Oldboy (2003) - Disturbingly dark

I recently saw another Korean film ‘I Saw the Devil’ and, in light of the fact that I’ve now watched a film made by the same people, ‘Oldboy’ I’m glad I did.  Because I think that many of us have been kind of lulled into believing that the only way to make a film is ‘the Hollywood way.’ I didn’t like ‘I Saw the Devil’ when I started watching it, but, after persevering, I was glad I did in the end.  Plus, now I feel I know Korean cinema a little better (or how it’s done) I was able to enjoy (if that’s the right word) ‘Oldboy’ from the off.

And it’s certainly a difficult film to describe, let alone say who’s its target audience is.  A man – and not a particularly nice one – doesn’t bother seeing his estranged wife and baby daughter in favour of generally going out and getting drunk.  However, things quickly catch up with him when he’s swiped off the streets and locked in a room for no less than fifteen years without explanation.  However, during this time he’s had more than a few changes of heart.  Now he’s not only ready to find out and punish whoever imprisoned him in the first place, but also make amends with his daughter, who is now basically grown up in his absence.

It would be easy to label Oldboy as a ‘revenge thriller.’ Yes, there are certainly aspects of hunting down those who wronged him.  But it’s the way it’s done that makes it so different.  I would go into specifics, but it’s one of those films where if you say too much about the plot you will give away vital points which will lead to you predicting what’s to come.  It’s fair to say that there are more than a few twists and turns to keep you interested (or disgusted?) and you will not only need to be ready for those, but also have a strong stomach in terms of content material.

Which brings me back to my thoughts on who it’s marketed at.  I don’t really know – people who like revenge movies, but can tolerate some pretty disturbing storylines mainly.  Oh, and subtitles.  It’s got subtitles – but then you probably guessed that.  However, even though you have to read the dialogue it’s still easy to tell that the cast are pretty impressive and there are performances that are going to stick with you – even if some of them are for the wrong reasons.

Basically, if you like your foreign revenge films dark then give this one a go.  Just don’t blame me for any therapy you may require after sitting through it.  A classic, but a dark one.

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one