"Laugh and the World laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone." Chan-wook Park brings his second film in his Vengeance trilogy to life with his film "Oldboy". Made in 2003 it still stands up on its own feet despite being twelve years old. It creates a memorable experience that the viewer will not forget to many years to come. I know that I will not.The film is about a businessman named Oh-dae Su (Min-sik Choi) who is kidnapped for fifteen years and left alone in a room. For an unknown reason he is let out to try and find out who captured him. When he eventually does, the antagonist (Ji-tae Yu) gives him five days to find out why he was imprisoned or Oh-dae Sus' new love interest (Hye-jeong Kang) will be killed. This sends Oh-dae Su on a wild chase to find out why he was imprisoned by someone he doesn't even know.
Now I know the film sounds quite simplistic but this couldn't be farther from the truth. The story, based on a manga of the same name, is amazing. Chan-wook Park helped develop the screenplay from the manga into his interpretation of the film. The longer you watch this film the more twists and turns the viewers is brought on until the fantastic finale that you have to watch to believe.
The acting throughout the film is extraordinary and the soundtrack is amazing. This is actually one of the soundtracks that I actually own. Every song just evokes the exact emotion that each character is feeling and in turn makes you sympathize and connect with each character throughout the film. The look of the film is spectacular and each scene brings something new to the movie. At two hours long, it can seem a bit long at some times but the editing within the film is excellent. I felt that every scene within this movie brings something new to the story. No scene is wasted and every scene tells the story.
Park's cinematography throughout the film is mind blowing. Some of the techniques that he uses create the perfect atmosphere with his use of close ups, or long extended shots, for example the hallway scene. (You will know what I am talking about when you watch it.) His use of voiceover to explain the narrative and the intentions of the characters throughout the film gives them depth and actually makes you care for them by the end of the film. The dark tint on the overall film gives it a very noir feel to it and it fits perfectly. The feel of the movie is almost a experience instead of just a film.
Overall, I was very impressed with this movie. The hard gritty-ness of this revenge thriller is definitely a thrill ride. The violence goes hand in hand with a terrific story. I have seen it multiple times and it still brings something new to the table every time. I would suggest anyone to see it.
Grade: A
Genre: Thriller/Drama
Cast: Min-sik Choi, Ji-tae Yu
Rated: R for strong violence including scenes of torture, sexuality and pervasive language
Director: Chan-wook Park
