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Plot – Oh Dae-su seems like an ordinary guy, but unbeknownst to him a very extraordinary event is about to befall him. Kidnapped off of the streets, Dae-su awakes to find himself imprisoned in a cell without any explanation. And it's an imprisonment that will last for 15 years. Out of the blue he is then released back into the world and provided with money, expensive clothing and a cell phone. As he attempts to find out the truth about his imprisonment it becomes clear that his kidnapper is not done with him; he has even grander plans to torture and torment Dae-su.
Wow, what an insane mind-f**k of a movie!!! It really is quite an experience viewing this one. And just when you think the film has hit its limit, it takes another twist or two and becomes even weirder and more mind-f**ier!!!
As the foundation for the story, the initial mystery; a man is held captive for 15 years without explanation and then just as inexplicably is released back into the world, is an absolutely doozy. I'd say it's nearly impossible to catch the start of this film and not feel compelled to stick with it to find out just what the hell is going on. And it's not an answer you're going to get to easily. It really is quite a complex little puzzle which will have you off balance throughout. As we reach the film's conclusion however the film does move into some rather more outlandish and ludicrous territory, and I can certainly see why some people will struggle to buy into it. I however felt that the film remained just about on the right side of plausibility. Or maybe I was just so desperate for answers to the conundrums that I was willing to cut the film some slack. When all is revealed it truly is a tremendous gut punch; you feel as if a trapdoor has just opened up underneath you. And if the film hadn't already achieved it in the previous 100 or so minutes the closing scenes ensure that this is a film that is going to stick with you. For a few days afterwards I found myself constantly revisiting it in my mind.
In the lead role Choi Min-sik gives an excellent performance as the psychologically battered Oh Dae-su, a man so absolutely consumed with revenge. To me it was a performance that felt as if it was right out of a Hollywood film from the 70s in the way that it's just really in your face with its sheer intensity; a very large and commanding presence. It's as if he reaches out and grabs you by the throat to ensure you're paying attention and don't miss a single detail. Particularly powerful and striking is the scene at the end where the truth has been revealed to him and he just goes bats*it crazy! A wonderful slice of acting in terms of displaying the sheer pain and desperation of the character.
It's tough for me to choose the film's standout, defining moment. The film just features so many of them; is it Dae-su eating a live octopus? Is it the cutting out of a tongue? Or is it the torturous scenes of dentistry with the aid of a claw hammer? Well for me personally it isn't any of those moments but the incredible hallway fight scene. Filmed in one continuous shot along a corridor, it sees Oh Dae-su taking on numerous adversaries with nothing but a hammer in his hand. It's a tremendous, bravura piece of movie-making. It's about as far removed from a stylish, choreographed action sequence as you could imagine. It's raw, rather clumsy and spectacularly brutal. It just feels so real. It actually reminded me of the harsh scene of violence in Taxi Driver where Travis Bickle unleashes his fury in the brothel. An incredible scene.
That's not the only moment where the direction of Park Chan-wook impresses. He provides the whole film with such incredible verve and energy. It feels very reminiscent of Tarantino bursting onto the scene in the early 90s. They give you something that you feel you've never seen before, and that makes you wonder how you ever lived without it. Indeed with Tarantino heading the Cannes jury in 2004, it's little surprise that this film walked off with the Grand Jury prize. I can certainly imagine QT admiring much of this tragic revenge thriller.
My one concern about the film, and perhaps why it didn't receive a slightly higher score, is it's replay value. So much of my enjoyment and fascination came from the massive amount of intrigue, and the sheer shock of the revelation, and without the mystery I'll be curious to see if there's enough there still to thrill me. Speaking of being curious, I am now tremendously curious about the upcoming American remake of Oldboy. It's tough for me to picture an American production going into such dark and unseemly territory as this does in its conclusion.
Conclusion – A real 'experience' of a film. Even if you don't like this film it's unlikely that you will be forgetting it anytime soon, if ever. It's an astonishingly brutal and gripping tale which is delivered with immense intensity by Park Chan-wook, and stars a tremendous turn from Choi Min-sik. Oldboy certainly lives up to its billing as one of films of the 00s that you should see.
