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Overview

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Oldboy, 2003

Starring: Min-sik Choi, Bo-Kyeong Kim

Directed by: Chan Wook Park

Written by: Chan Wook Park

Language: Korean

Country: South Korea

Runtime: 120 min

MPAA Rating: R

Rating:8.4

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Profile of Oldboy

Oldboy can be described as disturbing, bleak, and tense. The plot revolves around mind games, imprisonment or confinement, and vengeance. Its comic aspect comes from dark humor. Oldboy's main genres are foreign, thriller, and drama. In terms of style, it is neo-noir, involves twists and turns, and includes a voice over. In approach, it is serious and realistic. Oldboy is set, at least in part, in an urban environment. It is located in Korea. It takes place in contemporary times. Oldboy is adapted from a comic. The movie has received attention for being a Cannes festival winner, controversial, and critically acclaimed. Note that it involves strong sexual content, strong violent content, and profanity.

Summary of Oldboy

It would be a sin to reveal too much about this riveting and bizarre thriller from Korean director Chan Wook Park, except to say that it's about a man named Dae-Su (Choi Min-Sik) who is locked in a hotel room for 15 years without knowing his captor's motives. When he is finally released, Dae Su finds himself still trapped in a web of conspiracy and strangeness. His own quest for vengeance becomes tied in with romance when he falls for an attractive sushi chef (Gang Hye-Jung), who feeds him live octopus and who may or may not be involved with the bizarre mystery. This is all served up in a striking palette of purples and dark reds; oozing with post-neo-noir style, and stuffed with insanely malicious twists and turns. Choi Min-Sik is terrific in the lead, counterbalancing over-the-top hysterics with deadpan cool to run the gamut of Asian antihero traits. There are intense fight scenes (Dae Su's favorite weapon is a hammer), look-away moments of torture and self-mutilation, sex, and gallons of black humor. Not for the squeamish, but for those seeking something wholly original and daring, this cinematic entree is alive--it's hard to imagine a better slice of psycho-shock sensationalism.

Details

Language:	Korean
Country:	South Korea
Release date:	January 2005
Runtime:	120 min

Cast and Crew See all

Min-sik Choi

as Dae-su Oh

Bo-Kyeong Kim

Photos See all

Oldboy (2003)

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Oldboy: Theatrical

Critics Reviews See all

Rolling Stone

As always with Park Chanwook, you just hold on and let him rip. Full Review

|
by: Peter Travers

Chicago Tribune

It's a movie of such jaw-dropping violence, wild improbability and dazzling style it overpowers all resistance. Full Review

|
by: Michael Wilmington

Users Reviews See all

If you can imagine a film sketched out by Shakespeare, then directed by Sam Peckinpah, you get a good glimpse of Oldboy. Tragedy, characters teetering on or over the edge of madness, plots spanning decades, over-the-top passions, taboos and... Read and rate it

21.January.2011
|
by: foodfight
foodfight rated this movie0/10

09.October.2009
|
by: Ethan Clapham
Ethan Clapham rated this movie0/10

Every so often a foreign film comes along that makes Hollywood look like a city full of amateurs. Oldboy, with its captivating story, wonderful acting, and amazing style and direction does just that. Granted the movie's off-screen but still unnerving violence may not be for everyone, but if you can stomach it, Oldboy is a fantastic film. Oldboy is the story of a man who wakes up to find himself imprisoned in a strange apartment-turned-cell. He has no idea why he's been imprisoned or who might be responsible. Time passes and the months turn to years. Suddenly, after 15 years of imprisonment, he is released. He's given five days to discover who is captor is and why he was kept locked up for so long. At this point, if I say anything else I'll be uncovering major plot points, and I don't want to do that. Unfortunately, any synopsis of Oldboy that doesn't include more detail can't possibly do the story justice. The finale is full of twists and turns and unexpected moments that have to be seen to be experienced. The visual style in Oldboy is simply stunning. The director, Chan-wook Park, seems to have control of every element of every frame of every shot. The colors all complemented or contrasted each other perfectly. The camera work and editing was all top-notch. Basically, someone in Hollywood needs to offer the entire crew of Oldboy a job, because they are that good. Thankfully, the DVD did a fantastic job recreating the imagery of Oldboy. Detail levels were superb in the close up shots and good in the long shots. The colors were perfectly saturated with no bleeding. Black levels remained consistent throughout and contrast was great. The DTS track put the surrounds to good use through nearly every scene. The discrete effects sounded great, along with the subtle ambiance sounds. I think the best phrase I've heard used to describe this film is to say that Oldboy "hits like a punch to the groin." Check this one out, you won't be disappointed.

09.October.2009
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by: Ethan Clapham

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