Cinematic Masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (19 January 2006)

See title.
This film is just that, a masterpiece. The tone perfectly matches the pace of the film itself. It manages to give off a sense of hope through slowly building it up, then totally decimates that feeling just as quickly, proceeding to repeat again until the climax of the film is reached.
Daesu is a tragic character through and through, and the film keeps you cheering him on through every hardship, every punch, every blow. His struggles in turn become your struggles and you feel a certain empathy towards this man who has lost and gained everything through the whim of another. The transformation his character undergoes from the beginning of the movie is absolutely staggering and a testament to the human spirit, as well as its weaknesses.
Others have said that this film is overrated; in order to be so, it would need to have much more viewership and have wide-spread knowledge and influence. Sadly, it does not have any of these qualities as of yet, so one must argue that it is actually underrated and badly in need of more viewers. I can't stress that enough - more film-goers need to see Oldboy.
The film itself is dark and gritty, which is really an understatement. Colors are always displayed in drab earth-tones and mottled patterns, giving the atmosphere a more visceral feeling and does a great job of placing you there along with Daesu. The film's "villain" provides a great contrast to this in the colors of their surroundings and their lifestyle. This gives a reversed role to the typical dark/light stereotypes that villains and heroes are usually labeled with, though using comic book terminology is misplaced in relation to this movie, even though it did actually have those roots. Settings in the movie are entirely mired in sadness and permeate all the characters, save for the villain (and this character again contrasts very readily apparent stereotypes).
The acting matches the setting. Constant sad and miserable undertones mixed in with clearly feigned happiness and even some idealism. Life is clearly a miserable experience in this envisioned world, and the cast portrays this perfectly.
I encourage everyone interested in foreign cinema to watch this film. However, it is not something that should be viewed by someone wishing to be apart of another "magical happy journey" film, because this film certainly does not cater to the normal constraints for expectations.