Revision as of 23:20, 24 December 2024 editFreeze4576 (talk | contribs)40 editsm Correct grammatical error← Previous edit | Latest revision as of 23:21, 24 December 2024 edit undoFreeze4576 (talk | contribs)40 editsm Correct grammatical error | ||
Line 204: | Line 204: | ||
] of ] praised the film, calling it "anguished, beautiful, and desperately alive" and "a dazzling work of pop-culture artistry."<ref>{{cite web | title = Thunder out of Korea | url = https://www.salon.com/2005/03/25/oldboy/ | date = 25 March 2005 | author = Stephanie Zacharek | work = Salon| access-date = 23 February 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080615065412/http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/movies/review/2005/03/25/oldboy/index.html | archive-date = 15 June 2008 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}</ref> Peter Bradshaw gave it 5/5 stars, commenting that this is the first time in which he could actually identify with a small live octopus. Bradshaw summarizes his review by referring to ''Oldboy'' as "cinema that holds an edge of cold steel to your throat."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2004/oct/15/2 | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Peter | last=Bradshaw | title=Film of the week: Oldboy | date=15 October 2004 | access-date=12 December 2016 | archive-date=25 February 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225052849/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2004/oct/15/2 | url-status=live }}</ref> David Dylan Thomas points out that rather than simply trying to "gross us out", ''Oldboy'' is "much more interested in playing with the conventions of the revenge fantasy and taking us on a very entertaining ride to places that, conceptually, we might not want to go."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/2003/oldboy/ |title=Oldboy |publisher=Filmcritic.com |access-date=25 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027163238/http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/2003/oldboy/ |archive-date=27 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Sean Axmaker of the '']'' gave ''Oldboy'' a score of "B−", calling it "a bloody and brutal revenge film immersed in madness and directed with operatic intensity," but felt that the questions raised by the film are "lost in the battering assault of lovingly crafted brutality."<ref>{{cite news | date = 21 April 2005 | author = Sean Axmaker | title = 'Oldboy' story of revenge is beaten down by its own brutality | url = https://www.seattlepi.com/ae/movies/article/Oldboy-story-of-revenge-is-beaten-down-by-its-1171449.php | work = Seattle Post-Intelligencer | access-date = 23 February 2022 | archive-date = 23 February 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220223075256/https://www.seattlepi.com/ae/movies/article/Oldboy-story-of-revenge-is-beaten-down-by-its-1171449.php | url-status = live }}</ref> | ] of ] praised the film, calling it "anguished, beautiful, and desperately alive" and "a dazzling work of pop-culture artistry."<ref>{{cite web | title = Thunder out of Korea | url = https://www.salon.com/2005/03/25/oldboy/ | date = 25 March 2005 | author = Stephanie Zacharek | work = Salon| access-date = 23 February 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080615065412/http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/movies/review/2005/03/25/oldboy/index.html | archive-date = 15 June 2008 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}</ref> Peter Bradshaw gave it 5/5 stars, commenting that this is the first time in which he could actually identify with a small live octopus. Bradshaw summarizes his review by referring to ''Oldboy'' as "cinema that holds an edge of cold steel to your throat."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2004/oct/15/2 | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Peter | last=Bradshaw | title=Film of the week: Oldboy | date=15 October 2004 | access-date=12 December 2016 | archive-date=25 February 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225052849/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2004/oct/15/2 | url-status=live }}</ref> David Dylan Thomas points out that rather than simply trying to "gross us out", ''Oldboy'' is "much more interested in playing with the conventions of the revenge fantasy and taking us on a very entertaining ride to places that, conceptually, we might not want to go."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/2003/oldboy/ |title=Oldboy |publisher=Filmcritic.com |access-date=25 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027163238/http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/2003/oldboy/ |archive-date=27 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Sean Axmaker of the '']'' gave ''Oldboy'' a score of "B−", calling it "a bloody and brutal revenge film immersed in madness and directed with operatic intensity," but felt that the questions raised by the film are "lost in the battering assault of lovingly crafted brutality."<ref>{{cite news | date = 21 April 2005 | author = Sean Axmaker | title = 'Oldboy' story of revenge is beaten down by its own brutality | url = https://www.seattlepi.com/ae/movies/article/Oldboy-story-of-revenge-is-beaten-down-by-its-1171449.php | work = Seattle Post-Intelligencer | access-date = 23 February 2022 | archive-date = 23 February 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220223075256/https://www.seattlepi.com/ae/movies/article/Oldboy-story-of-revenge-is-beaten-down-by-its-1171449.php | url-status = live }}</ref> | ||
