A Cinematic Masterpiece, Neglected by the Academy

Rating: Null/10 (11 May 2010)

Oldboy is arguably the greatest film of the past decade, a masterpiece of writing, characterization, and cinematography that was ignored by the Academy Awards because it was made in Korea. Director Park Chan-wook takes what could have been a standard revenge plot and expands it into an intelligent, disturbing exploration of the nature of vengeance.
The film follows the vengeful quest of Oh Dae-Su, a man imprisoned for fifteen years by an unknown individual. When he is suddenly freed, he tries to find out who did this and kill him, only to learn that revenge can be a trap in its own right.
A number of factors make this film a masterpiece. Perhaps the most striking of these is its cinematography. The climactic scene in the villain's penthouse is beautifully shot, with excellent lighting and camera work. However, the film's acting is also a major factor. Ji-Tae Yu, who plays Woo-Jin, provides an excellent performance and should have been at least nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Park Chan-wook, the director, was similarly slighted.
The main reason I suspect this film was neglected by the Academy was that it came from a foreign country, in particular one not traditionally seen as a producer of Oscar caliber pictures. American viewers have until recently neglected Korean cinema, with the end result that the film did not get its fair share of attention. Hopefully, the efforts of talented directors such as Park will change this attitude.