Oldboy (2003)

Park Chan-Wook's Oldboy is one of the best examples as to why, when looking at a film critically, re-watches are always superior to initial viewings. The first time I saw Oldboy I was absolutely floored. The experience had been like nothing I had ever seen before. The ending and final act snuck up on me like a thief in the dark. The first time I saw Oldboy I declared it a masterpiece of modern cinema. The second time I saw the film, it didn't hold up. Oldboy's biggest problem is that the entire film relies upon the final act. Once the viewer knows what is coming, the things that the film does right are muted, and the things that the film does wrong suddenly burst out of hiding.

 

Smarts

74%

Oh-Daesu (played amazingly by Choi Min-Sik) is picked up off of a city street and thrown into jail for public intoxication. Armed only with his gift for his daughter, angel-wings, he flutters around the room and causes a ruckus. He is eventually handcuffed to a steel pipe and waits for his friend to arrive to take him out of custody. After he is let out of the prison, Daesu stops to make a phone call, wherein he is nabbed right off of the street and locked in a motel room for fifteen years. With no reason for his kidnapping, Daesu learns everything from the television. It is his love, his religion, his news source, his entertainment; Daesu's life is shown to him by the picture box that his captors force him to view. He eventually "escapes" his prison, and emerges into the unforgiving world ahead of him. To give any more information would be to reveal significant spoilers, and as I stated in the introduction, the film relies so heavily on its reveals that I'd be ruining the whole experience by going further into the film's plot.

Needless to say, the rest of the film is focused on one thing: revenge. Everything in the film revolves around its theme. The film's characters are developed around revenge, thus the viewer feels a very shallow connection to the most important pieces of Oldboy's puzzle. Though this wasn't apparent on my first viewing, much of the character development is awkward and fairly insubstantial. By the end of the film, we only know these characters on a superficial level.

Wook-Park's direction is stunning. He reminds me of a young Scorsese, willing to try any technique on hand to set his film further away from the pack. I will say that this was last year's most highly crafted revenge thriller, putting Tony Scott's headache inducing Man on Fire to shame and just barely edging out Quentin Tarantino's overblown revenge saga Kill Bill Volume II. A lot can be said for Wook-Park's camerawork here. He films his scenes with delightful intrigue and longing persistence such as a now infamous fight scene with fifteen goons and a hammer to a sensual scene of forbidden sexuality. Suffice to say, this is a film with a great load of style.

Therein lies another problem, this is yet another case of style dominating over substance. The surrealism and subtle allegory in the film seems rushed in subsequent viewings, it only serves the point of adding yet another aspect to an already bloated film. What Oldboy does best though, is convey a theme. Revenge is rarely projected onto the screen in such graphic realism and commitment; it's just sad that Wook-park sacrificed his characters and their actions.

 

Popcorn

88%

Even with the flaws, Oldboy is immensely entertaining and fun to watch. The psychological aspects of the finale will leave the audience reeling and aching for more. Oldboy is an absolute spectacle, revving with romance and violence, forcing the audience to pursue deep into the art of revenge. The film is easy to be sucked into, and hard to be pulled out of. The world that the film conveys is so thoroughly sadistic that you really can't take your eyes off the screen.

Much can be said about the direction of Oldboy, but even more can be said about its performances. Choi Min-Sik is absolutely amazing in his role; pushing himself to both emotional and physical limits in nearly every scene in the film. He truly embodies his character with grace, charisma, beauty, and rigor. He gives the film a kinetic personality, akin to Robert de Niro in his early roles. I think that Min-Sik may be the next big thing to come out of Asian cinema.

The other characters are great in their roles, but in the end, they only serve one purpose, and that is to state the director's view of revenge. All the characters react around Daesu, for better or worse. The antagonist in the film is painted sympathetically, even after the hideous details of his prior life are revealed to the audience. This is a dark film with even darker characters all working to flesh out one of the darkest aspects of the human psyche. Each actor truly gives it their all.

As the end of the film draws near and Daesu finally finishes piecing his puzzle together, the film hits a high note. Immediately the viewer is engrossed; Wook-park's style comes together more than in any other part of the film. As the vicious and nihilistic reveal comes, the audience shudders in absolute revulsion. Then, right when you think Wook-park has finally let you go, he leaves the audience with a shocking, stunning vision, one that will be endowed upon the audience's minds for a very long time. This is a psychological film, and one that relies heavily on its ending. It's just great to finally see a film deliver in that department.

 

Final

I like Oldboy. I like it quite a bit, actually. I think it breathes life into the revenge drama, much more than any stupid and lifeless shoot 'em up Hollywood action flicks. The first time I saw this, I really couldn't believe my eyes. It was an absolute blast to watch; I think that's really what going to the movie is about, isn't it? Going to the movies is all about sitting back and allowing an artist to paint their thoughts and feelings upon the infinite palette that is the screen. Oldboy does this very, very well. In fact, it does this better than probably seventy-five percent of the films released these days. It just has its flaws alongside this boon. If you are at all interested in Asian cinema or revenge flicks, put Oldboy as a high priority; if only for its stunning final act.