Jamie Russell of the ] movie review calls it a "sadistic masterpiece that confirms Korea's current status as producer of some of the world's most exciting cinema."<ref>{{cite web |author= Jamie Russell |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2004/09/20/old_boy_2004_review.shtml |title= Films – Old Boy |publisher= BBC |date= 8 October 2004 |access-date= 25 September 2012 |archive-date= 27 August 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120827033210/http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2004/09/20/old_boy_2004_review.shtml |url-status= live }}</ref> In 2019 on '']'', Kim Hyeong-seok said that ''Oldboy'' was the 'zeitgeist of the vigorous Korean cinema in early 2000s', and a 'boiling point that led history of Korean cinema to new state'.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kim |first=Hyeong-seok |script-title=ko:"누구냐 너" 금기 깬 혼돈의 매력...예열 끝낸 박찬욱의 '작가본색' |date=29 May 2019 |url=http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/culture/movie/895745.html |language=ko |publisher=] |access-date=21 March 2021 |archive-date=30 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130232658/http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/culture/movie/895745.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Manohla Dargis of the '']'' called the film "a trivial genre movie," writing, "The fact that ''Oldboy'' is embraced by some cinephiles is symptomatic of a bankrupt, reductive postmodernism: one that promotes a spurious aesthetic relativism ( |
Jamie Russell of the ] movie review calls it a "sadistic masterpiece that confirms Korea's current status as producer of some of the world's most exciting cinema."<ref>{{cite web |author= Jamie Russell |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2004/09/20/old_boy_2004_review.shtml |title= Films – Old Boy |publisher= BBC |date= 8 October 2004 |access-date= 25 September 2012 |archive-date= 27 August 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120827033210/http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2004/09/20/old_boy_2004_review.shtml |url-status= live }}</ref> In 2019 on '']'', Kim Hyeong-seok said that ''Oldboy'' was the 'zeitgeist of the vigorous Korean cinema in early 2000s', and a 'boiling point that led history of Korean cinema to new state'.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kim |first=Hyeong-seok |script-title=ko:"누구냐 너" 금기 깬 혼돈의 매력...예열 끝낸 박찬욱의 '작가본색' |date=29 May 2019 |url=http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/culture/movie/895745.html |language=ko |publisher=] |access-date=21 March 2021 |archive-date=30 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130232658/http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/culture/movie/895745.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Manohla Dargis of the '']'' called the film "a trivial genre movie," writing, "The fact that ''Oldboy'' is embraced by some cinephiles is symptomatic of a bankrupt, reductive postmodernism: one that promotes a spurious aesthetic relativism (it's all good) and finds its crudest expression in the hermetically sealed world of fan boys."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dargis |first1=Manohla |title=The Violence (and the Seafood) Is More Than Raw |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/25/movies/the-violence-and-the-seafood-is-more-than-raw.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=23 February 2022 |date=25 March 2005 |archive-date=23 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220223170911/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/25/movies/the-violence-and-the-seafood-is-more-than-raw.html |url-status=live }}</ref> J.R. Jones of the '']'' was also not impressed, saying that "there's a lot less here than meets the eye."<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304133813/http://spacefinder.chicagoreader.com/movies/briefs/27603_OLDBOY.html |date=4 March 2008 }}, ''Chicago Reader''.</ref> | ||
The film is regarded as ] and has been included in numerous "best-of" lists by many publications.<ref name="Film's Top 100 Movies Of All Time"/><ref name="bbc.com"/><ref name="empireonline.com"/><ref name="timeout.com"/> In 2008, ''Oldboy'' was placed 64th on an '']'' list of the top 500 movies of all time.<ref name="Empire Magazine's 500 Greatest Movi"/> The same year, voters on ] named it one of the ten best ] ever made.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Plaza |first1=Gerry |title=CNN: 'Himala' best Asian film in history |url=http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20081112-171695/CNN-Himala-best-Asian-film-in-history |website=The Philippine Inquirer |access-date=23 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150822110543/http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20081112-171695/CNN-Himala-best-Asian-film-in-history |archive-date=22 August 2015 |date=12 November 2008}}</ref> It was ranked #18 in the same magazine's "The 100 Best Films of World Cinema" in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Green |first1=Willow |title=The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/100-greatest-world-cinema-films/ |website=Empire |access-date=23 February 2022 |date=23 September 2019 |archive-date=23 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123004145/http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/100-greatest-world-cinema-films/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In a 2016 ] poll, critics voted the film the 30th greatest since 2000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films |title=The 21st century's 100 greatest films |publisher=BBC |date=23 August 2016 |access-date=8 November 2016 |archive-date=31 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131124228/http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2020, '']'' ranked it number 3 among the classics of modern South Korean Cinema.<ref name="Bradshaw"/> | The film is regarded as ] and has been included in numerous "best-of" lists by many publications.<ref name="Film's Top 100 Movies Of All Time"/><ref name="bbc.com"/><ref name="empireonline.com"/><ref name="timeout.com"/> In 2008, ''Oldboy'' was placed 64th on an '']'' list of the top 500 movies of all time.<ref name="Empire Magazine's 500 Greatest Movi"/> The same year, voters on ] named it one of the ten best ] ever made.