Oldboy (2003)
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- Release Date: November 21, 2003
- Directed by: Park Chan-wook
- Written by: Jo-yun Hwang, Joon-hyung Lim and Park Chan-wook
- Runtime: 2 hours
Right up front, I have to admit something: it's really hard to write my thoughts about this movie while trying to keep them vague at the same time. Oldboy was recommended to me by a friend many years ago. He wouldn't tell me much about the movie, just that it was a revenge story and that I would really like it. When I later found a DVD copy at a bookstore, I picked it up and gave it a blind viewing. I ended up being blown away by the thing, and because of that, I genuinely feel like this is a movie that works best when you know next to nothing going into it. This is going to be a shorter writing than what I normally like to do, but I promise that there's a good reason for that.
If you absolutely must know the premise of the story, I'll keep it short and simple. It follows a man named Oh Dae-su who is kidnapped and held prisoner in what looks like a hotel room for fifteen years. When the day comes that he finally gets out, he sets off to take out his vengeance on the people who imprisoned him. Who kidnapped him, and what could he have possibly done to warrant that kind of punishment? That's the central idea of the movie, and I'm not going to give anything else away. The storyline is full of intriguing twists and turns, disturbing revelations, and visceral bloodshed that is guaranteed to shock anyone who goes into it blind, and to spoil anything else would be doing a massive disservice to the audience. I will say that the main performance of Choi Min-sik as Oh Dae-su is absolutely fantastic. I love the range of emotions that he displays with just his facial expressions; whether it's vengeful rage, exhausted contemplation, or wide-eyed lunacy. He's extremely expressive, and his mental state and the way he interacts with people can change wildly from scene to scene. Being a revenge story, you naturally want to sympathize with him and root for him to get his payback. However, this is an extremely flawed character that is pretty unhinged after being locked away from the world for so many years. One moment you'll be feeling sorry for him and wanting him to succeed, and then he'll do some insane act such as devouring a live animal or attempting to sexually assault a woman who is trying to help him. There really aren't any "good people" in this story, and the world that they exist in is equally amoral and uncaring. When viewing the movie, you basically have to strap yourself in and watch the characters drown in depravity for two hours, and you probably won't feel clean when it's all over with.
If you're looking for the best way to watch the movie, I highly recommend the new 4K restoration that premiered in 2023. I'm normally not a fan of 4K since I can't see much of a difference between it and standard HD, but in this case, the movie was completely remastered to take full advantage of this new format. Not only is the picture quality great, but the colors of the film have been restored to their theatrical look. Everything appears super saturated and vibrant, and this makes the violent scenes all the more eye-popping. I'm not sure if it was intentional or not, but I like to think that everything is so saturated to show how fresh and new the world looks to Oh Dae-su after so many years in seclusion. It's gorgeous to look at, even when you're watching someone do horrific things involving duct tape and a hammer. The presentation is top-notch all around, and wraps up this world of filth and vengeance in the prettiest bow possible.
I've already written way too much about this movie. If you like foreign films that have the courage to deliver the type of emotional gut-punch that many American films lack, find a copy and give it a watch. You may not feel good when it's all over with, but I promise you that the ride is well worth it!