Every so often a film emerges that doesn't just demand attention for its
own merits but puts an entire country on the movie map.
Park Chan-wook's 'Oldboy,' was the mighty blow
that hammered New Korean Cinema into global consciousness.
These early 21st century films showcased the South Korean directors' flair
for revitalizing stale genre conventions, thrumming with stylish, often brutal intensity.
For those new to 'Oldboy' — the middle entry and breakout hit of Park's Vengeance Trilogy — here's a quick plot and rundown:
Oh Dae-su, a white-collar wastrel, is suddenly snatched from the street one night.
Held and kept alive in a small room with no capita scene,
no reason given and only a television for company, escape and even suicide attempts are easily thwarted
Dae-su learns that his wife and he believes his young daughter have been murdered, and that he has been framed for the crime.
15 years later, he is suddenly released. Hell bent on vengeance and aided only by a sympathetic young sushi chef,
Dae-su is forced to play a sinister cat-and-mouse game with his abductor to discover just why he suffered.
But even when he uncovers the past transgression that doomed him
and finds his quarry,
his torments may be far from over.
Revenge is a common, and frankly conveniently smooth-running plot engine.
Some directors seem to be giddily fixated on the idea.
Park Chan-wook clearly shares this fascination too. 'Oldboy' was adopted from a popular manga series
Park has infused his version of the tale with his own knotted, twisted morality.
Oh Dae-su, despite his horrendous ordeal, is no hero.
He's a violent, traumatized loose cannon, who often expresses himself with animal-like impulses.
The question that he and Park pose is
even when people are reduced to their so-called "basic instincts."
Likewise. antagonist Woo-jin, despite his cool controlled appearance, is revealed to be equally tormented
and his cruel long-running retribution
may be just a camouflage for his own guilt.
Vengeance here isn't cathartic, it's merely cyclical.
Violence and pain only repeats.
Mirror and escalate.
Park's virtuoso imagery,
vivid color and design,
elegant framing and fluid movement,
impactful cutting
might at first glance be seen as merely surface dazzle.
But look closer and it's clear how
he visualizes his core themes, and like his obsessive characters, those fixated on only one issue can
miss the bigger picture.
But if Park is the film's mastermind then it's bruised soul is actor Choi Min-sik.
His transformation from doughy
sad sack to avenging warrior is a revelation.
The physical demands of the justly celebrated,
nearly three-minute continuous corridor fight scene alone are admirable enough.
But it's the no-holds-barred commitment to damaged, borderline deranged Oh Dae-su.
It makes 'Oldboy' so heart-rending and gut-wrenching.
Without spoiling the film's shocking reveal, 'Oldboy' is long before then that rare utterly visceral film.
Its up close and personal, physical — the body is sorted by weapons like a claw hammer or scissors.
The mind exposed to primal fears.
It's ambiguous climax only strengthens the lingering hold of a film as haunting as it is exhilarating.