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Plaza |first1=Gerry |title=CNN: 'Himala' best Asian film in history |url=http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20081112-171695/CNN-Himala-best-Asian-film-in-history |website=The Philippine Inquirer |access-date=23 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150822110543/http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20081112-171695/CNN-Himala-best-Asian-film-in-history |archive-date=22 August 2015 |date=12 November 2008}}</ref> It was ranked #18 in the same magazine's "The 100 Best Films of World Cinema" in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Green |first1=Willow |title=The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/100-greatest-world-cinema-films/ |website=Empire |access-date=23 February 2022 |date=23 September 2019 |archive-date=23 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123004145/http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/100-greatest-world-cinema-films/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In a 2016 ] poll, critics voted the film the 30th greatest since 2000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films |title=The 21st century's 100 greatest films |publisher=BBC |date=23 August 2016 |access-date=8 November 2016 |archive-date=31 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131124228/http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2020, '']'' ranked it number 3 among the classics of modern South Korean Cinema.<ref name="Bradshaw"/> |
Latest revision as of 23:21, 24 December 2024
2003 action thriller film
Oldboy | |
---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
Hangul | 올드보이 |
Revised Romanization | Oldeuboi |
McCune–Reischauer | Oldŭboi |
Directed by | Park Chan-wook |
Screenplay by |
|
Based on | Old Boy by |
Produced by | Lim Seung-yong |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Chung Chung-hoon |
Edited by | Kim Sang-bum |
Music by | Jo Yeong-wook |
Production companies | Egg Film CJ Entertainment |
Distributed by | Show East |
Release date |
|
Running time | 120 minutes |
Country | South Korea |
Language | Korean |
Budget | $3 million |
Box office | $17.1 million |
Oldboy (Korean: 올드보이; RR: Oldeuboi; MR: Oldŭboi) is a 2003 South Korean action-thriller film directed and co-written by Park Chan-wook. A loose adaptation of the Japanese manga of the same name, the film follows the story of Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), who is imprisoned in a cell resembling a hotel room for 15 years without knowing the identity of his captor or his captor's motives. When he is finally released, Dae-su finds himself still trapped in a web of conspiracy and violence as he seeks revenge against his enigmatic captor (Yoo Ji-tae). His quest becomes tied in with romance when he falls in love with a young sushi chef, Mi-do (Kang Hye-jung).
Oldboy attained critical acclaim and accolades worldwide, including winning the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, where it garnered high praise from Quentin Tarantino, the president of the jury. In the United States, film critic Roger Ebert stated that Oldboy is a "powerful film not because of what it depicts, but because of the depths of the human heart which it strips bare". The film's action sequences, particularly the single shot corridor fight sequence, also received commendation for their impressive execution.
The film's success led to two adaptations: an unauthorized Hindi remake in 2006 and an official American adaptation in 2013. As part of Park Chan-wook's The Vengeance Trilogy, it serves as the second installment, following Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and preceding Lady Vengeance (2005).
The film is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time and has been included in numerous "best-of" lists by many publications. In 2008, Oldboy was placed 64th on an Empire list of the top 500 movies of all time. In 2020, The Guardian ranked it number 3 among the classics of modern South Korean Cinema.
Plot
In 1988, businessman Oh Dae-su is arrested for drunkenness, causing him to miss his daughter's fourth birthday. His friend Joo-hwan collects him, but Dae-su disappears and awakens in a sealed hotel room. Takeout food is delivered through a pet door, and his only diversion is a television; from it, Dae-su learns that he has been framed for his wife's murder. As years pass, Dae-su grows deranged from solitude and attempts suicide by wrist-cutting, but is resuscitated. Dae-su then begins practising martial arts against the wall and attempting to dig an escape tunnel.
In 2003, Dae-su is sedated, hypnotised, and released after 15 years. He awakens on a rooftop, where he saves a suicidal man and recounts his story; once finished, Dae-su allows the man to resume his suicide. Dae-su receives money and a phone from a beggar, and enters a sushi restaurant. Taunted by his captor over the phone, Dae-su orders and consumes a live octopus before collapsing. Taken in by the young sushi chef, Mi-do, Dae-su unsuccessfully attempts to rape her; he regretfully attempts to leave, but they reconcile and bond over their loneliness.
Dae-su searches for his daughter, but gives up after learning she was adopted and emigrated. Focusing on his captors, he eats at Chinese restaurants until he identifies which one prepared his prison meals. Chasing a deliveryman, Dae-su finds a private prison where people pay to have others incarcerated. He tortures and interrogates the warden, Mr. Park, who divulges that Dae-su was imprisoned for "talking too much". Park's guards attack Dae-su, but he fights his way through.
Dae-su reconnects with Joo-hwan, who now works at an internet cafe. Dae-su becomes suspicious of Mi-do and binds her, but his captor calls and sends him to a neighboring apartment. Using the pseudonym "Evergreen", he gives Dae-su an ultimatum: if he can uncover his motive within five days, Evergreen will remotely deactivate his pacemaker; otherwise, Evergreen will kill Mi-do. Dae-su returns to Mi-do to find Park and his thugs molesting her. Park prepares to torture Dae-su, but stops when Evergreen sends a briefcase of cash; Dae-su threatens to remove Park's hand, but Park leaves. Mi-do is upset by the ultimatum, but she and Dae-su grow closer and have sex in a love hotel.
