Oldboy (2003)

After being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must find his captor in five days.

Director:

Chan-wook Park

Writers:

Garon Tsuchiya (story), Nobuaki Minegishi (comic)

Stars:

Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-Tae, Kang Hye-jeong

Top Rated Movies #67 | 40 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Choi Min-sik	...	Dae-su Oh
Yoo Ji-Tae	...	Woo-jin Lee
Kang Hye-jeong	...	Mi-do
Kim Byeong-Ok	...	Mr. Han
Dae-han Ji	...	No Joo-hwan
Dal-su Oh	...	Park Cheol-woong
Seung-shin Lee	...	Yoo Hyung-ja (as Seung-Shin Lee)
Jin-Seo Yoon	...	Lee Soo-ah
Tae-kyung Oh	...	Young Dae-su
Yoo Yeon-Seok	...	Young Woo-Jin (as Ahn Yeon-Seok)
Il-han Oo	...	Young Joo-hwan
Young-hee Lee	...	Clock Store Lady
Young-ae Kim	...	Elevator Lady
Mi Mi Lee	...	Dental Nurse
Jae-Duk Han	...	Night Teacher

Storyline

Abducted on a rainy night in 1988, the obnoxious drunk, Oh Dae-Su, much to his surprise, wakes up locked in a windowless and dilapidated hotel room, for an unknown reason. There, his invisible and pitiless captors will feed him, clothe him, and sedate him to avert a desperate suicide--and as his only companion and a window to the world is the TV in his stark cell--the only thing that helps Oh Dae-Su keep going is his daily journal. Then, unexpectedly, after fifteen long years in captivity, the perplexed prisoner is deliberately released, encouraged to track down his tormentor to finally get his retribution. However, who would hate Oh Dae-Su so much he would deny him of a quick and clean death?

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Plot Keywords:

imprisonment | psychological torture | revenge | brother sister relationship | captive | 

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Taglines:

Laugh and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence including scenes of torture, sexuality and pervasive language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The recurring painting on the wall of Oh Dae-Su's confinement complex is "The Man of Sorrow" by Belgian painter James Ensor.

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Goofs

In the scene when Woo-jin Lee was pulling Lee Soo-ah's hand on the bridge, there was an angle that showed Lee Soo-ah's dummy stunt double.

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Quotes

Woo-jin Lee: What I am isn't important. WHY is important.

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Alternate Versions

Prior to the DVD release, some changes to audio were made. The most prominent is the beginning, where the initial music was being extended to the production logos. Those alterations are likely to be undone in the 10th anniversary remaster, as the director Chan-wook Park claimed to "have changed nothing from the original film."

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Connections

Featured in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.21 (2011)

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Soundtracks

Waltz
from "Masquerade"
by Aram Khachaturyan

User Reviews

A Korean Masterpiece

Oldboy is one hell of a movie. It is a film that is characterized by surrealism, gritty violence and raw emotion. The theme is about revenge and how it destroys one person. After viewing it, it left me silent for more than five minutes to contemplate on what I have seen. It was simply a masterpiece.

It has proved that Koreans are one of the most creative when it comes to cinema. But mind you, this film is not for everyone. Especially for the weak at heart. Aside from revenge, it touches subject on incest as well. Nevertheless, it is a MASTERPIECE.

The acting is world-class in this film. Choi Min-sik and Yu Ji-tae were simply amazing as Oh Daesu and Lee Woo-jin respectively. Credit should also be given to Gang Hye-jung as Mido. The characters are given emotional depth that one could sympathize for. They were not simply categorized as either good or evil but they were allowed to feel raw emotion. The direction was also spectacular from Park Chan-wook. And the soundtrack was mesmerizing.

This is definitely a must-see especially for people who love another kind of entertainment. I could have given this a 11 out of 10 rating if only I am allowed to.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Russia]

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean

Release Date:

21 November 2003 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

Oldboy

Filming Locations:

Songgye High School, Chinju, Kyongsangnam-Do, South Korea

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$68,957, 27 March 2005

Gross USA:

$707,481

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$15,002,116

Company Credits

Production Co:

Egg Films, Show East

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby Surround 7.1

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1