5. Park Chan-Wook
Korean cinema is notoriously honest in its portrayal of brutality and the unsavory. Park Chan-Wook is one of the main reasons that is so. His vengeance trilogy is absolute proof that brutal films can also exist as works of art. The first, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance tells the story of a man trying to secure a kidney transplant for his dying sister. He resorts to kidnapping in order to gain the money for said transplant and everything plummets downhill from that point. By the time the credits roll every major character in the film is dead. The second, Oldboy, is not only Park Chan-Wook's finest film to date but it also happens to be one of the very best films of the past decade. Period. Based on a comic, it tells the story of a man who is kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years with no explanation. He is set free and must put together the puzzle of what happened to his family, why he was imprisoned and who is doing this to him. Unapologetic in both tone and substance, Oldboy is one of the most violent films ever. Light on major character death but drenched in blood, Oldboy is not easily forgotten. Two words: hammer fight. The final film of the trilogy, Lady Vengeance, tells the story of an imprisoned woman who is deemed rehabilitated and upon her release, exacts revenge on those who put her there. Another violent film but one that examines the idea of murder and righteousness from another angle. See, the heroine DID become a better person while in prison and uses that to her advantage to gain favor with people that will help her in her quest. A brutal head scratcher of a film. Park Chan-Wook is a genius at making us think about the effects of violence all while putting his characters through the ringer.