Dae-su wakes to find Park's hand wrapped in a box; he investigates his possessions, and has his shoe debugged. Dae-su and Mi-do follow Evergreen's pseudonym to Dae-su's high-school motto: "Evergreen Old Boys". Identifying Evergreen as Lee Woo-jin in a yearbook, Dae-su calls Joo-hwan. Joo-hwan recalls a girl in his class, Lee Soo-ah, and crassly describes her sex life and suicide; an eavesdropping Woo-jin angrily stabs Joo-hwan to death. Dae-su seeks out Park, who wants revenge for his hand removal; Park agrees to temporarily imprison Mi-do to keep her safe. Talking to Soo-ah's friends, Dae-su recalls witnessing her having sex with Woo-jin. Unaware it was incest, Dae-su told Joo-hwan of her promiscuity, who then spread gossip. Soo-ah developed a false pregnancy, which drove her to suicide.
At Woo-jin's penthouse, Dae-su reveals Woo-jin's motive. An amused Woo-jin gifts Dae-su a family photo album, the contents revealing that Dae-su's daughter grew up into Mi-do. Woo-jin reveals that he used hypnosis to orchestrate their meeting and incestuous relationship, and that he paid Park to imprison Mi-do. Woo-jin threatens to tell Mi-do the truth, and Dae-su desperately grovels; when Woo-jin is unmoved, Dae-su cuts out his tongue as penance. Woo-jin accepts his apology, instructing Park to not tell Mi-do and dropping his pacemaker remote. Dae-su uses it, but it only plays a recording of Dae-su and Mi-do having sex, making him collapse in despair. Woo-jin leaves the penthouse and, recalling his failure to stop his sister's suicide, shoots himself in the head.
Sometime later, Dae-su locates the hypnotist and requests she erase his knowledge of Mi-do being his daughter. Touched by a specific line in his letter, she guides Dae-su to envision the part of himself that knows the truth dying. A concerned Mi-do finds Dae-su lying alone in the snow. Mi-do confesses her love for him, and the two embrace; Dae-su smiles, but it becomes a tortured grimace.
Cast
- Choi Min-sik as Oh Dae-su, a businessman who seeks revenge after being held in a mysterious prison for 15 years. Choi Min-sik lost and gained weight for his role depending on the filming schedule, trained for six weeks, and did most of his own stunt work.
- Oh Tae-kyung [ko] as young Dae-su.
- Yoo Ji-tae as Lee Woo-jin, the man behind Oh Dae-su's imprisonment. Park Chan-wook's ideal choice for Woo-jin had been actor Han Suk-kyu, who previously played a rival to Choi Min-sik in Shiri and No. 3. Choi then suggested Yoo Ji-tae for the role, despite Park believing he was too young for the part.
- Yoo Yeon-seok as young Woo-jin.
- Kang Hye-jung as Mi-do, Dae-su's love interest.
- Ji Dae-han [ko] as No Joo-hwan, Dae-su's friend and the owner of an internet café.
- Woo Il-han [ko] as young Joo-hwan.
- Kim Byeong-ok as Mr. Han, Woo-jin's bodyguard.
- Yoon Jin-seo as Lee Soo-ah, Woo-jin's sister.
- Oh Dal-su as Mr. Park Cheol-woong, warden of the private prison.
- Oh Kwang-rok as Suicidal man.
Production
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2018) |
The corridor fight scene took seventeen takes in three days to perfect and was one continuous take; there was no editing of any sort except for the knife stabbed in Oh Dae-su's back, which was computer-generated imagery.
The script originally called for full male frontal nudity, but Yoo Ji-tae changed his mind after the scenes had been shot.
Other computer-generated imagery in the film includes the ant coming out of Dae-su's arm (according to the making-of feature on the DVD, the whole arm was CGI) and the ants crawling over him afterwards. The octopus being eaten alive was not computer-generated; four were used during the filming of this scene. The eating of squirming octopuses (called san-nakji (산낙지) in Korean) as a delicacy exists in East Asia, although it is usually killed and cut, not eaten whole and alive; the squirming is a result of postmortem nerve activity in the octopus' tentacles. When asked in DVD commentary if he felt sorry for Choi, director Park Chan-wook stated he felt more sorry for the octopuses.
The final scene's snowy landscape was filmed in New Zealand. The ending is deliberately ambiguous, and the audience is left with several questions: specifically, how much time has passed, if Dae-su's meeting with the hypnotist really took place, whether he successfully lost the knowledge of Mi-do's identity, and whether he will continue his relationship with Mi-do. In an interview with Park (included with the European release of the film), he says that the ambiguous ending was deliberate and intended to generate discussion; it is completely up to each individual viewer to interpret what is not shown.
Soundtrack
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from Oldboy | |
---|---|
Soundtrack album by Jo Yeong-wook | |
Released | 9 December 2003 (2003-12-09) |
Recorded | 2003 Seoul |
Genre | Contemporary classical |
Length | 60:00 |
Label | EMI Music Korea Ltd. |
Producer | Jo Yeong-wook Shim Hyeon-jeong Lee Ji-soo Choi Seung-hyun |
Nearly all the music cues that are composed by Shim Hyeon-jeong, Lee Ji-soo and Choi Seung-hyun are titled after films, many of them film noirs.
