Visually Exciting Update of "The Count of Monte Cristo"

Rating: 8/10 (31 March 2005)

"Oldboy" is a visually exciting update of "The Count of Monte Cristo" as played out in Korean gangster style.
It is a thrilling ride that dramatically visualizes the revenge theme, much as "Memento" dazzled the murder mystery genre. Not only does the script, co-written by the director, create realism out of fantasy like Dumas's story, but each scene tops the next with production design, cinematography, camera movement and striking imagination. This film makes the case for cinema as a separate art form from literature, even as various proverbs and sayings are repeated with increasing irony.
I had not read much about it in advance, other than Quentin Tarantino's understandable enthusiasm, so was alternately reviled by the cruelty and enchanted by balletic juxtapositions, such as what I gather is now considered the classic "corridor scene" that is like "The Matrix" meets "A Night at the Opera."
If the imagery wasn't captivating enough, Min-sik Choi is mesmerizing in a tour de force lead role that demands a ceaseless exploration of emotions from catatonia to hysteria to brutality to tenderness.
Not only do U.S. audiences miss what I'm sure are many keystone cultural references throughout the film, but key dialog is unfortunately exchanged when the subtitles are white-on-white, though I'm fairly sure I was able to infer the details sufficiently to follow the twists and turns of the plot, as for all the breathless film flam the core revelations become a bit predictable as they recall other infamous noir films even as they go way beyond Dumas.
I could definitely have done without the repeating violent scenes that seemed an unnecessary tribute to "Marathon Man," unless this has some resonance for Korean attitudes about teeth.
The diverse music score is wonderful, both the original elements and the use of classical and other music.