From Wikipedia: “Vincenzo” is a 2021 South Korean television series starring Song Joong-ki as the title character alongside Jeon Yeo-been, Ok Taec-yeon, Kim Yeo-jin and Kwak Dong-yeon. It aired on tvN from February 20, 2021, to May 2, 2021; each episode was released on Netflix in South Korea and internationally after its television broadcast. Genre: crime-drama, dark comedy
The first episode reached a 7.7% rating (AGB nationwide), making it the fourth highest-rated tvN drama premiere. The finale received 14.6% rating, making it the ninth highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history at the time. It also made the series the sixth highest-rated drama in tvN’s history.
The series was also popular among international viewers through Netflix, maintaining its position in the top 10 TV shows on Netflix in the world since its start and reached the fourth rank on April 26. It ranked fourth on Forbes list of most-viewed Korean series on Netflix in 2021.
The drama is currently the 10th highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history.
“Vincenzo” won the following awards:
Brand of the Year Awards: Drama of the Year; Actor of the Year (Song Joong-ki)
Seoul International Drama Awards: Top Excellence Korean Drama; Top Excellence Korean Actor (Song Joong-ki)
14th Tokyo Drama Awards: Special Award for Foreign Drama
26th Asian Television Awards: Best Drama Series
“Vincenzo” received the following nominations from the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards: Best Director (TV) Kim Hee-won; Best Actor (TV) Song Joong-ki.
How I wrote these episode summaries with no spoilers
1. I assumed that you will be reading these summaries and watching the videos chronologically.
2. I narrated some of the main actions in each episode without revealing the plot’s twists and turns.
3. At the beginning of each summary starting with Episode 2, I placed in a table a recap of the major twists and turns of the previous episode. But because you have already watched the video of the previous episode, they aren’t spoilers anymore.
4. I followed this structure all throughout, except for Ep. 20 (Finale) where I included spoilers. Reason — most people want to know if the drama has a happy ending or a sad ending before they invest the time in watching it.
Episode 1
| Characters introduced in Ep. 1:
Vincenzo Cassano - a “consigliere” (lawyer) for a Mafia family Paolo Cassano - son of Fabio, the deceased patriarch of the Cassano mafia family; Vincenzo’s rival Hong Cha-young - a lawyer with the Wusang Law Office; one of the law firm’s clients is the conglomerate Babel Group Hong Yu-chan - Cha-young’s idealistic father, who owns the Jipuragi Law Firm Joon-woo - Cha-young’s paralegal An Gi-seok - an officer in the International Security Intelligence Agency, who’s assigned to the Italian mafia department Han Seung-hyeok - managing partner of Wusang Law Firm |
Vincenzo goes to the dilapidated building named Geumga Plaza where five years ago, he helped a friend of Fabio Cassano to hide a hoard of gold in a biometrically-secured, underground saferoom. He plans to demolish the building, take the gold, and then leave for Malta. The building is titled under a guy named Choi Young-woon, who has been reporting to him regularly about Geumga Plaza. He finds out that the conglomerate Babel Group has bought up the surrounding buildings and has been pressuring Young-woon to sell the building.
Among the remaining tenants in Geumga Plaza are the Jipuragi Law Firm, the Nanyak Temple, Jeil Dry Cleaners, Destiny Piano, Yeongho Snack Bar, Arno Restaurant, and the Go Step Dance Studio. The Nanyak Temple occupies the space directly above the saferoom where the gold is hidden.
The tenants who oppose the building’s sale to Babel Group are led by fellow tenant Hong Yu-chan of the Jipuragi Law Firm. His daughter Hong Cha-young is also a lawyer but works for the Wusang Law Firm.
After a tense meeting in the corridor with Hong Yu-chan and the tenants, Vincenzo studies the case records of Oh Kyung-ja, who’s serving time for killing her employer. The next day, he goes to the prison to visit Oh Kyung-ja, but Hong Yu-chan is also there.
During a meeting in Hong Yu-chan’s office, Vincenzo is threatened by Babel Group’s representative. Hong Yu-chan also doubts Vincenzo because he’s not licensed to practice law in Korea; he says that Vincenzo works for money and not for people.
Episode 2
| Ep. 1 recap:
Vincenzo kills the assassins sent by Paolo Cassano. Vincenzo is victimized by a Korean thug posing as a limousine driver. Hing Yu-chan gets fed up with his daughter Cha-young and her unethical actions as a lawyer for the Wusang Law Firm and its client, the Babel Group. He sends her a document relinquishing his parental rights over her. Choi Young-woon is forced to sell Geumga Plaza when thugs from Babel Group threaten his family; later, while he’s on the way to warn Vincenzo and the tenants, his car is crushed by a truck. A fight ensues when Cha-young defends her father Hong Yu-chan against the thugs of CEO Park from the Ant Financial Management Company. Using a tape measure, Vincenzo dangles CEO Park out of a window and threatens to drop him to the ground below. |
Cha-young questions Vincenzo about why he’s interested in what happens to Geumga Plaza and its tenants, saying that he must have an ulterior motive. Later on, Vincenzo finds out that Nanyak Temple is planning to dig up the floor of its unit to repair the furnace.
Choi Myung-hee, head of the Southeastern District Prosecutors’ Office, pressures a government official to testify the way she wants him to. Meanwhile, after failing to get his superior’s help at the International Security Intelligence Service, An Gi-seok decides to use his own money to investigate why Vincenzo is in Korea.
Cha-young orders the researchers of Babel Pharmaceuticals to keep quiet about their missing colleague; as she and her paralegal Joon-woo leave the villa where the researchers are billeted, they meet Chairman Jang Han-seo of Babel Group. Worried that the missing researcher might end up testifying for her father, she goes to the Jipuragi Law Firm; there, she finds Vincenzo.
At the Babel Group headquarters, Vincenzo bluffs his way into meeting the Babel Group representative who threatened him.
Episode 3
| Ep. 2 recap:
At an empty skating rink, Chairman Jang Han-seo of Babel Group gets beaten up by a mysterious person. Choi Myung-hee resigns from the Southeastern District Prosecutors’ Office and joins the Wusang Law Firm; she vows to destroy the top officials of the Prosecutors’ Office. While they’re drinking makgeolli, Hong Yu-chan tells Vincenzo about his client who was framed for murder but who refuses to have a retrial because she wants to pay for her sin of abandoning her son. The missing researcher meets with Hong Yu-chan. To stop the illegal demolition of Geumga Plaza, Vincenzo organizes the “Traditional Sicilian Wine Party for Insiders” in front of Geumga Plaza. |
Cha-young is scolded by the managing partners of Wusang Law Firm for failing to inform them of the missing researcher. On the other hand, Vincenzo warns Hong Yu-chan and his paralegal that the main ingredient in Babel Pharmaceuticals’ new drug is actually a narcotic.
Flashback ... the missing researcher tells Hong Yu-chan that he will testify only if his family’s safety is guaranteed.
Despite his misgivings, Vincenzo goes with Hong Yu-chan to visit Oh Kyung-ja at a hospital. Later on, he meets the Babel Group representative and blackmails him into getting the demolition of Geumga Plaza postponed for two months.
Hong Yu-chan tries to convince Cha-young about the dangers of the drug that Babel Pharmaceuticals is working on. But Cha-young doesn’t believe him, saying he should stop listening to Vincenzo’s conspiracy theories.
Mentioning the villa where the researchers are billeted, the mysterious man orders Chairman Jang Han-seo to send a message to the managing partners of Wusang Law Firm.
Episode 4
| Ep. 3 recap:
An Gi-seok goes undercover as a trainee in the Italian restaurant in order to watch Vincenzo. Hong Yu-chan tells Vincenzo that he knows that Oh Kyung-ja is his mother; he tells Vincenzo to visit her because she only has six months to live. Choi Myung-hee tells Han Seung-Hyeok, managing partner of Wusang Law Firm, that Chairman Jang Han-seo is merely a dummy. The villa explodes, killing twelve researchers and sending two researchers to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. After Choi Myung-hee speaks on the phone with someone she calls her “Crystal Ball,” three men chase the missing researcher. Meanwhile, a mini-truck crashes into the diner where Vincenzo and Hong Yu-chan are having some drinks. |
After the body of the missing researcher washes up on a beach, Cha-young resigns from Wusang Law Firm. She reopens Jipuragi Law Firm, but later, she gets arrested for threatening Chairman Jang Han-seo.