- Track listing
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Look Who's Talking" (opening song) | 1:41 |
2. | "Somewhere in the Night" | 1:29 |
3. | "The Count of Monte Cristo" | 2:34 |
4. | "Jailhouse Rock" | 1:57 |
5. | "In a Lonely Place" (Oh Dae-su's theme) | 3:29 |
6. | "It's Alive" | 2:36 |
7. | "The Searchers" | 3:29 |
8. | "Look Back in Anger" | 2:11 |
9. | ""Vivaldi" – Four Seasons Concerto Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, "L'inverno" (Winter)" | 3:03 |
10. | "Room at the Top" | 1:36 |
11. | "Cries and Whispers" (Lee Woo-jin's theme) | 3:32 |
12. | "Out of Sight" | 1:00 |
13. | "For Whom the Bell Tolls" | 2:45 |
14. | "Out of the Past" | 1:25 |
15. | "Breathless" (Lee Woo-jin's theme ) | 4:21 |
16. | "The Old Boy" (Oh Dae-su's theme ) | 3:44 |
17. | "Dressed to Kill" | 2:00 |
18. | "Frantic" | 3:28 |
19. | "Cul-de-Sac" | 1:32 |
20. | "Kiss Me Deadly" | 3:57 |
21. | "Point Blank" | 0:27 |
22. | "Farewell, My Lovely" (Lee Woo-jin's theme ) | 2:47 |
23. | "The Big Sleep" | 1:34 |
24. | "The Last Waltz" (Mi-do's theme) | 3:23 |
Total length: | 60:00 |
Reception and analysis
Box office
In South Korea, the film was seen by 3,260,000 filmgoers and ranks fifth for the highest-grossing film of 2003.
Oldboy grossed a total of US$17,052,444 worldwide.
20th anniversary re-release
The film was theatrically re-released in the United States by NEON for its 20th anniversary on 16 August 2023, remastered in 4K, featuring bonus commentary by Park Chan-wook.
Critical response
Oldboy received critical acclaim, and is considered an influential cult classic. Praise was also given to the film's action sequences, specifically highlighting the "all-timer" single shot hallway fight sequence. As per the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 160 reviews, with an average rating of 7.40 out of 10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Violent and definitely not for the squeamish, Park Chan-Wook's visceral Oldboy is a strange, powerful tale of revenge." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100, with 82% positive reviews based on 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film four out of four stars and remarked: "We are so accustomed to 'thrillers' that exist only as machines for creating diversion that it's a shock to find a movie in which the action, however violent, makes a statement and has a purpose." James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave the film three out of four stars, saying that it "isn't for everyone, but it offers a breath of fresh air to anyone gasping on the fumes of too many traditional Hollywood thrillers."
Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com praised the film, calling it "anguished, beautiful, and desperately alive" and "a dazzling work of pop-culture artistry." Peter Bradshaw gave it 5/5 stars, commenting that this is the first time in which he could actually identify with a small live octopus. Bradshaw summarizes his review by referring to Oldboy as "cinema that holds an edge of cold steel to your throat." David Dylan Thomas points out that rather than simply trying to "gross us out", Oldboy is "much more interested in playing with the conventions of the revenge fantasy and taking us on a very entertaining ride to places that, conceptually, we might not want to go." Sean Axmaker of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer gave Oldboy a score of "B−", calling it "a bloody and brutal revenge film immersed in madness and directed with operatic intensity," but felt that the questions raised by the film are "lost in the battering assault of lovingly crafted brutality."
Jamie Russell of the BBC movie review calls it a "sadistic masterpiece that confirms Korea's current status as producer of some of the world's most exciting cinema." In 2019 on The Hankyoreh, Kim Hyeong-seok said that Oldboy was the 'zeitgeist of the vigorous Korean cinema in early 2000s', and a 'boiling point that led history of Korean cinema to new state'. Manohla Dargis of the New York Times called the film "a trivial genre movie," writing, "The fact that Oldboy is embraced by some cinephiles is symptomatic of a bankrupt, reductive postmodernism: one that promotes a spurious aesthetic relativism (it's all good) and finds its crudest expression in the hermetically sealed world of fan boys." J.R. Jones of the Chicago Reader was also not impressed, saying that "there's a lot less here than meets the eye."
The film is regarded as one of the best films ever made and has been included in numerous "best-of" lists by many publications. In 2008, Oldboy was placed 64th on an Empire list of the top 500 movies of all time. The same year, voters on CNN named it one of the ten best Asian films ever made. It was ranked #18 in the same magazine's "The 100 Best Films of World Cinema" in 2010. In a 2016 BBC poll, critics voted the film the 30th greatest since 2000. In 2020, The Guardian ranked it number 3 among the classics of modern South Korean Cinema.
