and social evolution. The elderly intimidate the younger and the men dominate the women, probably just like the generations before them did as well. Kim Bok-Nam endured as much anger and agony as humanly possible, and this is painfully illustrated in great detail during the film's long awakening. I've rarely seen a cinematic character who's vengeance is so legitimatized and substantiated. My hat's off to debuting director Cheol-Soo Jang, scriptwriter Kwang-young Choi and lead actress Yeong-Hie Seo. Furthermore, "Bedevilled" benefices from the truly breathtaking island filming locations and staggering photography. Don't know if it's true, but I read somewhere that the location was selected out of nearly 3.000 islands surrounding the South Korean shore. The selection was based on size, nature and available facilities. Great choice, I'd say. Faint- hearted viewers beware, however, as the extended finale features a large number of grim and shocking images.

After last night Moo-Do island in South Korea has rocketed to the very top of my 'bad places to live' list, though I guess not so much if you're a guy.

Hae-Won is a beautiful young woman living the city life in Seoul. After a particularly bad day it is 'suggested' that she take some leave to recharge her batteries and regain some perspective. This break sees her leave the mainland for the aforementioned Moo-Do island – her childhood home – and a place seemingly unchanged since her departure at a young age.

Inertia isn't always a good thing, but initially this is a boon for Hae-Won, her trendy haircut, high heels and pale skin (not darkened by spending countless hours working outdoors) make her a minor celeb to the small number of residents still living on the island. While none of this small number are her direct family Hae-Won tentatively bonds with Bok-Nam, whom she recalls vaguely from her childhood, and Bok-Nam's young pre-teen daughter Yeon-Hee finds Hae-Won fascinating, having not seen anyone quite like her.

Right. Fun's over folks. Be under no delusion. This is NOT a happy film, and I have seen nothing like it for a very long time… Moo-Do island is a serene and beautiful locale, remote, sparsely populated and peaceful. However there remains a distinct caste system that harks back to the dark ages.

On Moo-Do island women inhabit the very bottom rung of the totem pole, this is not a nasty secret but essentially common knowledge. They work harder and are given the most thankless tasks, are treated with nary a modicum of respect or even common decency, and where 'release' is concerned they are expected to be prepared and willing at all times.

It seems the women understand that it is what it is, especially the older women who no doubt had to deal with it during their younger years, but the problem is that with only a single digit population there are only two females who appear to be under 50, Bok-Nam and her daughter.

Hae-Won knows nothing of this initially, and she is bemused but ultimately a little annoyed by the cloying attention of Bok-Nam in the days following her arrival. Gradually though they both come to realise how the other truly lives… Unfortunately we the viewers are granted a far clearer and more depressing picture of what Bok-Nam deals with on the day to day, to label the local male population as South Korean rednecks might just be a disservice to regular rednecks. In fact I wondered for a while if the only truly apt description might just be the one word I have refrained from using on this site. I might also point out that some of the older women are hardly better examples of humanity, one in particular is especially vile and loathsome, with her continued verbal beatdowns of Bok-Nam becoming worse by the day.

But back to the island of don't ask, don't tell. The looming cloud of inevitability closes in on the two childhood friends, with Bok-Nam seeing Hae-Won as a potential saviour, but Hae-Won rapidly realising that she might just need to be equally concerned for herself.

And as horrible as this all is it gets worse when they go and start implying that the young girl Yeon-Hee is at risk.

While I have seen some repugnant and disturbing behaviour on film in my many decades of devouring cinema, I can't recall another occasion where I have been so disgusted and bothered by the actions of fictional characters. The equally depressing fact is that this queasiness and unease is a direct result of the plausibility of the film, meaning the film is effective and well made. (I hardly fluttered an eyelid at the ridiculous crap that plays out in the Hostel films and their ilk.) The key to a good revenge film is making sure that there is something worthy of (usually violent) reprisal. All I can say is that there have been precious few revenge films with reasons as valid and 'worthy' as this one. Might I also say that there haven't been many films where the acts of revenge more than made up for the transgressions. There is a long and deliberate 'sharpening' scene that acts as a prelude to the payoff that is one of bloodiest I can recall, yet for a while I actually shared the blood-lust ('Yeah, now get that one next!'). At least in principal.

But as with every good freak-out the danger is that things can go too far, and that is indeed the case here near the conclusion of the film, let's just say I never thought the phrase 'Put some bean paste on it' could mean something so very extreme.

Bedevilled is one of the more legitimately disturbing films that I have ever seen, and I am not just referring to the graphic violence. It unfolds gradually and the sheer scope of the situation is allowed to seep into your consciousness before you suddenly become aware that there can only be one way that this film will – no MUST – end. Unlike your Saw films and even more traditional revenge flicks like Death Sentence the violence is less sick than it is sad, mainly because in the real world you really hope that there are no places where such subjugation and blatant mistreatment of people exist, though the whole while knowing full well that they most certainly do.

Final Rating – 7.5 / 10. This film will definitely not make your day enjoyable, but it might open your eyes a little to the fact that you haven't got it that bad.