Vincenzo and Cha-young visit in jail the driver who killed Hong Yu-chan. When Vincenzo threatens him, the driver gives them the name “Mr. Pyo” as the person from Wusang Law Firm who told him to kill Hong Yu-chan. But a jail guard later on reports to Choi Myung-hee that the driver is cooperating with Vincenzo and Cha-young.
Episode 5
| Ep. 4 recap:
With the help of Choi Young-woon, Vincenzo gets through the security in Chairman Jang Han-seo’s apartment and plants dozens of syringes on his bed. The man who drove his truck into the diner and killed Hong Yu-chan is stabbed to death by his fellow inmates. Vincenzo captures the jail guard and “Mr. Pyo.” Through Hong Yu-chan’s paralegal who was a special effects artist, he extracts the information about Babel Pharmaceuticals’ storage warehouse for RDU-90 materials. With the help of Hong Yu-chan’s former clients who refused to believe the malicious rumors about him, he and Cha-young burn down the storage facility. Vincenzo tries to scare Choi Myung-hee by trapping her inside the laundromat and having a mini-truck drive almost into it. As Chairman Jang Han-seo watches in horror as the RDU-90 storage facility burns down, the mysterious man who has been giving him orders arrives — it’s Joon-woo. |
Intrigued as to who could have carried out the attack against the storage facility and against her, Choi Myung-hee decides to visit Jipuragi Law Firm and meet Vincenzo in person.
Vincenzo and Cha-young pressure the lawyer who represents the complainants against Babel Chemicals to withdraw from the case. (Because of Babel Chemicals’ display panel product called BLSD, the 40 victims suffer from leukemia with nine having died already.) Meanwhile, after being promoted as a partner in Wusang Law Firm, Joon-woo orders Chairman Jang Han-seo to use a friendly newspaper to publicize that Babel Chemicals’ BLSD is about to hit the market.
Despite Cha-young’s emotional appeal, the complainants insist that they can’t fight Babel Chemicals and simply want to accept the settlement money during the trial.
The press conference at the Babel Chemicals’ headquarters goes wrong; later on, Choi Myung-hee tells the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm that she will now handle all of Babel Group’s cases.
Episode 6
| Ep. 5 recap:
The friend of the junior monk at Nanyak Temple works at Babel Chemicals; during the press conference, he coughs up blood all over Chairman Jang Han-seo. At the hospital, after the monk finds out that his friend has leukemia, he asks Vincenzo and Cha-young for help. The complainants dismiss their original lawyer and retain Jipuragi Law Firm as their new counsel. Vincenzo and Cha-young cause a commotion among the reporters and photographers by arriving at the courthouse in a fancy Italian sports car. |
After the day’s hearing, Vincenzo fulfills Hong Yu-chan’s scheduled monthly visit to Oh Kyung-ja, his mother.
Vincenzo asks Cha-young to help him recover Geumga Plaza. When Cha-young asks why he’s so determined about it, he finally reveals that there’s a hoard of gold in an underground safe in Geumga Plaza. Later on, using a detector given by Choi Young-woon, he examines whether the electrical system that connects the underground safe to the explosives is still functioning. Unknown to him, however, An Gi-seok follows him.
While the Geumga Plaza tenants are gathered at the Italian restaurant, a mysterious man disrupts their meeting; he tells the tenants that they’re very lucky.
Episode 7
| Ep. 6 recap:
With the help of the Geumga Plaza tenants, Vincenzo disrupts the hearing with hornets, forcing the presiding judge to continue the trial after a week. Cha-young laughs at Vincenzo’s claim that there’s a hoard of gold in an underground safe in Geumga Plaza. Joon-woo finally reveals to Choi Myung-hee and the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm that he is the true owner of Babel Group. Rebuked by Joon-wo, Choi Myung-hee orders her men to frame the complainants against Babel Chemicals for embezzling the donations given to their group. At the hospital, one of her men injects the monk’s sick friend with meth. After the presiding judge denies all her witnesses, Cha-young calls during the next hearing her surprise witness — Vincenzo. |
Joon-woo orders Wusang Law Firm to go after everything that Cha-young has while he himself will go after Vincenzo. He also gives Choi Myung-hee three days to get the Southeastern District Prosecutors’ Office over to his side.
At the hospital, Vincenzo schedules an 11 AM meeting the next day with the Geumga Plaza tenants about transferring to the new building. Later on, while Choi Young-woon distracts the attention of the monks, Vincenzo and a Japanese structural engineer study how they can extract the gold hoard from the basement; he only has a week before Babel Group demolishes the building.
During the meeting, Vincenzo and Cha-young are surprised by the lukewarm response by the tenants about moving to a new building. When the thugs from Ant Financial Management Company arrive, the tenants become agitated, shouting that they will fight to stay in Geumga Plaza.
Episode 8
| Ep. 7 recap:
Vincenzo presents in court the cellphone that he stole from an official of Babel Chemicals; the medical expert, meanwhile, testifies that her husband (the Director of Haemun Medical Center) knew about the improper disposal of sewage that led to people becoming sick with leukemia and yet gave false diagnoses. Later on, Babel Chemicals is forced to apologize to the victims and complainants; it also offers to compensate them. Flashback ... Joon-woo murdered his father, the founder-chairman of Babel Group. Choi Myung-hee fails to bribe the head of the Southeastern District Prosecutors Office. “Gilbert,” the homeless man, tells the Geumga Plaza tenants that there’s 1.5 billion won worth of gold hidden in the building. Choi Myung-hee and her team at Wusang Law Firm fabricate numerous charges against Cha-young. To get Cha-young out of jail, Vincenzo strikes a deal with Choi Myung-hee; he gets the head of the Southeastern District Prosecutors Office to come over to Babel Group’s side in exchange for getting his son into a European League training club. Choi Young-woon’s hired protesters withdraw from the mission when one of them tests positive for an infection. The Geumga Plaza tenants thus fight by themselves the goons from Ant Financial Management Company. |
Oh Kyung-ja’s condition deteriorates, and the doctor tells Vincenzo and Cha-young that she only has a few days to live.
Choi Young-woon suggests to Vincenzo that instead of demolishing Geumga Plaza, they should instead use iris recognition to try and open the underground safe. Vincenzo agrees, but as they part, An Gi-seok sees and seems to recognize who Choi Young-woon is.
After Choi Myung-hee meets him, the young president of Shinkwang Bank visits Oh Kyung-ja in her hospital room. He gives her an envelope full of money, asking her not to ask for a retrial of her case against his father, but Cha-young arrives.
To stop Shinkwang Bank’s investment in Babel Group, Cha-young comes up with a plan, with Vincenzo as bait.
The martial artist and his wife, Chef Coco, and the laundromat guy, begin searching for the gold. But Mi-ri, the piano teacher, sees the martial artist and his wife searching one of the rooms.
Episode 9
| Ep. 8 recap:
The video of the fight becomes viral, and later, the Geumga Plaza tenants become TV sensations. Choi Myung-hee blackmails the young president of Shinkwang Bank to invest in Babel Group. But Vincenzo manipulates him into refusing to sign the investment agreement during the ceremony at a plush hotel. Choi Myung-hee, however, has foreseen what could happen and brings out the chairperson of Shinkwang Finance to sign the agreement. In collusion with Vincenzo, the Geumga Plaza tenants scare the wits out of the young bank president. In front of dozens of reporters and photographers, the police arrest the young president. Cha-young also shouts out for everyone to hear that, as the daughter of the murdered lawyer Hong Yu-chan, she will prove that Babel Group and the Prosecutors’ Office colluded with one another. |
The head of the Southeastern District Prosecutors’ Office and another top official have a contentious dinner with Choi Myung-hee, the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm, and Chairman Jang Han-seo. Later on, however, they are kidnapped by masked men.
As they’re searching for the gold, the martial artist and his wife see two men breaking into Vincenzo’s apartment. Meanwhile, a man wielding a hammer attacks Cha-young inside her house.
Wearing a hockey mask and carrying a hockey stick, Joon-woo arrives at the container van where the kidnapped officials of the Southeastern District Prosecutors’ Office are being held. To the shock of Choi Myung-hee, the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm, and Chairman Jang Han-seo, he beats to death one of the officials.