Oedipus the King inspiration
Park Chan-wook stated that he named the main character Oh Dae-su "to remind the viewer of Oedipus." In one of the film's iconic shots, Yoo Ji-tae, who played Woo-jin, strikes an extraordinary yoga pose. Park Chan-wook said he designed this pose to convey "the image of Apollo." It was Apollo's prophecy that revealed Oedipus' fate in Sophocles' Oedipus the King. The link to Oedipus Rex is only a minor element in most English-language criticism of the movie, while Koreans have made it a central theme. Sung Hee Kim wrote "Family seen through Greek tragedy and Korean movie – Oedipus the King and Old Boy." Kim Kyungae offers a different analysis, with Dae-su and Woo-jin both representing Oedipus. Besides the theme of unknown incest revealed, Oedipus gouges his eyes out to avoid seeing a world that despises the truth, while Oh Dae-su cuts off his tongue to prevent the truth from being revealed.
More parallels with Greek tragedy include how Lee Woo-jin is portrayed as akin to an immortal Greek god while Oh Dae-su is merely an aged mortal. Lee Woo-jin looks young compared to Oh Dae-su, though they are supposed to be contemporaries at school. Throughout the movie Lee Woo-jin is portrayed as an obscenely rich young man who lives in a lofty tower and is omnipresent due to having listening devices planted on Oh Dae-Su and others, which furthers the parallel between his character and the secrecy of Greek gods.
Mi-do, throughout the movie, comes across as a strong-willed, young and innocent girl, and has been compared to Sophocles' Antigone, Oedipus' daughter. Though Antigone does not commit incest with her father, she remains faithful and loyal to him, similar to how Mi-do reunites with Oh Dae-Su and takes care of him in the wilderness (cf. Oedipus at Colonus). Another interesting character is the hypnotist, who, apart from being able to hypnotise people, also has the power to make people fall in love (e.g. Dae-Su and Mi-do), which is characteristic of the power of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, whose classic act is to make Paris and Helen fall in love before and during the Trojan War.
Park Chan-wook's focus on the irrational
Park Chan-wook has said there is a deep influence from author Franz Kafka in this movie, and that this provides the absurdity and surrealism. In interviews, Park Chan-wook has also spoken about his movies "portraying something irrational: a phenomenon that cannot be explained logically. A portrait of humanity as neither good nor evil but rather as a complex existence." This is not only evident in Oldboy but also other movies made by Park and Bong Joon-ho. For example, Parasite, Memories of Murder, Oldboy, and Decision to Leave do not contain archetypal good characters. There is no moral protagonist for the audience to follow. Korean Studies professor and cultural critic David Tizzard has described this as a quality of Asian cinema: "Gone are the simple ideas of good and evil. Erased are the ideas of a moral protagonist and their immoral antagonist. But because they are not good, or at least defined as such by their creators, they become something much larger, realer, and more complete than the archetypes we are spoon-fed elsewhere."
Home media
In the United Kingdom, the film was watched by 300,000 television viewers on Channel 4 in 2011. This made it the year's most-watched foreign-language film on a non-BBC television channel in the UK.
Awards and nominations
Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Asia-Pacific Film Festival | Best Director | Park Chan-wook | Won |
Best Actor | Choi Min-sik | Won | |
Austin Film Critics Association | Best Film | Oldboy | Nominated |
Best Foreign Film | Won | ||
Bangkok International Film Festival | Best Film | Nominated | |
Best Director (tied with Christophe Barratier for Les Choristes) | Park Chan-wook | Won | |
Belgian Film Critics Association | Grand Prix | Oldboy | Won |
Bergen International Film Festival | Audience Award | Won | |
Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Director | Park Chan-wook | Won |
Best Actor | Choi Min-sik | Won | |
Best Supporting Actress | Kang Hye-jung | Won | |
British Independent Film Awards | Best Foreign Independent Film | Oldboy | Won |
Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | Nominated | |
Grand Prix | Won | ||
Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Foreign Language Film | Nominated | |
Critics' Choice Movie Award | Best Foreign Language Film | Nominated | |
Director's Cut Awards | Best Director | Park Chan-wook | Won |
Best Actor | Choi Min-sik | Won | |
Best Producer | Kim Dong-joo | Won | |
European Film Awards | Best Non-European Film | Park Chan-wook | Nominated |
Golden Trailer Awards | Best Foreign Action Trailer (tied with District 13) | Oldboy | Won |
Grand Bell Awards | Best Film | Nominated | |
Best Director | Park Chan-wook | Won | |
Best Actor | Choi Min-sik | Won | |
Best New Actress | Kang Hye-jung | Nominated | |
Best Adapted Screenplay | Park Chan-wook | Nominated | |
Best Cinematography | Chung Chung-hoon | Nominated | |
Best Editing | Kim Sang-bum | Won | |
Best Art Direction | Ryu Seong-hie | Nominated | |
Best Lighting | Park Hyun-won | Won | |
Best Music | Jo Yeong-wook | Won | |
Best Visual Effects | Lee Jeon-hyeong, Shin Jae-ho, Jeong Do-an | Nominated | |
Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Asian Film | Oldboy | Won |
Korean Film Awards | Best Film | Won | |
Best Director | Park Chan-wook | Won | |
Best Actor | Choi Min-sik | Won | |
Best Actress | Kang Hye-jung | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actress | Yoon Jin-seo | Nominated | |
Best Cinematography | Chung Chung-hoon | Nominated | |
Best Editing | Kim Sang-bum | Nominated | |
Best Art Direction | Ryu Seong-hie | Nominated | |
Best Music | Jo Yeong-wook | Won | |
Best Sound | Oldboy | Nominated | |
Online Film Critics Society | Best Foreign Language Film | Nominated | |
Saturn Awards | Best Action or Adventure Film | Nominated | |
Best DVD or Blu-ray Special Edition Release | Ultimate Collector's Edition | Nominated | |
Sitges Film Festival | Best Film | Oldboy | Won |
José Luis Guarner Critic's Award | Won | ||
Stockholm International Film Festival | Audience Award | Won |
Remakes
Bollywood controversy
Main article: Zinda (film)Zinda, the Bollywood film directed by writer-director Sanjay Gupta, also bears a striking resemblance to Oldboy but is not an officially sanctioned remake. It was reported in 2005 that Zinda was under investigation for violation of copyright. A spokesman for original distributor Show East said, "If we find out there's indeed a strong similarity between the two, it looks like we'll have to talk with our lawyers." Show East had already sold the film's rights to DreamWorks in 2004, and initially expressed legal concerns but no legal action was taken as the studio had shut down.
