OLD BOY

Korea, 2004, 120 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Chanwook Park.

When the Koreans want to make a bloodthirsty film, they don't feel the need to hold back. After Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, Park Chan-wook has contrived a mysterious and convoluted thriller that emphasizes vengeance without sympathy. It poses a frightening 'what if…?' scenario. What if you were imprisoned for fifteen years without knowing who did it or why? How would you cope - apart from watching television and perfecting martial arts skills? And what if you were freed and found yourself doing the detective work in your own story?

In one sense, this is what the film is about. But, it is more complex than this and raises issues of freedom, manipulation and control. Along the way, there is a strong performance by Choi Min-sik as the wronged man, some expert action and stunt sequences and some grim violence. It is both intriguing and repelling.

1.The work of the director, the focus on revenge and vengeance? The significance of vengeance in the 21st century world, people being hurt, people feeling the need for justice, people feeling the need for redemption? The problem of the world, violence, cruelty – and avenging these?

2.The Korean setting, the cityscapes, the long time in the confined space of the prison room? 2003, the changing city, the restaurants, apartments, wealthy buildings? The musical score – orchestrated, romantic in the western style even while brutal scenes were portrayed?

3.The title, the old boys of Evergreen School, the reference to the character of Oh Dae- Su?

4.The opening, the vengeance sequence – like a movie? The transition to real life, Dae- Su and his drinking, his violence in the street, with the prisoners, in the prison cell? His friend bailing him out? His suddenly going berserk, his being arrested in the street without reason? His disappearance?

5.Time passing, Dae- Su in the prison, seeing him looking through the hole and getting his meal, no information, his angry outbursts, throwing the tray, pounding the wall? His suicide attempts? His decision to become strong, punching the wall and strengthening his fists, martial arts? The mystery of why he was there, his asking himself, trying to work out what had happened? The television, seeing the years pass, the main events of the 90s up to the destruction of the World Trade Center Towers? His information that he had killed his wife? His not remembering it? Being like the Count of Monte Cristo – and his digging as the years passed, counting the years, the tattoos and marks in his body? The overall effect of the fifteen years and his narration?

6.The sudden release, the hypnotism, finding himself in the field, on the top of the building, the man wanting to commit suicide, his telling his story, not allowing the man to tell his, going down to the ground, the man falling to his death? The comment about “laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone”?

7.His quest, the wallet, the money, the mobile phone? His going to the restaurant, the young girl and her being on television, eating the octopus, the phone call, his trance? The girl taking him home? His beginning his quest, his attraction towards her, her telling him to wait until she sang a song? His going to meet his friend, the computer whiz? The other friends, their not being responsible for his imprisonment? The discovery of the clue of Evergreen, tracking through the internet, finding the school? The memories? His going to see the man who ran the security company – and his vengeance and removing his teeth, his hand? The replacement of the teeth and their gold shining?

8.Tracking down the man who imprisoned him? Their confrontation, his wanting to kill him? The man telling him he would never find out the truth if he killed him, his heart condition? The continued pursuit, the examination of the school books, his memories coming back?

9.The flashback, the man who imprisoned him and the death of his sister? Their sexual relationship, her killing herself? His having told his friends – the beginning of the rumour? The comment that he had talked too much and that was the reason for his imprisonment (as heard of the cassette)?

10.The passionate encounter with the girl, her being held by the security guard, his anger, his fighting the men, the martial arts – and the semi-comic beating of the whole group, including those in the lift?

11.The final confrontation, the truth? The information about his being hypnotised, the gas putting him to sleep in the prison, his being manipulated, to respond to sounds and songs? All his actions being controlled? The girl and her being controlled and hypnotised?

12.The photo album, the final vengeance on Dae- Su, his relationship with his daughter, seeing her grow throughout the years, under the guardianship of his tormentor? His melodramatic and dramatic reaction, pleading that she never find out the truth, the phone call, her being held with the album in the box? His pleading, licking the shoes, cutting out his tongue? The man and his vengeance, his own death, his shooting his assistant?

13.Dae- Su, the hypnotist, her splitting him into two personalities, the monster advancing in years and dying? Leaving him as he was? The possibility of seeing his daughter, relating to her as a father?

14.The brutality in the film, the visual violence, the fighting, the blood? In a Korean tradition? An Asian context? East and west and their dealing with issues of vengeance and violence?