Episode 10
| Ep. 9 recap:
Based on the records, Vincenzo wonders if his mother abandoned him because she knew at the time that she had cancer. The head of the Southeastern District Prosecutors’ Office orders the arrest of the CEOs of the banks that refused to invest in Babel Group; pressured, the CEOs backtrack and invest in Babel Group. Joon-woo thus plans for Babel Chemicals to continue manufacturing RDU-90. Chairman Jang Han-seo ordered the attacks on Cha-young and Vincenzo. Mi-ri, the piano teacher, becomes suspicious about why Vincenzo wants to relocate the Nanyak Temple monks before the other tenants. Later, the tenants, including the monks, confess to each other that they’re all looking for the gold. They agree to combine their efforts to find the gold hoard and divide it equally among themselves. Joon-woo goes on a rampage and kills the director of Haemun Medical Center and the prosecutor’s men guarding the safehouse. He also kills the complainants against Babel Chemicals who helped Vincenzo and Cha-young burn down the storage facility. |
The Geumga Plaza tenants become afraid that Babel Group could target them next; in the presence of Cha-young’s paralegal, one of them blurts out that they should forget about the gold.
The corrupt police detectives pick up their payment from Wusang Law Firm, but as they’re dividing the money, Vincenzo ambushes them.
Anxious that Joon-woo could suddenly turn against him and kill him, the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm meets Chairman Jang Han-seo and flatters him that he’s the best person to lead Babel Group. Meanwhile, getting impatient that Vincenzo is focused on finding out the real Chairman of Babel Group rather than on recovering the gold, Choi Young-woon takes matters into his own hands to force the monks out of Geumga Plaza.
Joon-woo orders Choi Myung-hee and the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm that they should start tearing down Geumga Plaza by using a notorious demolition company.
After studying the CCTV footage, Vincenzo, Cha-young, and her paralegal think that the complainants were blocked inside a tunnel and then knocked out with tasers. But they’re stumped as to how they can trace the assailants’ van because its license plates are obviously fake. Vincenzo suggests that they can make Babel go after them instead.
The Geumga Plaza tenants tell Vincenzo and Cha-young that they’re all willing to help in any way to bring the complainants’ killers to justice. Mi-ri, the piano teacher, offers her expertise with computers; Chef Coco blurts out, however, that they must fight for Geumga Plaza and the gold.
Episode 11
| Ep. 10 recap:
Vincenzo threatens to throw the bound police detectives off a high floor of a building if they don’t give him the records of their investigation into the deaths of the complainants. Joon-woo finally finds out that Vincenzo was a consigliere for a Mafia family. With the help of the Geumga Plaza tenants, Vincenzo and Cha-young create and upload a video mocking Choi Myung-hee, the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm, and Chairman Jang Han-seo. Vincenzo then follows things up with psychological threats against them. The thugs from the notorious demolition company terrorize and threaten the Geumga Plaza tenants. When their leader threatens to slash the face of Mi-ri, the piano teacher, the laundromat guy appears; using his scissors as a weapon, he slashes and stabs the thugs and scares them away. After the shootout with the trio of assassins sent by Joon-woo, Vincenzo tells Cha-young that he now knows who the real Chairman of Babel Group is. |
Through the remaining cellphone record, Vincenzo and Cha-young find out that Jang Han-seok was near the tunnel and could have witnessed everything. Meanwhile, the investigators, who Choi Young-woon anonymously contacted, arrive at Nanyak Temple.
Acting upon a tip from Choi Myung-hee, the International Crimes Division of the Southeastern District Prosecutors’ Office arrest Vincenzo for attempted murder and blackmail as a “consigliere” for a Mafia family. But An Gi-seok pleads with his superior, the director of the International Security Intelligence Service, that rather than the prosecutors’ office, it’s their office that has jurisdiction over Vincenzo’s case.
Episode 12
| Ep. 11 recap:
After finding out that Vincenzo is a “corn salad” (consigliere) for the Mafia, the Geumga Plaza tenants vote to ask him for help in finding the gold. An Gi-seok takes Vincenzo from the prosecutors’office and, after setting down three conditions, releases him. Fed up with the bullying, Chairman Jang Han-seo plots with the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm how he can eliminate Han-seok (Joon-woo). Mi-ri, the piano teacher, overhears Vincenzo and Choi Young-woon talking about Nanyak Temple and the gold. Cha-young learns from Han-seok (Joon-woo) that Babel Pharmaceuticals and Babel Chemicals will renege on its promise to pay the victims. Through An Gi-seok, Vincenzo finds out the name of the Korean guy who gave Joon-woo the evidence of his Mafia connection; by threatening the guy with a game of Russian roulette, he learns that Jang Han-seok is none other than Joon-woo. He calls up Cha-young to warn her, and later, he sneaks into Joon-woo’s apartment and threatens to kill him. |
Vincenzo tries to convince the Geumga Plaza tenants that there’s no gold hidden in the building. But the tenants refuse to believe him, and one of the former thugs from Ant Financial Management Company tells his boss about the gold. Meanwhile, Mi-ri, the piano teacher, tells Vincenzo that there’s a ghost, rather than gold, in the basement.
After learning from her spy in Wusang Law Firm that Choi Myung-hee will go hard after the president of the Babel Chemicals labor union in the “classic way,” Cha-young and Vincenzo plan to pit Chairman Jang Han-seo and the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm against Han-seok (Joon-woo) and Choi Myung-hee.
Disappointed with Vincenzo, the tenants form an alliance with the former thugs from Ant Financial Management Company; on the other hand, working alone, Mi-ri, the piano teacher, uses her IT skills to study how she can get the gold out of Nanyak Temple.
Two of the tenants inadvertently reveal to Cha-young and her paralegal about the gold hidden in Geumga Plaza. Cornered, Vincenzo reveals to Cha-young and her paralegal that the gold is hidden in Nanyak Temple and is worth more than a trillion won.
Cofusion reigns in the International Security Intelligence Service when the prosecutors’ office finds out that “Guillotine File” that was supposedly being kept safe as a top secret document had actually been hacked.
Episode 13
| Ep. 12 recap:
Cha-young tells Prosecutor Jung In-kuk that since Vincenzo used a fake gun in threatening Han-seok (Joon-woo), he can be charged only with a minor crime, not with attempted murder. After she promises to help him in unmasking the real Chairman of Babel Group, he releases Vincenzo. The former head of Ant Financial Management Company tells the tenants that he will enlist the help of Korea’s best gold prospector. Choi Myung-hee arranges for a truck to run over and kill the labor union president. The “Guillotine File” contains records of the corrupt activities of assemblymen, prosecutors, and other government officials. To his shock, Vincenzo learns that the person who headed the gang that hacked the file is none other than the tycoon who asked him to hide the gold and that the file has been hidden with the gold. Han-seok (Joon-woo) survives being shot with a shotgun by Han-seo during their hunting trip. At the hospital, Choi Myung-hee tells him that it’s time for him to reveal to everyone that he’s the real owner of Babel Group. Cha-young and Vincenzo send the Geumga Plaza tenants to a hot springs for relaxation. Vincenzo and Choi Young-woon then use their absence to open the underground vault in Nanyak Temple. They find the gold, but Choi Young-woon double crosses Vincenzo. |
After the bidding, the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm tells Han-seok (Joon-woo) and Han-seo about the "Guillotine File."
To prevent the holding of a union funeral that will attract a lot of media coverage, the thugs from the “Twin Swords Gang” snatch the body of the union leader who was killed on Choi Myung-hee’s orders. Later, Cha-young tells Vincenzo and her paralegal about “Vision Team,” which handles all of Babel Group’s union-related activities.
With the inauguration of Han-seok as chairman of Babel Group set the next day, Han-seo meets with the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm to plot their next move; the managing partner tells him to use the example of how King Heungseon triumphed over the Andong Kim clan. On the other hand, Vincenzo and Cha-young assure Prosecutor Jung In-kuk that they can get the evidence of Babel Group’s union-busting activities.
Episode 14
| Ep. 13 recap:
As the tenants rush back to Geumga Plaza, Vincenzo and Choi Young-woon hastily cover up the underground safe. But they inadvertently toss the iris recognition tool into the safe. Mi-ri, the piano teacher, notices something wrong with the floor of Nanyak Temple. Vincenzo, Cha-young, her paralegal, and two of the tenants kidnap the former union official from Babel Chemicals who changed his allegiance to Babel Group. They pressure him to blackmail the head of the Vision Team. Prosecutor Jung In-kuk asks Han-seok to come to his office for questioning about Babel Group’s union-busting activities. He bides for time to allow Vincenzo and Cha-young to hijack the records that Vision Team is trying to either destroy or hide because of an impending search by the prosecutors’ office. Vincenzo and Cha-young sabotage Han-seok’s presentation of its newest project, Babel Motors, before an audience of young entrepreneurs. They play on the screen the recording of the conversation between the head of Vision Team and the former labor union official. Vincenzo also slimes Han-seok with pig’s blood just like the way the Cassano family used to do to their rivals. |
With the next target being “Jason Fund” (Babel Group’s paper company that’s used for tax evasion and money laundering), Vincenzo turns to the former thugs of Ant Financial Management Company and its bookkeeper for help.
