Korean's finest

Rating: 10/10 (7 December 2012)

Oldboy was the first Korean horror/thriller (or of any genre at all really) I had ever seen and the exceptional films which followed (Sympathy For Lady Vengeance, The Chaser etc.) could not beat the masterpiece that is Oldboy. Unfortunately I can't say that it still remains that way because last year I saw I Saw the Devil which is one of the greatest films I've ever seen and surpassed Oldboy, but not by a lot. Oldboy is a phenomenal achievement. From its directing, to its acting, to the unpredictable and frankly genius writing. It's a masterpiece and one which is not hard to forget.
The story is absolutely horrible and it pulls on my heart strings more every time I watch it! It's thoroughly gripping right from its brilliant opening shot, as it tells the story of a man imprisoned in a room for 15 years. It's difficult to comprehend and you'd be a robot if you didn't feel for the man! You might think that watching a man in a room for 15 minutes would be really boring, but Park (the director, not a park) manages to keep the most boring situation absolutely thrilling and a visual feast. We really get into Oh Dae Su's mind-set as we see his schizophrenic symptoms of ants crawling out of his skin. It's incredibly intense and your willing for him to escape.
Of course he's subjected to even more psychological torture when he is freed as he has to find out who is kidnapper is, but more importantly why he was kidnapped. Oldboy isn't so much of a who's dunnit, but a why's dunnit which is what makes every frame so gripping. Unfortunately most films which are set-up like this as one big build up rely on a breath-taking finale and reveal, but fail to deliver, take Knowing for example. You don't need to worry about this with Oldboy as it features one of the greatest and most compelling finales ever! The screenplay is endlessly intelligent and imaginative, creating a multi-layered story with characters you can really feel for. What makes Oldboy so great is that you can actually sympathise with the 'villain' of the tale and sometimes condemn the heroe's actions.
The three dimensional characters are breath of fresh air, compared to the 2D kids we often get. Oldboy isn't just great because of its ending, the journey getting there is equally as breath-taking and involving. Oldboy features one of the greatest fight scenes in film history and is sure to be engraved in your mind. I'd put it up there with the crazy 88 fight scene in Kill Bill, it's just a technical marvel. It's also just one example of Park's phenomenal directing. It's incredibly stylish as well as evoking the character's feelings. At first Oh Dae Su is just a vengeful maniac, but then he becomes more and more human as we find out things about him which I won't spoil.
In the end Oldboy is a masterpiece. It's obvious that Park was a former philosophy student as the film contains so many provoking dilemmas. Not only is it a gritty revenge thriller, but it also has a huge heart and a massive emotional impact. The wondrous music also acts as another character in the film! By the end of it Oldboy will have you submitting to its knees in a puddle of tears with its cruel, but admirable finale. I can't see the American remake being any where near this standard. Make sure you see this, before you see that one!