American remake
Main article: Oldboy (2013 film)Steven Spielberg originally intended to produce a remake starring Will Smith in 2008. He commissioned screenwriter Mark Protosevich to adapt the screenplay. Spielberg pulled out in 2009.
An official remake directed by Spike Lee was released on 27 November 2013. 39 percent of critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes were positive for the remake.
See also
Notes
- Even though I'm no better than a beast, don't I have the right to live?
References
- "Oldboy". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- "Oldboy (2003) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
- ^ "Oldboy (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- "OLDBOY (2003)". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- "From Mind-Numbing Thrillers To Refreshing Rom-Coms, 15 Korean Movies You Need To Watch ASAP!". Indiatimes. 30 March 2019. Archived from the original on 13 July 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ "/Film's Top 100 Movies Of All Time". /Film. 22 May 2023. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ "The 100 greatest foreign-language films". www.bbc.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ "The 100 Greatest Movies Of The 21st Century". Empire. 18 March 2020. Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ "The 100 best films of the 21st century (so far)". Time Out Worldwide. 6 February 2022. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ Sciretta, Peter (5 October 2008). "Empire Magazine's 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time". /Film. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (13 February 2020). "Classics of modern South Korean cinema – ranked!". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 May 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
- Cine21 Interview about Park's revenge trilogy; 27 April 2007.
- Rosen, Daniel Edward (4 May 2010). "Korean restaurant's live Octopus dish has animal rights activists squirming". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 11 February 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
- Han, Jane (14 May 2010). "Clash of culture? Sannakji angers US animal activists". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 20 December 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- Compton, Natalie B. (17 June 2016). "Eating a Live Octopus Wasn't Nearly as Difficult As It Sounds". VICE. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- Baillie, Russell (9 April 2005). "Oldboy". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- "Korean Movie Reviews for 2003: Save the Green Planet, Memories of Murder, A Tale of Two Sisters, Oldboy, Silmido, and more". www.koreanfilm.org. Archived from the original on 28 July 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
- Rubin, Rebecca (29 August 2022). "Neon Lands U.S. Rights to Park Chan-wook's 'Oldboy,' Sets Theatrical Release for 20th Anniversary". Variety. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- "Oldboy 20th-Anniversary Trailer Confirms Re-Release of Park Chan-wook Classic". comicbook.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- Boman, Björn (December 2020). Valsiner, Jaan (ed.). "From Oldboy to Burning: Han in South Korean films". Culture & Psychology. 26 (4). SAGE Publications: 919–932. doi:10.1177/1354067X20922146. eISSN 1461-7056. ISSN 1354-067X.
- "Oldboy: Why You Should Be Excited for it's [sic] Return to Theaters". MovieWeb. 16 May 2023. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ "Most-Anticipated Movies Opening in August 2023: Oldboy (2003)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- Mendelson, Scott (11 May 2023). "Park Chan-wook's Oldboy in Theaters for 20th Anniversary". TheWrap. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- "OLDBOY | NEON". neonrated.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- Squires, John (10 May 2023). "'Oldboy' – NEON Releases Official Poster for 20th Anniversary Restoration of the Original Classic". Bloody Disgusting!. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- "7 of the Best One-Shot Action Sequences, From 'Oldboy' to 'The Revenant'". IndieWire. 25 July 2017. Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- "OLDBOY". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- "Oldboy". Metacritic. CBS interactive. Archived from the original on 24 May 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
- Ebert, Roger (24 March 2005). "Korea's 'Oldboy' digs deeper than average mystery/thriller". Roger Ebert. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
- Review by James Berardinelli Archived 24 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine, ReelViews.