Feeling cornered, Han-seo tells the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm to set up a meeting with Vincenzo. On the other hand, Choi Myung-hee contacts Paolo Cassano.
Vincenzo and Cha-young find out that Babel Group is using an art gallery to launder money; meanwhile, the Geumga Plaza tenants finally meet their long-awaited gold hunter.
Episode 15
| Ep. 14 recap:
The head of the Southeastern District Prosecutors’ Office intervenes on Jang Han-seok’s behalf. Mi-ri, the piano teacher, reveals to Vincenzo, Cha-young, and her paralegal that she was a hacker/programmer who designed the security and demolition programs for the underground safe; she also says that she can open the safe even without the iris recognition tool. Later on, she hacks the art gallery’s venue reservation system, allowing Vincenzo and Cha-young to enter the gallery. Some of the Geumga Plaza tenants reroute the couple who made the reservation in the gallery, entertaining them in the building. Meanwhile, the other tenants create a distraction in the art gallery to allow Vincenzo and Cha-young to download the money laundering files from the gallery’s computer. The assassins sent by Paolo Cassano corner Vincenzo on the rooftop. |
With the help of the newspaper Daechang Daily, Han-seok plans to cash in with Babel Group’s plans for Babel Motors.
Vincenzo tells Cha-young and her paralegal that they should make the government officials, businessmen, media personalities, and other people mentioned in the “Guillotine File” fight each other. As they’re planning their move, however, Han-seo arrives in their office.
Choi Myung-hee advises Han-seok that if he really wants to hurt Vincenzo before killing him, he must dig deep into his background to find out what matters to him most.
Vincenzo, the martial artist, and An Gi-seok kidnap the shaman who advises the owner of Daechang Daily in all matters.
Episode 16
| Ep. 15 recap:
Inzhagi, the pigeon, saves Vincenzo from the assassins. Prosecutor Jung In-kuk makes a deal with Jang Han-seok, saying that he wants to be appointed as the top official in the prosecutors’ office. He also tells Han-seok that Vincenzo is hiding the “Guillotine File” and 1.5 trillion worth of gold in Geumga Plaza. Flashback ... Vincenzo secretly gets the “Guillotine File” from the gold bar before tossing the bar to Choi Young-woon. Cha-young finds out that Oh Kyung-ja is Vincenzo’s mother; she advises Vincenzo to reveal himself to his mother during a day out from the hospital. Posing as a powerful shaman, Vincenzo warns the owner of Daechang Daily that if he does not cut off his ties to Babel Group, he will die in five days. The owner of Daechang Daily publishes articles about Babel Group’s shady business practices; later, he also publicizes the murders that Han-seok committed when he was a teenager. Three hooded men sent by Prosecutor Jung In-kuk try to kill Choi Young-woon, but Vincenzo rescues him. Through Choi Myung-hee, Han-seok finds out that Oh Kyung-ja is Vincenzo’s mother. Later, he sets up Vincenzo for the death of the Daechang Daily’s owner. |
After their meeting with Han-seok, the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm warns Choi Myung-hee that Han-seok is a psychopath and that their law firm is not an agency for contracted killings.
On the scheduled day off from the hospital, Vincenzo and Cha-young take his mother Oh Kyung-ja to a park. Later on, Cha-young encourages Vincenzo to reveal himself to his mother.
After learning from Choi Myung-hee that Vincenzo might be using the “Guillotine File,” Han-seok takes his brother Han-seo to survey Geumga Plaza from a nearby elevated walkway.
While Vincenzo, Cha-young, her paralegal, and the Geumga Plaza tenants are celebrating at the Italian restaurant, a gas pipe is cut at the snack bar’s kitchen, and gas fumes start to spread all over the building.
Spoiler alert: The video below shows the brutal fight scenes at the end of Episode 16.
Episode 17
| Ep. 16 recap:
With the help of Cha-young, the laundromat guy, and the Bye Bye Balloon guys, Vincenzo capture the men sent to set him up for murder. Han-seo betrays his brother Han-seok by reporting the gas leak to the fire department. As the tenants rush to get out of the building, Vincenzo grabs the watch that’s rigged with an explosive and throws it out of the building. At the park, Oh Kyung-ja tells Vincenzo that she tried for years to look for her son. Han-seok visits Oh Kyung-ja at the hospital and compliments her for having a good looking son. Later on, the ex-convict hired by Choi Young-woon strangles Oh Kyung-ja to death. Vincenzo tortures the ex-convict to force him to reveal the mastermind. Meanwhile at a private club, Han-seok stuns Han-seo and the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm by saying that he killed Vincenzo’s mother. Choi Myung-hee also accuses them of conspiring against Han-seok. Vincenzo brutally overpowers the security men at the private club. After shooting the ex-convict, he aims his gun at Han-seok. |
Han-seok holds a bidding among the local government officials of the place where Babel Tower’s expansion project is supposed to be built. With the Geumga Plaza tenants in position all around the venue, Vincenzo sends into the venue the man who killed Hong Yu-chan on Choi Myung-hee’s order; the man warns everyone in the venue that there’s a bomb hidden in the miniature replica of Babel Tower. The government officials panic and rush to get out of the venue, but the doors have been locked from the outside.
In desperation, the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm begs for help from the adviser of the leading presidential candidate; later on, after communicating with Paolo Cassano, he contacts Interpol.
Episode 18
| Ep. 17 recap:
Flashback ... On Vincenzo’s instructions, An Gi-seok tells his boss at the International Security Intelligence Service that Vincenzo has the “Guillotine File” and that their office must protect Vincenzo. He also tells his boss to infiltrate the group of government officials colluding with Babel Group. The man who killed Hong Yu-chan dies when the bomb strapped to his waist explodes. Vincenzo tells Cha-young that he did what he promised to her about avenging her father. The managing partner of Wusang Law Firm tells the leading presidential candidate and his adviser about Vincenzo, the “Guillotine File,” and the 1.5 trillion won worth of gold hidden in Geumga Plaza. Cha-young’s paralegal finds out from the “Guillotine File” Babel Group’s connection to IUDC, a government office that grants permissions for lands that will be developed into new cities; the IUDC’s head is the brother-in-law of the leading presidential candidate. After getting the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm appointed as the new Chief Prosecutor, the adviser orders Han-seok and Choi Myung-hee to lie low, with Han-seo taking over as chairman of Babel Group. When he says that they should not harm Vincenzo, Han-seok protests, but he warns Han-seok that he knows how he poisoned his father. At the skating rink, with Interpol agents and Korean police officers surrounding them, Han-seo shoots Vincenzo. |
When the Geumga Plaza tenants find out that the monks are going out every day to beg for alms, they plan how to help them.
Cha-young and Vincenzo file a claim of damages against Babel Group for its illegal acts. Later, Vincenzo calls up the Chief Prosecutor (former managing partner of Wusang Law Firm) for a meeting, Cha-young threatens Choi Myung-hee in a club, and three masked men attack Han-seok in his house.
Based on a tip from Prosecutor Jung In-kuk, the adviser of the leading presidential candidate orders his men to kidnap Choi Young-woon. He threatens to kill his family if he cannot find the security expert or hacker who designed the program that protects the underground safe.
After Han-seok is arrested on charges of tax evasion, Vincenzo visits him in jail.
Episode 19
| Ep. 18 recap:
Vincenzo makes deals with the Interpol agents and the South Korean police officers, saying that they’ll get special promotions based on the intel he’s giving to them. Vincenzo orders the Chief Prosecutor to persuade Han-seok to go to jail as a secure place for him while waiting things out. Because he has a backup copy of the money laundering documents from the art gallery that he withheld from ProsecutorJung In-kuk, he makes sure that Han-seok will be in jail for at least a month. Because of a war between the Cassano family and another Mafia family, Vincenzo is forced to return to Italy. The adviser of the leading presidential candidate forces Mi-ri, the piano teacher, to open the underground safe, but all the gold has disappeared. As one of the advisor’s men attacks Cha-young who’s trying to protect Mi-ri, Vincenzo arrives. |
Flashback ... Vincenzo is forced to admit to the Nanyak Temple monks that the gold is hidden in the underground safe. Mi-ri then cracks open the safe using her hacking talents. Little by little, Vincenzo, Cha-young, the paralegal, the monks, and Mi-ri move the gold out of the vault.
