Even Monsters have the right to live

Rating: 7/10 (16 September 2010)

¨ Even though I'm no more than a monster - don't I, too, have the right to live? ¨ Oldboy has become a cult classic among film fans because the images in the movie are so strong, raw, and nothing like you've seen before, that they stay with you for quite some time (and I mean ¨raw¨ literally because in one scene the main character eats a live octopus, how is that for a first?). The story is very original and the twists keep on coming as the movie reaches its climatic ending. Oldboy is actually based on a Japanese Manga written by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiva of the same name. This is the second of three movies that Chan-wook Park directed of the Revenge Trilogy; the first was Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and the third Lady Vengeance. I haven't seen either of those films yet, but critics agree that Oldboy is his best one of the three. The three are also separate movies so you don't have to see them to understand the plot. Oldboy currently ranks in the IMDb top 250 films at the 113th spot so as you can see it is a much respected film among viewers. This is perhaps one of the best Korean movies I've seen, as I really didn't enjoy The Host as much as almost everyone else did. I think this is a superior movie and much more complex as well. Yes, there is plenty of violence, but it is very different from other revenge films and it really took me by surprise. The plot is a very original one, it is developed really well, and I have to admit the less you know about this movie before you see it the better because the experience is very unique. My expectations however were a little higher for this film, but it didn't disappoint either.
Dae-su Oh (Min-sik Choi) is the main character of this film. On the eve of his daughter's birthday he is detained by police officers for being drunk and for disorderly conduct. Dae-su seems to be the typical alcoholic who doesn't even know what he is saying and you can tell this is not the first time this has happened to him. His friend, No Joo-hwan (Dae-han Ji) has to come and bail him out so he can make it to his daughter's birthday. Once they are released from the police station, Dae-su decides to call his wife and daughter from a phone booth. No Joo-hwan takes the phone from him and lets his wife know that he is safe and he will be taking him soon, but when he hangs up there is no trace of Dae-su. He has been kidnapped for an unknown reason and is imprisoned in an undisclosed room. Dae-su narrates what is happening to him. He remains imprisoned for 15 years without having a clue to who has captured him and for what reason. His only connection with the outside world is a small TV. One night he discovers that his wife has been murdered and police suspect him as the killer because they have found traces of his blood in the house. Dae-su cannot wait to escape and get his revenge although he has no clue who might have done such a horrible thing to him. After a long 15 years he is finally released for no apparent reason and now it is up to him to discover why he had to endure such punishment and he is in search for revenge. After being released he begins a friendship with Mi-do (Hye-jeong Kang), a female chef who helps him investigate what has happened. The plot begins to develop from this point on with many twists and unexpected turns which make this a very gripping movie.
The premise for Oldboy is very original and the story really grabs your attention from the very beginning because you want to know what the heck is going on. Why would somebody want to imprison someone only to let them out 15 years later without ever explaining anything? As the plot develops the questions begin to be answered. This is not your typical revenge movie; it is very original and has many twists and surprises. It is also a very raw and violent movie so it is not for everyone. I really thought the weakest part of the movie was the dialog, but the good plot holds your attention anyway. Min-sik Choi does a good job as the main character as he is not your typical hero and has several flaws. He is more of an anti-hero. Some of the action scenes are made really well, there is one memorable scene where Dae-su fights a bunch of guys in a corridor reminiscing Tarantino's Kill Bill. Oldboy is not close to being one of my favorite films, but I have to admit that it is a very unique experience. The film isn't entertaining, it is more artistic than anything else and the final 30 minutes really were the highlight of the film for me. The ending reminded me of Shyamalan's earlier films like The Sixth Sense or Unbreakable because of the surprise ending.