My favorite movie

Rating: 10/10 (17 April 2014)

Yes, I'm going to go ahead and say that this is my favorite movie. Take that as a bias for this review, or take it as an endorsement, it's up to you.
First off, as you've probably read, if you're interested in the US remake, watch the original. I'm not saying you should watch the original first or second, or to skip the US version, I'm just saying you should watch the original whenever. It's better than the remake, regardless of the order that you watch them. There is a desperation in the main character of the original version that is lost in the remake, and to me, that desperation was the driving force behind the plot.
While spending his time locked up, you get to see Dae-su go through all the stages of grief. But the difference is that the final stage, acceptance, has a different effect on him in that he becomes almost empty. I used the word desperation before because he becomes a man who has nothing to live for except revenge. While the hallway scene may seem ridiculous on paper, I had no trouble believing it when I first watched the movie. In other movies, his actions would be those of a man possessed, but Oldboy is about a man who has suffered, was hollowed out, and no longer knows fear.
Chan-wook Park is an amazing writing and director. I wish I knew more about film theory so I could explain the various ways he makes this film spectacular. The most important thing to me is how he conveys emotion. Even watching it with subtitles, you'll understand the characters' plights. On top of all that, the twists and turns are completely unexpected assuming you haven't seen the remake or the ripoff "The Samaritan".
If you're like me, after watching this, you'll go out and find the rest of Chan-wook Park's library.