Using the information from the “Guillotine File,” Vincenzo, Cha-young, and her paralegal publish the corrupt activities of the leading presidential candidate. Later on, during the trial of the case for damages inflicted by Babel Tower on the Geumga Plaza tenants, Vincenzo shows the videos of the government officials who accepted bribes from Han-seok.
The Chief Prosecutor asks Prosecutor Jung In-kuk to protect him against Vincenzo; later, he begs Han-seo for help, but Han-seo says that he’s partnering with Vincenzo.
Choi Myung-hee visits Han-seok in jail and tells him her legal strategy; Han-seok agrees, asking her to get him out of jail without anyone knowing about it.
Episode 20 (Finale), with spoilers
| Ep. 19 recap:
Prosecutor Jung In-kuk releases all of the government officials implicated in the corrupt activities of Babel Group. But Vincenzo catches up with him during his promotion party as the Assistant Chief Prosecutor and throws him from an upper floor into a car down below. To get Han-seok out of jail, Choi Myung-hee fabricates evidence implicating herself in the tax evasion and murder charges. Han-seok kidnaps Choi Myung-hee and Han-seo. While he and Han-seo are fighting, Vincenzo and Cha-young try to rush out of the room. Han-seok, however, turns from fighting Han-seo and shoots Cha-young. |
In front of dozens of reporters and photographers, Han-seok’s men stab the Chief Prosecutor to death.
Vincenzo sets Choi Myung-hee on fire. Later on, after some of the Geumga Plaza tenants stop Han-seok and his men at the docks, he brings Han-seok to an abandoned warehouse and hooks him up to a machine that will slowly pierce him to death.
With the police searching for him for the kidnapping of Choi Myung-hee, Vincenzo hastily leaves Korea with the help of An Gi-seok and Choi Young-woon.
One year later ...
Babel Group and all its subsidiaries go into receivership.
The adviser of the former presidential candidate runs for a local government office, with the redevelopment of the area where Geumga Plaza is located as his main platform. The Geumga Plaza tenants thus rally against him.
Cha-young wins the retrial of Oh Kyung-ja’s case.
During an event celebrating the diplomatic relationship between Korea and Italy, Cha-young and Vincenzo meet again.
Historical / cultural backgrounders and other information
1. Lawyers’ lapel pin in Korea
You’ll notice that Cha-young, her father Hong Yu-chan, and other characters who are lawyers wear pins on their left lapel. (Vincenzo doesn’t wear the pin because, although he’s a lawyer, he can’t practice law in Korea.)
If you listen closely to the Korean dialogue, you can hear the word “byeonhosa” numerous times in this drama. The word “byeonhosa” refers to one of several legal professionals in Korea as you can read in “Types of legal professionals in Korea” (The Korea Herald).
As you can hear in this YouTube video, Vincenzo and Cha-young address each other as “byeonhosa-nim” throughout the drama (“nim” is a term of respect):
Related resources:
A. “Badges of honor: what Japan’s legal lapel pins really mean” (The Japan Times)
B. “With eye on gender equality, badges for lawyers in Japan to be changed” (Japan Times, 2021)
2. Tofu for someone newly released from jail
In Ep. 11, Vincenzo is released from jail. He’s welcomed by the Geumga Plaza tenants, and Cha-young’s paralegal offers him some tofu.
The article “Why do people eat tofu after prison in Korea?” (dramasrok) says that tofu symbolizes turning over a new leaf (starting a new life) and purity.
In Ep. 7, Vincenzo gets Cha-young out of jail. Not having grown up in Korea, he didn’t know about the custom of offering tofu; he brings with him instead some coffee.
3. In Ep. 11, Cha-young’s paralegal joyfully compares Vincenzo to “Du-han.” He’s referring the historical figure Kim Du-han, a former mob leader turned politician.
From Wikipedia:
Kim Du-han (May 15, 1918 – November 21, 1972), also spelled Kim Doo-han, was a South Korean mobster, anti-communist activist, politician and the son of Kim Chwa-chin. His ho / pen name was Uisong. He was notorious for right-wing terrorism against communists or pro-North Korean left-wing peoples, but showed complex tendencies, such as sympathizing with Democratic liberalism and (moderate anti-communist) democratic socialism.
Du-han is the main character in the 2002-2003 drama “Rustic Period” (124 episodes) with "the tumultuous modern history of Korea from the Japanese occupation to Park Chung-hee regime" as its setting. The drama “still remains as one of the highest-rated television shows in Korean broadcast history.”
4. Choreography of fight scenes
From “Song Joong Ki On Playing An Antihero In 'Vincenzo,' Undeniable Chemistry With Jeon Yeo Been, Future Plans, And More”: Song Joong Ki talked about the action scenes he pulled off for the drama, revealing that he didn’t have a hard time with them. He explained that the martial arts director Heo Myung Haeng created scenes that focused less on the movements and more on the emotions. “Normally, we film the lines and the actions separately, but I thought of them as one, so it wasn’t that difficult,” he added.
A Korean-language article from Naver explains that Vincenzo rarely used kicks and that in Ep. 13 and other episodes, the fight choreographer made Choi Young-woon use Taekwondo and Hapkido (with jumping, turning kicks).
5. Swastika symbols in Ep. 15?
On the door of the shaman’s temple, you can see several symbols that seemingly look like the Nazi symbol for “Swastika.” Actually, they are the Buddhist “manja” cross.
From Wikipedia:The swastika symbol, 卐 or 卍, today primarily recognized in the West for its use by the Nazi party, is an ancient religious icon in various Eurasian cultures. It is used as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
In the Western world, it was a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck until the 1930s when the German Nazi Party adopted a right-facing (’clockwise’) form and used it as an emblem of the Aryan race. As a result of World War II and the Holocaust, many people in the West still strongly associate it with Nazism and antisemitism. The swastika continues to be used as a symbol of good luck and prosperity in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain countries such as Nepal, India, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, China and Japan. It is also commonly used in Hindu marriage ceremonies.
In Hindu and Buddhist cultures, the swastika is a holy symbol. On the day of Diwali, Hindu households commonly use the swastika in decorations. Reverence for the swastika symbol in Asian cultures, in contrast to the West’s stigmatisation of the symbol, has led to misinterpretations and misunderstandings.
In East Asia, the swastika is prevalent in Buddhist monasteries and communities. It is commonly found in Buddhist temples, religious artefacts, texts related to Buddhism and schools founded by Buddhist religious groups. It also appears as a design or motif (singularly or woven into a pattern) on textiles, architecture and various decorative objects as a symbol of luck and good fortune. The icon is also found as a sacred symbol in the Bon tradition, but in the left-facing orientation.
Relevant resource: How the world loved the swastika - until Hitler stole it (BBC News)
6. Korea’s judicial system, courts, and judges
A. “The Korean Judge” (Asia Society)
B. “Lawsuit” (koreanlii)
The Korean civil court system is divided into three levels: district courts of first instance, high (appellate) courts and the Supreme Court. Subdivisions within the district and high courts are responsible for civil, criminal, family, juvenile, administrative, patent and bankruptcy matters.
The number of judges sitting on a civil case at the district court level will depend on size of the claims. Where the claim amount is less than 100 million Korean won, the case will be heard by a single judge. Where the claim amount is 100 million Korean won or more, the case will be heard by a panel of three judges. In the high courts, all cases are heard by a panel of three judges. Most cases before the Supreme Court are heard by a panel of three justices, but where the Court deems the case to be of high importance the case will be heard by all 13 justices.
In addition, there is an independent Constitutional Court, which reviews the constitutionality of laws and acts of the government and hears cases involving disputes between government entities. There are nine justices on the Constitutional Court.
7. Korea’s criminal law system, arrest, investigation, detention, Miranda Rights, etc.
A. “An overview of the criminal law system in South Korea”
In order to prevent long-term detention during the investigative stage of the case, South Korean criminal law limits the police investigation period to 10 days. Once the police have submitted the file and their recommendation to the prosecution, the law allows for another 10 days for the prosecution to review the case. The prosecution can seek an extension of an additional 10 days, if necessary. In the event the prosecution fails to issue an indictment (a formal accusation of a crime) during this period, you must be released from detention.
