Oldboy

You might want to look away for this...

...which is an ironic advice for watching a film. First thing to mention is that "Oldboy" falls into the category of neo-noir. "Neo", meaning modern or contemporary and "noir", a term referring to a dark and shadowy atmosphere in, usually, crime films. "John Wick", "Pulp Fiction", "The Dark Knight", and surprisingly "Zootopia" are all well-known examples of neo-noir titles. Dark, but not that dark. I mean, no one is going to be throwing PG18 warnings on "Zootopia". However, "Oldboy" is a different beast when it comes to neo-noir. This film takes the idea of sinister very seriously and does not shy away from presenting some of the most taboo notions onto the screen. Unlike "The Dark Knight" or "Zootopia", "Oldboy" is most definitely not for children, not simply because of bloody violence, but also because it is probably the most f***ed thing that I have ever watched in my life.

Based on the 1996 Japanese manga of the same name, you are introduced to a seemingly random man named Oh Dae-Su who is kidnapped and imprisoned in a sealed hotel room. For reasons unknown, he spends the next 15 years of his life inside the very same room with nothing but a television to keep him company. During his stay, Oh Dae-Su also learns that his wife has been murdered, with the prime suspect to be no one else but himself. After 15 years, he is released back out into the world and mysteriously taunted with cryptic messages from his captor along the way. Yet, Oh Dae-Su still has no clear idea on why his captor holds a huge grudge against him... Now that is one shady start to a story. What truly drives "Oldboy" is the aforementioned "huge grudge" that Oh Dae-Su is condemned of, and every minute of the film is dedicated to building towards solving the mystery. So far, it doesn't sound all that bad as a story. Then where are all the serious PG18 warnings coming from? I would say 40% of them are from the violence. For example, there is a scene where a man's entire set of teeth is explicitly pulled out one by one with a plier, leaving one heck of a bloody mess on screen. How about watching a tongue getting sliced out with a pair of scissors? You don't see this level of violence even in "John Wick".

The other 60% has to do with the plot, specifically the relationship between Oh Dae-Su and his captor. I seriously don't know how to explain it without spoiling the film, but it has to do with something that is very taboo. Specific events that are key to solving the mystery are going to be overwhelmingly dirty and weird. This is not a choice of perception. It is going to be really f***ed up. You will not be personally offended by watching "Oldboy", neither will you be trapped in an overnight anxiety that one can normally get from finishing a horror film past midnight. However, it is completely safe to say that whatever important that happens in "Oldboy" is universally regarded as screwed up in at least the modern society. After watching it, you will take a few minutes to process what the heck just happened, turn to your friend beside you and remark, "Damn, that was f***ed up." And your friend will also say, "Damn, that was f***ed up." But both of you will express it with awe, not horror. As strange as it may sound, I personally have come to appreciate the extremities that "Oldboy" bravely traversed. Coupling that with the immense complexity of the storyline and characters really brought this film to a new standard of evoking intense emotions through writing alone. It truly is a masterpiece of the 21st century. 

Put yourself in Oh Dae-Su's shoes for a second. How would you feel and react when you were spontaneously dragged into a hotel prison and all of sudden kicked back out into a much different world after 15 years? For starters, you would be a drastically changed person. But in what way? Confusion, desperation, vengeance, insanity, fright, anxiety can tightly clench your heart as you seek explanation and possibly absolve yourself from a sin. The complex web of mental states is what makes the narrative and atmosphere really gritty. As you follow Oh Dae-Su's quest for revenge, you notice that he is one heck of an insane man who is clueless as to what is going on around him. At the same time, the desperation to come face to face with his captor is practically palpable throughout the film. A lot of the success behind portraying Oh Dae-Su as a fugitive with everything to lose should be credited towards Choi Min-Sik, an actor whose populalarity in the Asian continent is equivalent to DiCaprio's multiplied by Tom Cruise's. The other character that should be given much attention to is the captor, who is played by Yoo Ji-Tae and whose identity is revealed midway in the film. As the mastermind behind the entire narrative of "Oldboy", he is nothing short of cunning and shrewd. On the other hand, while the captor goes to the extreme just to punish Oh Dae-Su, there is a human reason behind why all this even takes place. Both characters are exceedingly convincing and fitting for the dark ambiance that surrounds "Oldboy", and the immense success that this film has enjoyed in terms of awards and nominations lies heavily upon Choi Min-Sik and Yoo Ji-Tae.

Understanding the subtle tone of a subtle film like "Oldboy" that is narrated completely in foreign language can be challenging. Although it is common nowadays for people to watch and grasp foreign films with relative ease, "Oldboy" is different from many other international titles in that it is much more reserved and not overtly expressive like modern Korean dramas. Judging by how my friends reacted to the film though, capturing the overall feel is easy because of the characters' actions and such. However, apart from the blood, I'm not entirely sure if my friends were able to discern the characters' tone while being obligated to be distracted by the subtitles. I cannot stress enough the importance of processing the tone in this film. I may be wrong and heavily underestimating people's capability of comprehending the tone of foreign dialogue, but as a native Korean, I truly feel that "Oldboy" is presented in a paradoxical way. From Oh Dae-Su's monotony, we can surprisingly sense this wide array of emotions spiraling in his mind. From Oh Dae-Su's stone face, we can so clearly read his desire for revenge. setting it far apart from other foreign films that I've watched.

"Oldboy" is a undoubtedly one of the few greatest Asian films that have set foot in the entire world. It is a masterpiece not just because of the intricate plot, but also the acting and the tone that conduct the film to another level of storytelling. This modern age of Hollywood severely needs to reinvigorate the intangible qualities behind materializing a story. Simply telling a story is not enough. Nowadays, we are so caught up with these action-based adventures with overlays of corny humor along the way that we have forgotten to appreciate beyond what we immediately see or hear on screen. "Oldboy" reminds me of the literary potential of producing the utmost creative and evocative motion pictures that only a handful of directors can undertake. The truth is that we CAN make better films. We CAN stay true to the artistry without the obsession of revenue. We CAN relay sophisticated messages through inferences and allusions better than a book can. As such, "Oldboy" feels pure. It does every essential category of filmmaking correctly and makes all the right decisions in creating a whirlwind of thought in the audience. And as far as the f***ed things go, consider them as part of the aesthetics. 

Verdict: Legendary 10

Box Office: $15 million

Release Date: November 21, 2003

Rewatchable: Yes

Should you look away or not? The choice is yours, really...