South Korea's Violent Masterpiece?

Rating: 8/10 (28 December 2011)

After being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must discover the reason for his capture in five days.
I am a bit surprised to find this film in the top 250. Not that it is not a good film (it is), but it does not seem like the sort of thing that would get the honor. I suppose, certain plot elements aside, it has incredible cinematography (both in movement and color) and excellent directing. The acting is fine, as well.
The violence is hard to categorize. On one hand, some of the bloodiest scenes call to find the films of Takashi Miike. But Miike lacks a certain sensibility that Park does not -- this may be a revenge film, but it is also beautiful in a way. The violence, at times, comes off like a well-scripted choreography. Where Miike tries to shock the audience and push the limits, Park seems content to stay just on the edge and make sure it is done in good form.
The biggest problem with this film is that it suffers from the same issue that "The Sixth Sense" did. While "Oldboy" has many twists and surprises, one of them will probably be told to a viewer before he or she watches the movie. And that is unfortunate. Does it ruin the movie to know twists in advance? Maybe not. But it might be best to have things revealed as the story intends them to be.
All in all, a solid film. If I had any complaint, I could say the film was a bit long. But the pacing was steady, so it was not an unenjoyable longness. Not for all audiences, this film should be seen by those who can appreciate it.