B. Korea’s Criminal Procedure Act
Miranda Rights (Article 200-5):
Every public prosecutor or judicial police officer shall, whenever he arrests a suspect, notify the suspect of the gist of the suspected crime, the reasons for arrest, and the right to appoint defense counsel, and shall also give an opportunity to vindicate himself.
Various forms of arrest (Articles 198-200 of the Criminal Procedure Act)
Basically, the initial arrest (with or without warrant) lasts up to 48 hours during which:
(1) a warrant for detention is requested and granted, or
(2) a warrant for detention is requested but denied, or
(3) no request for a warrant for detention is made.
In situation (1), if the warrant for detention is granted then the suspect can be detained. In situation (2) and situation (3) the suspect is released within 48 hours.
Detention requires meeting the grounds of detention (Article 70) and obtaining a warrant of detention (Article 201).
Maximum length of detention: 10 days with judicial police officers + 10 days with prosecutors + 10 days of optional extension = 30 days
Detention by judicial police officers: they must either release the suspect or pass the suspect over to the prosecutors within 10 days.
Detention by prosecutors: they must either release suspect or institute a public prosecution within 10 days.
Under Article 205, optional extension may be granted by judge of a district court at the request of a prosecutor for good reason. Extension can be granted only once, for a period not longer than ten days.
While the police/prosecutors can detain suspects for investigation, they have to obtain warrants to do so.
Lessons in photography from “Vincenzo” with in-depth analysis of its visuals, cinematography, and editing
Index: The shots and scenes I like best; Distinctive features of the visuals and cinematography of “Vincenzo” — 90-degree Dutch angle shots, leading lines, slow motion scenes, low angle shots; Symbolic shots of Cha-young “crossing the line” in her relationship with her father and in her metamorphosis from an unethical lawyer concerned only with money to someone who seeks justice for her father and others; Some memorable shots or scenes; “Vincenzo” is a masterclass in the use of visual cues; Compositional techniques; Low angle shots, with wide shots from a low POV; A K-drama isn’t a K-drama if it doesn’t have rack focus shots; Tracking shots; Choreography of the fight scenes; Cross dissolves; Mise-en-scène; Auteur Theory; Lookbook for directors and cinematographers
Overview of this analysis through the shots and scenes I like the best:
1. Probably the most brilliant sequence of scenes and shots in “Vincenzo” is at the end of Ep. 9 where there are cross cutting, push in, slow motion, 90-degree Dutch angle shot, stitching of shots, establishing shot, pull out, cross dissolves, and great background music. (I’ll explain in a later section what the terms “90-degree Dutch angle shot,” “push in,” and “pull out” mean.)
After Vincenzo, Cha-young, and her paralegal find the dead bodies in the safehouse, Cha-young receives a text message from one of the complainants that seems to say that the complainants will commit suicide. We then see the complainants’ white van in the middle of a field with the snow falling.
Next, there’s cross cutting with a series of push in shots — Choi Myung-hee stuffing her face with food, the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm practicing his golf swing, Han-seo playing with his gun, and Han-seok admiring the miniature replica of Babel Tower. When the lights in the replica start flashing, Han-seok starts dancing, in slow motion.
From “What is Cross Cutting and Parallel Editing in Film?” (Studio Binder):
What is cross cutting in film?
Show actions across multiple locations
Show actions that occur simultaneously
Create a narrative parallel to compare and contrast
The miniature model of the Babel Tower is probably lying on its side, and the camera trucks or moves parallel to it from left to right. (If the cinematographer had used a DSLR camera to shoot the replica, it was probably mounted on a slider.) The trucking shot is “stitched” (combined) with the 90-degree Dutch angle shot of the van where the four complainants were killed; as the image of the replica disappears, the image of the white van appears.
We then see Vincenzo and Cha-young arrive at the field, and an overhead shot establishes the relative positions of the road, the police investigators and their vehicles, and the white van. The episode ends with cuts and cross dissolves of Vincenzo, the four complainants, and the explosion they set up in a previous episode.
(What troubles my mind is the snow falling as the camera moves parallel to the replica. This makes me think that maybe the replica wasn’t lying on its side but is standing up, and the cinematographer shot it with a 90-degree Dutch angle shot.)
2. Ep. 10 (90-degree Dutch angle shot): One of the assassins lies on the ground, writhing in pain after being shot. We then see shadows moving from the left edge of the frame until we see Vincenzo at the upper right corner of the frame.
3. Visual cues: In Ep. 8, Cha-young begins to fall in love with Vincenzo. Notice that they’re boxed in by a frame created by the tree trunk and the right edge of the frame; that depicts intimacy. But notice also that the post in the background creates a line that divides them. Great staging by the director!
4. Leading lines: In Ep. 10, Han-seo cowers against the wall as his security men abandon him.
5. Slow motion: In Ep. 11, as an agent of the International Security Intelligence Service, An Gi-seok takes jurisdiction over Vincenzo from the prosecutors’ office. (Part 1, Part 2)
6. Cross dissolves: In Ep. 16, Vincenzo’s mother Oh Kyung-ja is murdered on Choi Myung-hee and Han-seok’s order. After the funeral, Cha-young comforts Vincenzo. A series of cross dissolves reinforces in the viewer’s mind the anguish and emotional turmoil that Vincenzo goes through as he regrets not having revealed himself to his mother.
Distinctive features of the visuals and cinematography of “Vincenzo” — 90-degree Dutch angle shots, leading lines, slow motion shots, low angle shots
90-degree Dutch angle shots
Briefly stated, a Dutch angle shot is created when the camera is tilted or canted on one side. For examples of how shots can be tilted or canted at various degrees, please watch “The Dutch Angle” (Vimeo) by Jacob T. Swinney
From “The Dutch Angle: A Cinematic Technique That Makes Viewers Anxious”:
Want to convey tension, anxiety, uneasiness, confusion or similar feelings of disorientation in a composition? Tilting your camera angle to one side — essentially, the camera equivalent of tilting one’s head to look at something — can achieve this.
Also known as the Dutch Tilt, German Angle, canted angle, canted camera, or oblique angle, the technique consists of an angled camera shot where the horizon line isn’t parallel with the bottom of the frame, and vertical lines are at an angle to the side of the frame.
Relevant resource: “The Origins of the Dutch Angle” (YouTube)
“Vincenzo” is distinguished by its numerous uses of 90-degree Dutch angle shots; the first such use is in Ep. 1 when Vincenzo leaves a luxurious hotel where he lives.
Other examples of 90-degree Dutch angle shots:
Ep. 2: Vincenzo wakes up after his first day in Korea. (1; 2)
Ep. 4: Vincenzo captures the two men responsible for Hong Yu-chan’s death.
Ep. 8: The Shinkwang Bank chairman abuses those who reject his attentions.
Ep. 9: The shot of the Babel Tower is stitched with the 90-degree Dutch angle shot of the vehicle of the four dead complainants.
Ep. 10: Vincenzo questions one of the assassins who tried to kill him in the tunnel.
Ep. 17: Vincenzo at the morgue viewing his mother’s corpse.
Ep. 20: Vincenzo tends to the martial artist, who was stabbed by Han-seok.
Ep 20: Vincenzo hooks up Han-seok to a machine that will slowly pierce him to death.
Ep. 20: This shot doesn’t reach 90 degrees but is probably around 65 degrees from the vertical axis.
Leading lines (to focus the viewer’s eyes to a specific part of the frame or to create depth)
Studio Binder in its article titled “Rules of Shot Composition in Film: A Definitive Guide” says: “Leading lines are actual lines (or sometimes imaginary ones) in a shot, that lead the eye to key elements in the scene. Artists use this technique to direct the viewer’s eye but they also use it to connect the character to essential objects, situations, or secondary subjects.”
Leading lines may be straight or curved; they may lead directly to the subject or to the subject plane; they may come from either left or right. Considering that we read from left to right, my personal preference is that they come from the left going to the right.
From “How to Use Leading Lines in Photography” (MasterClass): Leading lines are lines that appear in a photograph that have been framed and positioned by the photographer to draw the viewer’s eye towards a specific point of interest. These lines often draw the viewer’s eye in a specific direction or towards a designated portion of the photograph.
The Masterclass article explains the four kinds of leading lines and their uses horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and converging.
Some examples of leading lines from “Vincenzo”:
Ep. 1: Cha-young and her father Hong Yu-chan confront each other after the trial.
Ep. 3: Vincenzo scolds the teenagers who are smoking in a remote corner of Geumga Plaza.
