The best Korean movie 'Old Boy‘

If someone were to ask me which Korean movie is the best, I would say Oldboy without hesitation. This is because I still cannot forget the moment I watched Oldboy. Although nearly 20 years have passed, the feeling I had after seeing it remains vivid. With its intense colors, the sad and grand cinematic score that still lingers in my ears, and its brutal story, I believe Oldboy is a film that has left a significant mark on Korean cinema.

1. Story

Oh Dae-su, who was suddenly kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years, is released from captivity and sets out to uncover who imprisoned him and for what reason. Along the way, he meets a woman named Mida and falls in love with her, but he faces tragedy due to the secrets hidden behind their relationship.

2. Cast and Director

The director is Park Chan-wook, well-known as  master of Korean cinema. Even before Oldboy, he had made films with a revenge motif, and this movie can be considered the pinnacle of that lineage.

The male lead is Choi Min-sik, who is South Korea's top film actor. The female lead is Kang Hye-jung, who was also one of the most active actresses of the 2000s. It is said that the mysterious atmosphere emanating from her face suits the character Mi-do in the film very well.

3. Key Points to View

From the very beginning, the story sparks curiosity. For what reason could someone possibly be imprisoned for over ten years? Amidst this mystery, Oh Dae-su pours all his energy into finding the person who imprisoned him. He eventually tracks him down, but the reason is trivial, yet truly cruel. While there are occasional violent and brutal scenes, if you follow Oh Dae-su through the narrative, you can see that such cruelty is perhaps inevitable. I recommend immersing yourself in the story and following Oh Dae-su's emotions while watching the movie. In particular, a pair of scissors appears in the film; according to the director, the production team put a great deal of effort into creating them. It is worth paying attention to this detail while watching.

4. Personal Review

After watching the movie, only one word kept coming to mind: "Revenge." How far could I go with my revenge in a situation like this? Fifteen years imprisoned without reason. That is a very long time, enough for the landscape to change more than halfway over. At first, I think I would feel wronged, just like Oh Dae-su. And then, wouldn't I just keep nurturing my hatred for the person who imprisoned me, thinking only about how to take revenge? Or would I return to my daily life immediately and join forces with my family and friends? Wouldn't I just want to run away in the face of such fear?
Another important keyword emerges in the movie Oldboy: incest and people's lighthearted gossip. It would be no exaggeration to say that a movie dealing with incest 20 years ago was truly shocking in itself. Although the scene was very brief, the impact was immense, and I even wondered if it was a scenario only possible in a movie. I also believe it was a film that clearly demonstrated the consequences of gossip and delivered a cruel lesson regarding its consequences. We easily engage in backbiting about others. Sometimes, without even knowing the facts, we judge and tear someone down merely as fodder for gossip. We fail to consider the feelings of those who suffer as a result. Even I, myself, talk about people, from my closest family to friends and celebrities, according to my own desires and judgments. People cannot stop, even though they know it is wrong. Perhaps the movie Oldboy serves as a warning to such people through its horrific ending.

I sometimes look up Oldboy when I crave a really brutal movie. Even though I have watched it many times, I still feel complex emotions throughout the viewing, empathizing with Oh Dae-su one moment and understanding Evergreen's feelings the next. I sometimes wonder if that is the very vision the director and writer intended. When I occasionally hear the main theme song of Oldboy, I feel Oh Dae-su's tragedy and sorrow together. Since I heard that an international version of Oldboy was also made, I think it would be interesting to watch the Korean version first and then compare them.