Old Boy (2003)

Oldboy has a Shakespearian tone as it depicts the tale of Oh Dae-su (Min-sik Choi), whose name means "he who can get along with people". Oh Dae-su is on his way home after having been arrested for public drunkenness to celebrate his daughters birthday. However, Oh Dae-su never arrives to his home as he is kidnapped and imprisoned in a small room where his only contact with the human world is a television. During the time Oh Dae-su is caged someone murders his wife and he becomes the prime suspect for the murder. The questions that Oh Dae-su unsuccessfully attempts to answer while locked up is why revenge is being taken on him and who is seeking this cruel revenge. After 15 years Oh Dae-su is released from his torturous imprisonment, which leaves him confused and ragingly vengeful.

Chan-wook Park directs a brilliant cinematic experience that is full of well-written conspiring intrigues that will keep the audience in suspense. The suspense is initiated in the opening shot where a man is hanging over the edge of a roof top causing the audience to asks themselves--why is this happening? The suspense continues as new and mysterious clues appears, but apprehension does not leave the audience even after the end of the film as the final line echos in the minds of the audience. Park's vision of revenge in Oldboy often depicts exaggerated violence that is well balanced with story as it is related to the themes of the film. However, this should serve as a warning to squeamish folks as the film is occasionally brutal and bizarre. Furthermore, the cinematography used in Oldboy vividly projects the emotional tone of the cinematic themes and characters. The characters are also superbly performed by an excellent cast, which will help the audience to experience a first class cinematic event.

I'm surprised to see that no one else has written about this collector's edition DVD package because it's so cool that it needs to be spoken about in some form or other. It comes in a metal box which is exactly the same dimensions as the box that the HBO series "Band of Brothers" came in. There's that which is already pretty nice but inside is where you find the real treasure. The film comes in a three disc set, each one in an individual slipcase with one of the three main characters in the film on the cover. The presentationof the film is on par with, if not above the quality of the previous Tartan video release in terms of picture and sound. This set has a 6.1 DTS mix which is nice, clear and loud. The picture is very nice as it should be, since this film is beautifully shot. There are plenty of bonus features like commentary and featurettes but the third disc has the best supplementary feature which is a production diary from the entire shoot. I think this is one of the shining examples of a behind the scenes documentary done right as it really shows you what goes in to making a film and how much hard work it can be. It's lengthy, it's detailed and thankfully, it has English subtitles because I don't speak a lick of Korean. Just for this documentary alone, this set is worth picking up.

Finally, you get not only a 35mm film strip encased in a nice cardboard sleeve, you get a miniaturized graphic novel of the original similarly titled Japanese Manga that the film was based off of. If you've seen the special edition of Sin City that came with the Hard Goodbye graphic novel, it's just like that except its printed in reverse and you have to read it from back cover to front like you would with an actual Japanese book! (Don't worry, the language is in English so you can still read it)

This is easily one of the best recommendations I can make. If you love the movie, this is a no-brainer. If you know someone else who loves this movie, this would make a great gift. Either way, this is one of the coolest all around DVD packages I've ever picked up and believe me, I've picked up plenty.

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The consensus of critical opinion is that Chan-wook Park's "Oldboy" is one of the true cinematic masterpieces of the past decade. In both plot and technique, it is, indeed, incredibly brilliant; on those points alone it deserves four stars out of five. I understand why "Oldboy" has so many ardent admirers (chief among them Quentin Tarantino, for whom Park could be suspected of tailoring this film). Yet, though I have a reasonably strong stomach for cinematic gore, I found "Oldboy" to be a little TOO sadistic. When you compare "Oldboy" with Tarantino's own work--"Pulp Fiction" and the "Kill Bill" movies--you realize that Tarantino's movies have a cartoonishness about them, a hip and ironic remove, that reminds audiences they're just watching a movie after all. There is no such remove in "Oldboy." I have nothing but praise for the performance of Min-sik Choi as Oh Dae-su, the heedless, obnoxious but not really so bad guy who is imprisoned, tortured and toyed with for 15 years. I have never seen such a realistic, heartrending cinematic portrayal of abject grief as Choi's at the end of this film, when Oh Dae-su discovers both his torturer's identity and the full extent of his treachery. And this is precisely my problem: the film's emotions are too real. Obviously I'm in a tiny minority about this, but I simply felt too sorry for Oh Dae-su to get the requisite thrills from this thriller. Vincent Vega and Beatrix Kiddo are, as Tarantino intended, pulp fiction; Oh Dae-su is flesh and blood--and BOY, do we get to see that demonstrated, very graphically indeed. Reviewers have equally high praise for the other films in Park's trilogy, "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance." I think I'm going to wait a while before I check them out, however. The DVD transfer of "Oldboy" is sharp and excellent, but the film has been dubbed rather than subtitled (not really a problem, except for the annoyingly chirpy voice of the actress who dubs the character of Miko). A bigger disappointment is that the deleted scenes and the bonus interview with Chan-wook Park are in undubbed, unsubtitled Korean.

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This is one of the best movies I've ever seen. Completely original and made with the precision of a Swiss watch and the art of a tortured Van Goh brush. Evidently, I'm not the only one singing its praises. Cannes Film Festival gave it the Grand Prix award (2nd place) and Universal Pictures have bought the rights to the movie for a U.S. remake perhaps staring Russell Crowe. This film is completely original, with suprises, twists and turns, but the well done visuals don't exhaust the viewer. It also does a unexpected mind job on the viewer and it's often impossible to predict what will happen next. Without spoiling anything for anyone, imagine Kill Bill without the wires and samurai sword (but leave the violence and revenge theme) throw in a dash of Hitchcock (suspense, morality and social corruption) and an ounce of Kubrick (tight, precise film making and wierdness blending with the sublime) and you have Old Boy. Buy it, rent it, just plain see it however you can and get ready for the ride of your cinema life because we ain't in Kansas anymore.....

Want Old Boy (2003) Discount?

Old boy by Chan-wook Park is the only evidence of God I have ever seen in cinema. This film is perfect. Period. Every single element of this film is flawless. It is raw, chiseled, perfection. The PLOT. The cast. The directing. The music. The set design. The cinematography. The acting. The Foley artists. The choreography. This film is a masterpiece. It is pristine. It is the very paragon of cinema as we know it. This film should be cherished. Revered. Adored..., perhaps even worshiped.

Chan-wook Park has created something that simply can not be glorified enough by mere words. Please see this wonder of cinema before Hollywood gets its bloody, thieving, insipid, ruinous, GREEDY hands on it. There is talk of a remake, which I must say, makes me physically ill! Was it not enough that there were American remakes of Juon and Ringu and Dark Water? Now they have to think of corrupting the BEST FILM EVER MADE? Please God NO! I am begging all the powers that be, to please crush the infidels who dare trespass upon the sanctified celluloid of Old Boy.

And to all you movie fans who read this, please, see Chan-wook Parks ORIGINAL MASTERPIECE in all it's horrific, malevolent, stark, beautiful, glory, before Hollywood gets it's miserable, putrid, pathetic little hands on it. LONG LIVE CHAN-WOOK PARK'S OLD BOY! May it reign forever in it's sublime, unparalleled excellence.