Ep. 4: fight scene (04)
Ep. 4: Vincenzo scares Myung-hee at the laundromat
Ep. 6: Vincenzo at an elevated walkway after visiting his mother
Ep. 8: Shinkwang Bank Chairman pining for Tae Ho
Ep. 9: An Gi-seok underneath the car
Ep. 10: Han-seo cowering in fear after his security men abandon him
Ep. 16: Daechang Daily owner attacked by thugs of the Twin Swords Gang
Ep. 16: Vincenzo and Cha-young taking Oh Kyung-ja for a walk
Ep. 16: Han-seok talking with Oh Kyung-ja
Ep. 17: Managing partner of Wusang Law Firm begging the presidential candidate for help
Ep. 18: Han-seok being hunted by Vincenzo’s men
Ep. 19: Vincenzo and Cha-young at the riverbank
Ep. 20: Vincenzo at the docks
Resources:
“How to Use Leading Lines for Better Filmmaking Composition – Leading Lines Tips and Examples in Movies”
“Leading Lines in Popular Films, Quick Tips” (2:44 mark, Better Call Saul, The Matrix)
“8 Steps to Cinematic Composition” | Tomorrow’s Filmmakers (6:06 mark, leading lines)
“How to find and use leading lines”
“Leading Lines - How To Instantly improve your Films and Photography”
“How To Compose Your Photos With Leading Lines – iPhone Landscape Mastery”
“Better Composition - Use Leading Lines to Improve Your Photos”
“Leading Lines in Photography: The Essential Guide”
Slow motion shots
“Vincenzo” has numerous slow motion shots, the first of which is in Ep. 1 when he walks away from the villa and vineyard that he sets on fire after a small plane sprays them with a flammable liquid. The slow motion scene I like the most is in Ep. 11 when An Gi-seok as an agent of the International Security Intelligence Service takes jurisdiction over Vincenzo from the prosecutors’office.
Part 1 of 2
Part 2 of 2
Some examples of slow motion scenes from “Vincenzo”:
Ep. 14: The Kiss
Part 1 of 3
Part 2 of 3
Part 3 of 3
Ep. 14: The gold hunter arrives in Geumga Plaza
Part 1 of 2
Part 2 of 2
Ep. 10: Cha-young runs to Vincenzo after the shootout in the tunnel
Part 1 of 2
Part 2 of 2
Relevant resources:
“How to Get Cinematic Slow Motion”
“Use Slow-Motion to get a Cinematic Look” | PremiumBeat.com
“Learn to Do a Slow Motion Gun Shot!”
“iPhone Xs Cinematic Slow Motion Video | Shot On iPhone”
Symbolic shots of Cha-young “crossing the line” in her relationship with her father and in her metamorphosis from an unethical lawyer concerned only with money to someone who seeks justice for her father.
In several scenes, the characters speak about “crossing the line.” Examples: In Ep. 3, Cha-young warns Joon-woo not to cross the line between them as co-workers in the law firm when Joon-woo suggests going out on a date; in Ep. ____, the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm asks Choi Myung-hee if they have crossed the line as lawyers, and Choi Myung-hee replies that they crossed the line a long time ago.
Ep. 3: Cha-young and her father Hong Yu-chan had a big fight after her father sent her a document titled “Relinquishment of Patental Rights.” Cha-young vents her anger at a convenience store. Vincenzo sees her and then invites her to join him and her father for some drinks at a nearby eatery. She finally convinces herself to go by saying that she will just go there for some drinks with Vincenzo and her father. The shot is from a bird’s eye point of view, and Cha-young crosses a white line on the pavement.
In Ep. 4, Cha-young arrives after the truck had plowed into her father and Vincenzo. Police officers are securing the scene, and a crowd has gathered in front of the eatery. The shot is from a bird’s eye point of view, and Cha-young crosses a yellow line on the pavement.
Some memorable shots or scenes:
Ep. 1 (90-degree Dutch angle shot, low angle shot with Dutch angle, overhead shot with push in, slow motion): Vincenzo leaves his luxurious hotel to go some place; the settings and the shots establish in the viewer’s mind his power, authority, and wealth.
Ep. 19 (camera roll, slow motion ): Vincenzo kills Prosecutor Jung In-kuk by throwing him from an upper floor down onto a car below. In slow motion, the camera rolls counterclockwise as it pulls out. The shot then cuts to an overhead shot of a record spinning (in slow motion) on a turntable.
Ep. 19 (push in, camera roll, Dutch angle): Vincenzo shoots up the miniature replica of the Babel Tower. As the camera pushes in on him, it rolls counterclockwise. Then, there’s a series of cuts between the replica being shot up and Vincenzo (with each shot of Vincenzo becoming bigger than the previous shot). The shots end with a Dutch angle shot of Vincenzo.
“Vincenzo” is a masterclass in the use of visual cues.
“Visual cues” are explained in an excellent series of articles from “My Drama List” written by someone with the username “3GGG.”
Popular Visual Cues found in K-Dramas, Part 1: visual ways to establish a conflict, division, or fight between two or more characters
Popular Visual Cues in K-Dramas, Part 2: boxing to establish a character’s vulnerability, solitude, or fear; comfort and respite; change; danger; showdown
Popular Visual Cues in K-Dramas, Part 3: Dutch angle
Popular Visual Cues in K-Dramas, Part 4: Interpersonal cues (using cues simultaneously or one after another)
Some examples of visual cues from “Vincenzo”:
Ep. 6: Vincenzo visits (his mother) Oh Kyung-ja in prison; his discomfort and awkwardness are reinforced by the frame that boxes him in.
(In a brilliant example of staging, the director then sets the next scene with wide shots of Vincenzo in an elevated walkway. The wide, airy shots provide stark contrast with the cramped, suffocating feelings he had while visiting his mother.)
Ep. 1: Hong Yu-chan questions Vincenzo’s sincerity in helping the Geumga Plaza tenants, saying that Vincenzo is working for money, not for people. Notice that Vincenzo is boxed in by at least two frames.
Ep. 7: Han-seok (Joon-woo) and Han-seo are boxed in by the glass window.
Ep. 10: Choi Young-woon has become impatient with Vincenzo about getting the gold out of the underground safe; thus he files a fake corruption charge against the Nanyak Temple monks. Notice that he and his car are boxed in tightly by the pillars.
Ep. 7: Vincenzo tries to make a deal with Choi Myung-hee so that he can get Cha-young out of jail. Notice that they’re boxed in within a tight frame.
Ep. 10: Vincenzo, Cha-young, her paralegal, and Prosecutor Jung In-kuk are boxed in within a frame.
Ep. 10: Vincenzo tries to restrain Cha-young who’s so angry with the police detectives for concluding that there’s no foul play with the deaths if the four complainants Notucectgat Vincenzo and Cha-young are boxed in within a tight frame.
Ep. 7: Flashback scene when Han-seok killed his father; notice that Han-seo is boxed in within a small frame. In the next shot, both he and Han-seok are boxed in within a small frame.
Ep. 4: Cha-young transfers all her things to her father’s house after her father’s death and after resigning from Wusang Law Firm. Notice that she’s boxed in by two frames.
Ep. 11: Oh Kyung-ja knits a scarf while in her hospital room. We’ll find out later on that she wanted to give the scarf to Vincenzo and that she already knew at this point that Vincenzo is her son. Notice that she’s boxed in with a frame to reinforce her fragile emotional state.
Ep. 11: Mi-ri, the piano teacher, has just secretly heard from Vincenzo and Choi Young-woon that the gold is hidden underneath Nanyak Temple. She hides as Vincenzo and Choi Young-woon part ways; she’s boxed in to depict her emotional agitation.
Ep. 12: Choi Myung-hee wonders where the “Guillotine File” could have been hidden. Her anxiety is reinforced by the frame of documents that box her in.
Ep. 12: Choi Myung-hee visits Han-seok in the hospital. They’re boxed in within a small frame.
Ep. 15: Cha-young encourages Vincenzo to give the gift to her and to reveal to her that he’s her son. Vincenzo’s hesitation is reinforced by the frame that boxes him and Cha-young.
Ep. 16: Han-seo tries again to get into Vincenzo’s good graces. Notice that they’re framed together by the bookshelves.
Ep. 16: Oh Kyung-ja drops the picture of her and Vincenzo, but she can’t get out of her wheelchair. Notice that the glass window boxes her in.
