Asian Cinema Rediscovered (Part 1)

(All this happened about 3 months ago...)

In my journey to expand my knowledge about films, I ventured into Asian cinema with advice from Roddie (My film buddy) and discovered a contemporary gem called "Oldboy", directed by Park Chan-Wook.

I have heard of this film when browsing through the internet forums a few years ago and many seem to like it a lot. Even the titular protagonist in my favourite TV show, "Chuck", has the movie poster hung up in his room. But I never actually wanted to watch it. Until now. Then I knew why film enthusiasts love it so much.

"Oldboy" is a South Korean drama adaptation based on a Japanese manga. It is about a man (Oh Dae Su) who has 5 days to find out the identity of the man who kidnapped and imprisoned him for 15 years and to exact his revenge.

I don't want to spoil anyone but everything about this film is amazing. Now that I think of it, it doesn't strictly follow a genre formula. The narrative just goes off the rails sometimes and you don't know what you're watching, but you're following the storyline intensely. It looks like a high-budget Hollywood film but it never becomes your conventional Hollywood fare.


There is a very distinctive voice in the film, as Oh Dae Su explains his intentions and actions through the use of voiceovers. And he is the narrator of the film. He anchors the whole film down and brings us through his pains, joy, lust, anger, self-discovery and eventually, his self-destruction.
It's a film that explores the psyche of a lonely, broken man on the path of revenge and it does it subtly.


And I have never seen a revenge movie that explores the characters' backstories so in-depth and such in a visually-visceral manner. And all of this culminates in the film's final scenes, which feature tour-de-force performances by Min Sik-Choi (Oh Dae Su) and Ji-Tae Yu (Oh's captor Lee Woo Jin). I just sat there in horror and with sadness, watching the final moments of the gut-wrenching exchange between them.

This happens at the beginning of the film.

And you know THIS is the mark of a great film, when you're so heavily invested in the characters that you actually feel the emotions running through them. And you don't try to think about what happens next, because you want to be led by the film-makers.

Then again, in Park Chan-Wook's autobiography, he mentioned that his intention was never to do merely a revenge flick, but a movie about a man who FAILS at exacting his revenge. Thus, this is what that sets "Oldboy" apart from other typical revenge movies. And Oh Dae Su's journey to the end, though depressing, gives audience of a glimpse of hope and redemption that Oh Dae Su might pull through.

On the technical side, this is a gritty-looking film with some fantasy elements. The sets in certain scenes are purposely chosen to suit the personality of the characters. The cinematography is gorgeous to look at and there are some shot movements that reflect the emotions of the characters, which I liked of course.

In conclusion, "Oldboy" is nothing I've ever seen, yet it feels so familiar in my heart. An unforgettable piece of modern cinema, that's what director Park Chan-Wook had created. A fantastic visionary, he is.

The note reads: There is somebody tapping on our conversations, please help us find the device.

Rating: R
Please be advised that violence and sex is present in the film. Some action scenes, sex scenes and some incestuous content. But that should not stop you from watching this if you're interested in watching a great story unfold by itself.

Update: Movie trailer!