Ticking Clock

Oh, kids. 

Here we go. 

Chances are, unless you're a bit of a film buff, you haven't heard of the 2003 South Korean flick Oldboy. That's really a shame, considering how good it is. Despite the quality of the movie though, I will start today's write up with the warning that this movie is most certainly not for everyone. There are some visceral, graphically v scenes, as well as some uncomfortable themes that are gonna put some people off the movie. That being said - if you're still with me, you have to see this movie. 

I think I first became aware of it a couple years ago, from the same hip friend who turned me on to Andrew Bird and Doomtree. Talk about a jumping off point. Anyway, I had seen the case for the DVD kicking around his apartment and asked, casually, what it was. His response? "Oh, dude - it's this crazy movie about a guy who's locked up for 15 years with no idea why and then he's just let out into the world and he starts to find out why. It's crazy, really messed up but good." That sums up not only the most basic gist of the movie but how my friend could also sell me on it without spoiling too much of the plot, hooking me in at the same time. On a certain level, he hit the nail on the head. If we were to go deeper we would find there is much more going on in one of the greatest movies to ever emerge from South Korea. 

The story is much more complicated than Rizzo's succinct, encapsulation-take. The overall plot concerns a man by the name of Oh Dae-Su who is mysteriously abducted after being released from police custody, having been picked up on d and d charges. He awakens to find himself in a sealed apartment with only a TV for information, finding out his wife has been m and that he is the primary suspect. His meals consist of nothing but dumplings on a tray, slid through the door. Any attempt at escape or s find him being gassed unconscious by unknown forces. Passing the time shadowboxing and exercising, he remains imprisoned for 15 years, only to be released, unceremoniously back into the world with no explanation. Starting out from square one, he begins the process of piecing together the hows and whys of his imprisonment in a quest for vengeance against the parties responsible. Before we reach the end of the film he is a broken and shattered man, having confronted his past and questioned his own life to arrive in a place of (potential) resolution. I won't go any farther into detail to save you the pleasure and horror of the journey Dae-Su endures, but it was a harrowing experience simply watching the movie, to say the least. 

I watched this movie, alone, for the first time over a Christmas break when my better half was visiting family. Maybe it was being alone for the holidays or maybe it was the emotional turmoil in the movie, but Oldboy really affected me. There's visceral, realistic violence, disturbing emotional content and staggering plot developments. It is unlike any film I had seen up until then. By the time I finished watching it, midnight had come and gone, along with a bottle of wine, and I felt I had to wash the taste of the harrowing plot out of my mouth with something light hearted. Just a little cartoon to lighten the mood before bed. That being said, it is a beautiful, artfully shot movie with a distinctive style that is refreshingly un-Hollywood and completely novel for American audiences. Plus, a a dude eats a live octopus on camera. Ferreals.


If you're looking for an adventure for your Friday night, or like me, your weather is going to suck this long weekend, watch Oldboy. It's a trip, but not for the faint of heart. Tread lightly and be prepared. It's unreal.