- Stephanie Zacharek (25 March 2005). "Thunder out of Korea". Salon. Archived from the original on 15 June 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- Bradshaw, Peter (15 October 2004). "Film of the week: Oldboy". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
- "Oldboy". Filmcritic.com. Archived from the original on 27 October 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
- Sean Axmaker (21 April 2005). "'Oldboy' story of revenge is beaten down by its own brutality". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- Jamie Russell (8 October 2004). "Films – Old Boy". BBC. Archived from the original on 27 August 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
- Kim, Hyeong-seok (29 May 2019). "누구냐 너" 금기 깬 혼돈의 매력...예열 끝낸 박찬욱의 '작가본색' (in Korean). The Hankyoreh. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- Dargis, Manohla (25 March 2005). "The Violence (and the Seafood) Is More Than Raw". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- Review by J.R. Jones Archived 4 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Chicago Reader.
- Plaza, Gerry (12 November 2008). "CNN: 'Himala' best Asian film in history". The Philippine Inquirer. Archived from the original on 22 August 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- Green, Willow (23 September 2019). "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema". Empire. Archived from the original on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- "The 21st century's 100 greatest films". BBC. 23 August 2016. Archived from the original on 31 January 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
- "Sympathy for the Old Boy... An Interview with Park Chan Wook" Archived 14 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine by Choi Aryong
- "IKONEN : Interview Park Chan Wok Old Boy Lady Vengeance JSA Choi Aryong". Ikonenmagazin.de. Archived from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
- 그리스비극과 한국영화를 통해 본 가족 – 드라마연구 – 한국드라마학회 : 전자저널 논문. 한국표면공학회지. 35 (6): 363–370. December 2002. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
- "〈올드보이〉에 나타난 여섯 개의 이미지 – 문학과영상 – 문학과영상학회 : 전자저널 논문". Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
- "Greek tragedy in East Asia: Oldboy (2003)". 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
- Hershel Layton (21 May 2010). Park Chan-Wook: A conversation with the audience about OLDBOY. Archived from the original on 8 July 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024 – via YouTube.
- Visual Storytellers (18 December 2021). Bong Joon-ho & Park Chan-wook on New Korean Cinema. Archived from the original on 8 July 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024 – via YouTube.
- "Oldboy: revisited". The Korea Times. 6 July 2024. Archived from the original on 8 July 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- "BFI Statistical Yearbook 2012" (PDF). British Film Institute (BFI). 2012. p. 125. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- Denis, Fernand (10 January 2005). "La victoire de "Poulpe fiction"". La Libre Belgique (in French). Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
- "Awards (2004)". Bergen International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 13 February 2007. Retrieved 10 April 2007.
- "Oldboy". www.cinemasie.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- "Winners (2004)". The British Independent Film Awards. Archived from the original on 7 April 2007. Retrieved 10 April 2007.
- "All The Awards (2004)". Cannes Film Festival. Archived from the original on 30 November 2006. Retrieved 10 April 2007.
- "The Nominations (2004)". The European Film Awards. Archived from the original on 9 December 2006. Retrieved 10 April 2007.
- Oldboy Makers Plan Vengeance on Zinda Archived 14 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine, TwitchFilm.
- "Spielberg Still Has Oldboy Plans Despite Korean Suit". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- Elley, Derek (6 February 2006). "Zinda". Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- Kim, Hyun-rok (16 November 2005). 표절의혹 '올드보이', 제작사 법적대응 고려 [Plagiarism Doubts, 'Oldboy' Production Company Considers Legal Confrontation]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on 9 April 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
- Kate Aurthur (30 November 2013). "Adapting "Oldboy": Its Screenwriter Talks About Twists And Spoilers". Buzzfeed. Archived from the original on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
- "Spike Lee Confirmed to Direct 'Oldboy'". /Film. 11 July 2011. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- "Oldboy(2013)". rottentomatoes. Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
External links
- Oldboy at IMDb
- Oldboy at the Korean Movie Database (in Korean)
- Oldboy at HanCinema
- Oldboy at Rotten Tomatoes
- Oldboy at Metacritic
- Oldboy at Box Office Mojo
Old Boy by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi | |
---|---|
Films | |
Related |
|
The Vengeance Trilogy | |
---|---|
Films |
|
Remakes | |
Related | |
Park Chan-wook | |
---|---|
Feature films |
|
Short films |
|
Films written |
|
Television |
|
British Independent Film Award for Best International Independent Film | |
---|---|
Foreign Language (1998–2002) |
|
English Language (1998–2002) |
|
International (2003–present) |
|
- 2003 films
- Old Boy
- The Vengeance Trilogy
- 2003 action thriller films
- 2000s Korean-language films
- 2000s mystery films
- 2000s South Korean films
- Cannes Grand Prix winners
- CJ Entertainment films
- Films about hypnosis
- Films about kidnapping
- Films about suicide
- Films directed by Park Chan-wook
- Films set in 1988
- Films set in 2003
- Films shot in Busan
- Films shot in New Zealand
- Films shot in Seoul
- Films about incest
- Live-action films based on manga
- South Korean action thriller films
- South Korean crime thriller films
- South Korean films about revenge
- South Korean films remade in other languages
- South Korean independent films
- South Korean mystery thriller films
- South Korean neo-noir films
- South Korean nonlinear narrative films
- Films about torture