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Year of release
2003
Directed by
Park Chan-wook
Written by
Hwang Jo-yun (script) / Park Chan-wook (script)
Lim Chun-hyeong (script) / Lim Joon-hyung (script)
Garon Tsuchiya (graphic novel and script)
Nobuaki Minegishi (graphic novel)
Starring
Choi Min-sik
Yoo Ji-tae
Kang Hye-jung
Ji Dae-han
Oldboy
++
2003
Directed by
Park Chan-wook
Written by
Hwang Jo-yun (script) / Park Chan-wook (script)
Lim Chun-hyeong (script) / Lim Joon-hyung (script)
Garon Tsuchiya (graphic novel and script)
Nobuaki Minegishi (graphic novel)
Starring
Choi Min-sik
Yoo Ji-tae
Kang Hye-jung
Ji Dae-han
Oldboy
++
Plot – Oh Dae-su seems like an ordinary guy, but unbeknownst to him a very extraordinary event is about to befall him. Kidnapped off of the streets, Dae-su awakes to find himself imprisoned in a cell without any explanation. And it's an imprisonment that will last for 15 years. Out of the blue he is then released back into the world and provided with money, expensive clothing and a cell phone. As he attempts to find out the truth about his imprisonment it becomes clear that his kidnapper is not done with him; he has even grander plans to torture and torment Dae-su.
Wow, what an insane mind-f**k of a movie!!! It really is quite an experience viewing this one. And just when you think the film has hit its limit, it takes another twist or two and becomes even weirder and more mind-f**ier!!!
As the foundation for the story, the initial mystery; a man is held captive for 15 years without explanation and then just as inexplicably is released back into the world, is an absolutely doozy. I'd say it's nearly impossible to catch the start of this film and not feel compelled to stick with it to find out just what the hell is going on. And it's not an answer you're going to get to easily. It really is quite a complex little puzzle which will have you off balance throughout. As we reach the film's conclusion however the film does move into some rather more outlandish and ludicrous territory, and I can certainly see why some people will struggle to buy into it. I however felt that the film remained just about on the right side of plausibility. Or maybe I was just so desperate for answers to the conundrums that I was willing to cut the film some slack. When all is revealed it truly is a tremendous gut punch; you feel as if a trapdoor has just opened up underneath you. And if the film hadn't already achieved it in the previous 100 or so minutes the closing scenes ensure that this is a film that is going to stick with you. For a few days afterwards I found myself constantly revisiting it in my mind.
In the lead role Choi Min-sik gives an excellent performance as the psychologically battered Oh Dae-su, a man so absolutely consumed with revenge. To me it was a performance that felt as if it was right out of a Hollywood film from the 70s in the way that it's just really in your face with its sheer intensity; a very large and commanding presence. It's as if he reaches out and grabs you by the throat to ensure you're paying attention and don't miss a single detail. Particularly powerful and striking is the scene at the end where the truth has been revealed to him and he just goes bats*it crazy! A wonderful slice of acting in terms of displaying the sheer pain and desperation of the character.
Film trivia – In the famous scene; or infamous depending on your point of view, where Dae-su eats a live octopus, four live octopodes were consumed. While the scene caused considerable controversy around the world, in Korea the eating of live octopus is common. And at least they got a thank you for their work; when the film was awarded the Grand Jury prize at Cannes, the octopodes received a thank you from director Park Chan-wook. On a little side-note, Choi Min-sik is a devout Buddhist and felt the need to pray after consuming the octopodes.
That's not the only moment where the direction of Park Chan-wook impresses. He provides the whole film with such incredible verve and energy. It feels very reminiscent of Tarantino bursting onto the scene in the early 90s. They give you something that you feel you've never seen before, and that makes you wonder how you ever lived without it. Indeed with Tarantino heading the Cannes jury in 2004, it's little surprise that this film walked off with the Grand Jury prize. I can certainly imagine QT admiring much of this tragic revenge thriller.
My one concern about the film, and perhaps why it didn't receive a slightly higher score, is it's replay value. So much of my enjoyment and fascination came from the massive amount of intrigue, and the sheer shock of the revelation, and without the mystery I'll be curious to see if there's enough there still to thrill me. Speaking of being curious, I am now tremendously curious about the upcoming American remake of Oldboy. It's tough for me to picture an American production going into such dark and unseemly territory as this does in its conclusion.
Conclusion – A real 'experience' of a film. Even if you don't like this film it's unlikely that you will be forgetting it anytime soon, if ever. It's an astonishingly brutal and gripping tale which is delivered with immense intensity by Park Chan-wook, and stars a tremendous turn from Choi Min-sik. Oldboy certainly lives up to its billing as one of films of the 00s that you should see.