Ep. 17: Bent on revenge, Vincenzo asks Choi Young-woon to give him a gun. Notice that they’re boxed in by the glass window and the ceiling.
Ep. 18: Based on Choi Myung-hee’s suggestion, Han-seok gets himself jailed as a protection against Vincenzo. Notice that he’s boxed by two sets of frames.
Ep. 19: Vincenzo, Choi Young-woon, and the tenants meet in the Italian restaurant to plan their next moves. Their sense of unity is reinforced by the frame that encloses them.
Ep. 19: At the Jipuragi Law Firm, Vincenzo, Cha-young, and her paralegal tell Choi Young-woon where they hid the gold. Notice the frames that box them in.
Interpersonal visual cues (combinations of visual cues or visual cues in succession)
Ep. 8: Vincenzo and Choi Young-woon talking about how to open the underground safe; they’re boxed in within a frame, and there’s a line that divides them.
Ep. 7: Choi Myung-hee and the managing partner of Wusang Law Firm meet with the top officials of the Southeastern District Prosecutors Office. Notice that they’re enclosed within a frame, and that there’s a line that divides them.
Ep. 3: Vincenzo meets again the Babel Group official who threatened him. Notice that they’re boxed in within a frame and that there’s a line dividing them.
Ep. 20: Choi Myung-hee recoils in terror as she sees Vincenzo; notuce that she’s shot with a Dutch angle and is framed by the door.
Ep. 11: Han-seo trembles in fear after Han-seok threatens him. He’s shot with a Dutch angle and he’s boxed in by the glass window.
“Vincenzo” is distinguished by its numerous uses of low angle shots.
The article “Low Angle Shot: Everything You Need to Know” (Nashville Film Institute) gives these definitions:
A low-angle shot is a shot in which the camera angle is positioned below the eye line of the subject, pointing upward.
An extreme low-angle shot is positioned below the subject’s feet, offering a sharper contrast in the shot.
I take exception with the NFI definition of “extreme low angle shot” because it’s almost impossible to place an DSLR camera or a movie camera below the subject’s feet (unless the subject is on an elevated place or if you dig a hole on the ground where the camera can be placed). An alternative term for “extreme low angle shot” is “ground level shot.”
The NFI article gives the following effects of extreme low angle shots:
(1) Using a low-angle shot can convey power in a character, whether for good or for bad.
(2) In addition to showcasing a person or group of people in power, a low-angle shot can also convey that the person in the frame is vulnerable, trapped, or under attack.
(3) When shooting from lower, the height of what’s above in the shot looks taller or higher.
Additionally, the article states: “When properly executed, a low-angle shot can help reveal aspects of the narrative, build tension, and convey the emotional state of the subject, all without words.”
The article “Low Angle Shot: Creative Examples of Camera Movements and Angles” (Studio Binder) enumerates three uses of low angle shots:
(1) They can make a hero seem powerful.
(2) They can make a hero seem vulnerable.
(3) They can increase perceived height of an object.
The NFI article also states four ways to use a low angle shot: (1) Classic subtle hero; (2) Extreme low angle; (3) Low angle dolly push, and (4) Low angle establishing shot.
I don’t know if you’ll agree with me, but it seems that sometimes, the cinematographer of “Vincenzo ” uses extreme low angle shots simply because they create eye-catching images, without regard to the uses of low angle shots mentioned by the Studio Binder article or the NFI article.
Among Hollywood directors, Quentin Tarantino is famous for his low angle shots, which have been called as “trunk shots.” In Ep. 12, there’s a “trunk shot” of Han-seok and Han-seo getting their hunting rifles.
A K-drama isn’t a K-drama if it doesn’t have rack focus shots.
In a rack focus shot, an object in the foreground is in focus, while an object in the background is out of focus (or vice versa); the object in the foreground then becomes out of focus, while the object in the background becomes in focus (or vice versa).
With most rack focus shots I’ve seen in K-dramas, the camera doesn’t move. In these examples from “Vincenzo,” however, the camera moves as it changes focus from foreground to background, or vice-versa.
Ep. 19: The camera pushes in on the out of focus Han-seo (unconscious in the foreground) and Cha-young (tied up in the background). As the camera continues pushing in and tilting a bit upward, Han-seo becomes in focus. He then becomes out of focus as Cha-young becomes in focus.
Ep. 15: A thug aims his gun at Vincenzo. The gun is in focus while Vincenzo is out of focus. As the camera pushes in, the gun becomes out of focus while Vincenzo becomes in focus.
Ep. 10: The camera pulls out as Vincenzo (in focus) walks away from Cha-young. As the camera continues to pull out, Vincenzo becomes out of focus while Cha-young becomes in focus.
Ep. 14: Mr. Na, the former Babel Group official who threatened Vincenzo, is now a club singer. As the camera trucks (moves parallel) to the right, the doll becomes out of focus while Mr. Na becomes in focus.
Ep. 12: In this profile shot of Vincenzo, Cha-young, and her paralegal, Vincenzo at the far end is in focus while Cha-young and her paralegal are out of focus. Then, Cha-young becomes in focus while Vincenzo becomes out of focus (her paralegal is still out of focus). Then, as Cha-young becomes out of focus, her paralegal becomes in focus.
Ep. 9 (double rack focus): As Chef Toto and An Gi-seok become out of focus, Mi-ri, the piano teacher, becomes in focus. Then she becomes out of focus as Chef Toto and An Gi-seok become in focus.
Compositional techniques
1. Foreground objects at the top or bottom portion of the frame as compositional technique (and which sometimes act as visual cues)
Notice in these shots that the cinematographer includes the ceilings or foreground objects at the top or bottom portion of the frame in the shots.
2. Wide shots from a low point of view (with the subjects/characters at the upper half of the frame)
Tracking shots
“Vincenzo” doesn’t use a lot of tracking shots.
Ep. 1: Vincenzo destroys Paolo’s favorite car with a bomb.
Ep. 2: Vincenzo beats up the high school students who are smoking in a remote corner of Geumga Plaza.
Ep. 10: The laundromat guy fights off the thugs using his pair of scissors.
Choreography of the fight scenes
The fight scene in Ep. 10 between Vincenzo and the three assassins in the tunnel use fast cuts instead of tracking shots.
A Korean-language article from Naver explains that Vincenzo rarely used kicks, and that in Ep. 13 and other episodes, the fight choreographer made Choi Young-woon use Taekwondo and Hapkido (with jumping, turning kicks).
“Vincenzo” uses a lot of push in shots.
The article “Types of Camera Movements in Film Explained: Definitive Guide” (Studio Binder) defines what a push-in shot is:
“A push-in moves the camera closer to a subject typically with a dolly camera movement or Steadicam. Push-ins can draw the audience’s attention toward a specific detail. Filmmakers also push-in toward characters to try and infer what is occurring internally. This can be a reaction, thought process, or internal conflict.”
Push in shots are used to “create subtle intimacy, tension rising, and importance.”
From “The Push-in” (YouTube video): “The Push-In, sometimes called the Character Dolly, is a camera move where the camera dollies forward toward the subject of the shot. A short push-in is like an exclamation mark. A long, slow push-in builds drama and heightens the emotional meaning of the scene. The push-in is a powerful cinematic tool for heightening tension and dramatizing a revelation, and it’s one of the fundamental techniques of the cinematographer and layout artist.”
“When the camera pulls out from a character to show empty space around them, it creates a feeling of isolation and loneliness, abandonment, or rejection.” Please read “The Effects of a Push in vs. Pull out” (Cinematography).
Ep. 1: Vincenzo makes a dramatic entrance while Cha-young, her father Hong Yu-chan, and the Geumga Plaza tenants confront the thugs from Ant Financial Management Company.
Ep. 1: Hong Yu-chan questions Vincenzo’s sincerity in helping the Geumga Plaza tenants; he says that Vincenzo works for money and not for people.
Ep. 12: Choi Myung-hee visits Han-seok in the hospital after he was shot by Han-seo; the camera pushes in on her and on the closeup of her hands and Han-seok’s hands. The scene ends with the camera pulling out from a high point of view.
Ep. 12: Choi Myung-hee is in focus as the camera pulls out and pans slightly to the right. She becomes out of focus as Han-seo becomes in focus.
Ep. 10: Vincenzo tells Cha-young that he knows who the real chairman of Babel Group is. As Cha-young turns, the camera pulls out; the next shot, the camera pushes in on Joon-woo.
Miscellaneous observations:
Rule of Odds
Diagonal lines/ Rule of Thirds
