Oldboy [DVD]

"At the heart of all tragedy, the Greeks saw a phenomenon they called hamartia: a fatal error born of unavoidable ignorance. Combined with a fundamental moral flaw, hamartia inevitably led on to destruction. For the Greeks, humans were cursed not just with mortality of the flesh, but also hamartia-driven mortality of the spirit. Hamartia was the Gods being Divine Jerks, randomly toying with human lives for their own pleasure, through cat-and-mouse games the latter could not hope to win."- Ventakesh Rao, "The Gervais Principle""'These children belong to me, these riches belong to me.' Thus says the foolish man, and he is full of woe. Truly, one does not belong to oneself. Wherefore the children? Wherefore the riches?"- Buddha, The DhammapadaNone of us has much control over our lives. We don't get to choose our parents or country, and have no meaningful autonomy until two decades in. Even after reaching maturity, we're at the mercy of economic downturns, capricious bosses, malevolent strangers, and so on.Oldboy is about the futility of heroism and vengeance. Our protagonist, Oh Dae-su, has been imprisoned in a hotel room by an unknown captor for 15 years. On escape, he has only two questions. Who? And why?Over the course of the film, he learns the answers. He also learns that life is a series of traps within traps within traps, and that living in willful ignorance is better than being driven insane by bleak reality.Just about anyone will strongly empathize with Oh Dae-su (and with the villain, Lee Woo-jin, who is no less trapped in his own way). Oldboy riffs on a few Greek myths (notably Oedipus Rex), and is in some ways an ode to their timeless wisdom. Both lead actors are perfect for their roles, and director Park Chan-wook is able to wring out emotions from them which put Hollywood's best to shame.This is my favorite film, and many years after I first watched it, I can't stop thinking about it. I've never seen a film that captured the human condition so well.

Chan-wook Park's 'Oldboy' is a tale of revenge. But to simplify the movie in one word would be to do it injustice. Raising questions right from the opening sequence till the very last frame as the credits begin to roll, the story is as engaging as it is thought-provoking. The characters are resolved wonderfully, especially Min-sik Choi's 'Oh Dae-su'. The cinematography and soundtrack lend to the drama, often becoming characters by themselves.The Tartan Asia Extreme Edition Blu-ray is the best way to see the film as of today. Video quality boasts of excellent preservation of grain structure and some impressive black levels. Close-ups reveal a lot of detail like wrinkles, pores and cloth textures. It easily one-ups any previous editions of the film as one can now appreciate the already stunning cinematography on a completely new level.Audio is presented in the form of a DTS 7.1 HD Master Korean track along with a couple of lossy options for the native language. There are two lossy English tracks on the disc, but the movie is best seen in its native language for maximum impact of the acting. I saw the movie in the lossless audio format, and the experience was terrific. The soundtrack is clearer than ever, there is much more ambiance than one might have expected and the dialogue is crisp. Gore-lovers will appreciate the audio detail in sounds that compliment the visual cues of torture and violence. Of course, it might also turn out to be a bit too much for the squeamish.Anyone who appreciates this movie deserves to treat him/herself with this edition. If you haven't seen the movie yet, get this disc anyway. Just be prepared for a ride you might never forget.

You know how effective a film is if after it's over and you're in bed trying to go to sleep, that the film in question refuses to leave your mind for a second and you cannot stop thinking about it. "Oldboy" is such a film, and to deny the fact that it captures raw and brutal emotion within it would be a disservice. Whether you love the movie or despise it, you cannot argue with the fact that it will at some point hit a nerve."Oldboy" tells the tale of Oh Dae-su, who at first sight is just a drunken babbling mess who gives no one any ounce of respect, not even the cops who have arrested him for his drunken and disorderly conduct. He sings, calls them hideous swear words and sees no wrongdoing on his part. After he leaves the station, he is abducted by unknown captors. He is imprisoned in a strange and isolated room... for 15 years. For those 15 years, he nearly loses his mind and wonders what misdeeds of his past has brought him to this horror. After 15 years, he is released without any explanation or answers. Oh Dae-su vows that he will find the truth and get revenge on anyone responsible for his imprisonment. In fact, the whole point is that the captor is planning on Oh finding out the truth, as that is the whole point of his game. Blood will be shed and devastating revelations will make their presence felt."Oldboy" is a film unlike any I have ever seen. Rarely have I ever seen a movie so dark, brutal and unrelenting--and yet be so beautiful at the same time. You really do feel emotionally invested. This is not a simple shoot-em-up revenge thriller. It is something beyond that. It poses questions and investigates the darker side of being human. Not once did I feel myself losing interest. The movie is superbly directed and acted. There is a phenomenal fight scene where it's done in one complete shot, and without it being loud or flashy. I also have to add that this film has one of the best and most haunting music scores since "Requiem for a Dream."Be warned, this isn't for everybody. It is a dark movie and it does not let you off easy. While it's not non-stop action and the movie focuses more on story and character, the violent scenes are really brutal. You can watch it with an English dubbed track, but I encourage you to watch it with subtitles and see it in its original language. Nowadays the English dubs do not do the films justice, as they change words and phrases around to make it seem more in sync with lip movement from the actors. The Blu-Ray version of the film includes 2 disks. There are some nice behind-the-scenes featurettes."Oldboy" is a film that will leave its mark on you, no matter what your final judgment on the movie may be. It takes "revenge" to a whole new and unexpected level and you'll have no idea where it's all leading to until the very end. It's not for everybody, but if you're looking for something that's dark, intense, challenging and beautiful, give it a try. You'll never look at revenge thrillers in the same way ever again. Most likely, no other revenge thrillers will ever come close. - Michael Crane