Just imagine walking on the street, being kidnapped and being held in a normal apartment. You are free to move around the apartment and do you own things, but there is no way to leave. Every day you receive food through a hole in the door and every night you are forced to fall asleep as gas is injected into the room. You have no idea why you are there and how long it will be until you are released. Days turn into weeks, weeks slowly turn into years. What would you do if you are suddenly released after 15 years?
This is exactly what happens to Dae-su Oh (Min-sik Choi). What he does is to try to find who is behind it and why he was held for such a long time. When he was in his prison he saw on TV that he has killed his own wife (which he can’t have done) so he has no one he can turn to as they might turn him in. He’s all alone in trying to find the truth so he can have his revenge on those responsible.
This Korean movie tells its story exceptionally well. Min-sik Choi convinces, resulting in the viewer to really feel for him. There are moments where you really start wondering if he hasn’t gone completely crazy, like in a scene where he eats an octopus that’s still alive. This scene doesn’t use any special effect, it is all real. I wasn’t very shocked by the scene as I once saw something about this being a custom on either Discovery or National Geographic. I’m sure it will shock quite a lot of people.
Dae-su Oh slowly starts to find out the truth and steps on his path of having his revenge. His weapon of choice is a hammer. Before watching the movie this was one of the few images I had seen related to this movie and it actually was the reason I didn’t watch it before. I thought it would all be way to graphic and I really can’t stomach it. It also does not entertain me. I was glad to find out that director Chan-wook Park has chosen the same approach as Quentin Tarantino in Reservoir Dogs as most things happen off-screen. Because of this approach you will imagine the rest yourself without it actually seeing it.
The zenith of action in this movie is a scene in a hallway where Dae-su Oh fights against several henchmen and works his way through them towards the exit. It’s a beautifully choreographed scene, which reminded me of a scene in 300.
Besides the raw action, the story itself is amazing with a very shocking ending. This is a movie that will leave a big impression on you.
Awesome review. This truly is an extraordinary film and I’m pleased you enjoyed it. However, what’s most interesting about this film (and indeed the entire Vengeance Trilogy) is the commentary it makes on Korea’s political conditions.
The 1980s saw Korea go through a radical political change as they broke free of a controlling dictatorship and gained democracy, and it wasn’t until the 1990s when South Korean directors were given a relative amount of freedom to shoot the movis they wanted to make. Yet, due to bordering North Korea, there’s obviously a sense of unease in South Korea which is still apparent to this day – most particularly with the recent bombings going on.
Chan-Wook Park has used the camera to subtly voice his own concerns over South Korea’s current political conditions, while providing a commentary on their troubled past. Bear in mind that South Korean’s didn’t have freedom of speech until the late 1980s – when they mass protested and were finally able to hold their first democratic election. Suddenly they were opened to a global media, with access to a host of new information they’d never been allowed access to before (such as internet, global tv, news, cinema, etc.
Oldboy highlights this ‘TV generation’ – Oh Dae-Su’s only contact with the outside world for the fifteen years is his television, which he calls “clock and calendar. It is your school, home, church, friend and lover.” There is a montage scene with key moments in history – such as Princess Diana’s death and 9/11 – but it also gives a brief history of South Korea’s struggles and shows their first democratic election.
The fact that Oh Dae-Su is released after fifteen years with sudden access to freedom, a cell phone and money reflects this ‘TV generation’ who were also quickly thrown into a mass media world.
But I think why this film is so good is that the theme of vengeance is universal, and one that a Western audience can quickly pick up on. I mean, without knowing the political background of Korea, this film is still highly enjoyable.
Personally though, I find Korea’s history absolutely fascinating, and it actually heightens my enjoyment of their films. Sorry if this came across as a bit of a lecture 😛
Excellent writeup! I wasn’t aware of Korea’s history, so I didn’t pick this up while watching it. As you can read it is a movie which you can enjoy if you do not have that background information. Reading it do adds a lot to my appreciation of the movie, so thanks for that!
Oh definitely, the background knowledge really isn’t required. Vengeance is a universal theme, and I think that’s why ‘Oldboy’ works so well.
The rest of the Vengeance Trilogy (‘Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance’ and ‘Lady Vengeance’) are well worth checking out too.
So original, and just kept me entertained, and interested in this whole story. I love movies about revenge, but this is easily one of the best, without a doubt.
Glad to hear that you agree!
If I can I will try to check those out as well!
Nice Review and glad to see Park Chan Wook’s get the recognition and score it deserves. Its a near perfect revenge film and succeeds in all it sets out to achieve. I unfortunately cant say the same about Spike Lee’s remake….It was beyond pitiful. Here is my review on it:
http://www.moviereviewworld.com/movie-review/oldboy-remake-review/
Thanks a lot! Not really interested in checking out the remake, especially since it has not been getting very good reviews.