Oldboy (2003, Chan-wook Park)
Oldboy tells the story of Oh Daesu, an average family man who is kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years, with no explanation. After his release, he is given some cash and a mobile phone, and told that he must find out who imprisoned him, and why.
The setup alone is marvellous; we’re as much in the dark as Daesu is. I was immediately drawn in.
Overall, I did like this movie a lot. At times I thought it was a little too stylized, although most of the time the overstylization and flashy shots work well. One thing I particularly loved was the soundtrack. It’s subtle and beautiful.
As for the story, it gets more complicated as Daesu finds out more about his kidnapping, and at times it’s a little contrived, but it’s never dull. There is a twist though, and while it’s not vital for the enjoyment of the audience to be surprised, I did guess it very early on, which perhaps took away some of the oomph that scene might have otherwise had.
There are a couple of amazing scenes, most notably the fight in the corridor where Daesu takes on dozens of foes using nothing but a hammer and his fists. It’s one continuous long shot, and it’s brilliantly staged. I also really enjoyed how the flashback scenes were so seamlessly and beautifully integrated with the present.
And the violence? Yes, there is a lot of violence here, some of it really gruesome. I had to turn away a few times, but it’s not something you haven’t already seen a dozen times in any given Tarantino movie. Maybe I’m just squeamish when it comes to teeth and tongues and other parts of the body being removed.
Finally, the guy who played Oh Daesu (Min-sik Choi) was really good. I’m curious to check out the other two movies in the Vengeance trilogy (even though people tell me Oldboy is the best one), so maybe I’ll do that next time I feel like some Korean revenge.
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