Oldboy

Just about everyone I’d spoken to about this film recommended it to me. I watched this film with the original Korean-language soundtrack, with English subtitles. Oh Dae-su (Chi Min-sik) is a bit of a flirt (whether he is a womaniser is not made clear) with a wife and young child, who has turned two years old on the day we start the film. Dae-su is in a prison waiting room having insulted a woman he was flirting with. A friend comes and eventually gets him out, but while he’s making a call to his wife to explain he will be home soon, he is kidnapped. Incarcerated in a small room, with only a TV for company, he is fed and looked after, but not allowed his freedom. He unsuccessfully attempts suicide several times. He keeps himself fit by doing exercise programmes he sees on TV and he starts to dig his way out with chopsticks. He sees a TV report that shows he’s been framed for the murder of his wife. Fifteen years later, without a word of explanation, he is released. The rest of the film follows his attempts to find out why he was imprisoned, who did it, and where his daughter is. The film is frenetic, highly charged, and very emotional on several levels. It is also bloody in places, but Dae-su’s obsession for seeking revenge on whomsoever imprisoned him and on finding out where his daughter is drives this film along. There are psychological aspects to the film as well, and the film does eventually resolve itself – it is not one of those open-ended “I wonder who did it” type films. Follow the film through and you will get all the answers. I would recommend it, but I wouldn’t call it light entertainment.

This is not just a film you watch, it’s a film you experience. Oldboy is without question, one of the greatest revenge stories ever put to film. It has, in my opinion, the greatest villain of all time, smart, terrifying, and totally unforgettable. The movie is twisted, disturbing, and yet absolutely magnificent in its execution. It’s one of those movies you have to watch at least once in your life. Even after it ends, it sticks with you and you keep thinking about it. And the soundtrack is absolutely beautiful, it fits the mood perfectly and makes every scene hit even harder. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re seriously missing out.