Oldboy: not realistic but emotionally honest at least

Rating: 9/10 (9 February 2005)

All the negative reviews read as very visceral and most of the points aren't constructive so I'd like to address some of the criticism pointed towards Oldboy and suggest people watch it at least twice before making up their minds.
1. This movie is not as violent as everyone makes out. From the squeamish reviews I've read, you'd think Oh Daesu chopped limbs off wholesale on screen with blood squirting everywhere. All the "ultra" violent scenes are implyed and not actually shown on screen just like the ear scene in Reservoir Dogs or chainsaw scene in Scarface. Oldboy is not Ichi the Killer by any means.
2. I have to laugh at naive people who call Oldboy disgusting as if they're above seeing depictions of incest and torture. Believe it or not, Park Chan Wook actually had a point in showing these things in Oldboy. I read the message of the film like this: Were all sadistic at some level. And it's human nature to deflect our rage/guilt/f*cked up problems on to others and this ultimately leads to self destruction. I would think most people not living in Care Bear land could somewhat empathize. There is a line in the movie where the villain says, "Revenge is good for your health, you should try it some time." The only thing that gave Woo Jin purpose in life was enacting revenge and vice versa with Dae Su. Vengeance was their lifeblood and when that was completed both men had to stop running away and face the blind naked truth which entails things like incest, ruined families, wasted years.
3. The ending isn't a thumbs up to incest! It's rather logical. Imagine you were in Dae Su's shoes having to deal with his daughter and how his actions have ruined his family's life. Without the distraction of enacting revenge occupying his mind, the stress of his f*cked up situation catches up with him and it's overwhelming (white hair anyone?). So like a lot of us he took the easy/weak way out by erasing his memory.