If there is one thing that I learned in this Year in Film Project it is that Koreans don't play. Oldboy might be the pinnacle of Korean revenge films. It was one of the first to break into the American psyche, and now it is forever lodged into our brains. It is so bold and so artistic I was blown away. I had seen this film once before and I remembered a few things from it, but I forgot a lot too.
The movie is about a irresponsible family man man named Oh Dae-su who wakes up in what appears to be a hotel room one day. Come to find out it is a prison cell. He doesn't know how he got there, why he is there, or who put him there. He is totally cut off from any human interaction. His meals are feed to him through a tiny slot in the door.
He is held captive for 15 years! Then one day he is released back into circulation. With the aid of a beautiful young woman he meets in a sushi parlor, he sets out to find out who imprisoned him and why. He also wants bloody vengence.
From this point on the movie begins taking some sick twists that will shock and surprise you (if everything leading up to this point hasn't already). I won't give any plot points away, but some sick and twisted minds came up with this story. And I love it!
This film could have been a one note slasher flick or a simple revenge torture porn knock off. But instead the director, Park Chan-wook, fills every frame with visual that will spell bind you. It is full of beautiful and ballsy camera movements. This is the second film in his vengeance trilogy, the first being reviewed on this blog a while back called Sympathy for Mr Vengenance.
I recommend this movie not only for those with the stomach for disgusting images, but disgusting story lines as well. If you are down for all that it is a real pleasure. I give Oldboy ★★★★1/2.
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