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All Movie Info
Starring:
Min-sik Choi, Ji-tae Yu, Hye-jeong Kang, Dae-han Ji, Dal-su Oh, Byeong-ok Kim, Seung-Shin Lee, Jin-seo Yun, Dae-yeon Lee, Kwang-rok Oh, Su-hyeon Kim, Seung-jin Lee
Directed By:
Chan-wook Park
Written By:
Chan-wook Park, Garon Tsuchiya, Jo-yun Hwang, Chun-hyeong Lim, Joon-hyung Lim, Nobuaki Minegishi
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Oldboy (2003)
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Movie Review by Jarrod 
July 12th, 2007
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'Oldboy' is one of those edgy Korean films that pushes the boundaries of what American audiences may find acceptable. Overtly sexual and gruesomely violent, it always makes you feel uncomfortable, but its imagery burrows into your mind and stays there, refusing to leave, and it tells a compelling, ultimately heart-breaking story of a man who learns a devastating secret, and finds the answer to the question that has consumed him for more than a decade. Oh Dae-Su was kidnapped and kept in a mysterious prison of sorts for 15 years, then released into the very world he was isolated from for so long, seeing only through television. He has trained himself to get revenge, which he pursues with dogged persistence, as he follows clues to the identity of his tormentor, falling for a young woman named Mi-Do, who works at a restaurant. That is all one can reveal of the plot without divulging its several surprises.
'Oldboy' truly does shock with some of its narrative revelations, but its complicated and often confusing structure may leave less attentive viewers cold, as much of Korean cinema does, as this is certainly not for the casual audience. Oh Dae-Su's journey for the truth is completely engrossing, tangled with torture, lies, some rather incredible combat sequences, and sadomasochistic eroticism, as layers and layers are pulled back, revealing the tragic and incomprehensible depths of the human heart and mind. To call it fascinating is a gross understatement. It evokes visceral reactions, bad memories, raw emotions, all expressed in a superbly brilliant and disturbing fashion by director Chan-Wook Park. Endlessly provocative, and profoundly troubling, I am thankful to have experienced 'Oldboy'. It left me in a state of perplexed curiosity, thinking for days about what I had seen. Any movie that can elicit a response like that is worthy of praise and admiration.
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 | Lisa
Jul 16, 2007 9:18 AM
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| I adore this movie it is my fave Chan-Wook Park film. |
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