Oldboy

' 'Even though I'm no more than a beast, don't I, too, have the right to live?"

"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone" 

Summary: a man (Oh Dae-su) is kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years without any explanation. He is then released, equipped with clothes, money and a cellphone. He tries to find an explanation for his imprisonment and finds out that his kidnapper has still plans for him.

I don't like reviews, because I believe movies are pure entertainment and either you like the movie or you don't. We should not analyze movies too much as they are for entertainment purposes. However, in this case I feel the need to express my thoughts after seeing this movie on DVD. If you are not interested, then stop reading NOW.

Based on Japanese manga 'Oldboy' by Nobuaki and Garon, this Korean movie about revenge I find beautiful, shocking, intelligent and visually stunning. The director Chan-wook Park once said ' My films are the stories of people who place the blame for their actions on others because they refuse to take on the blame themselves'. At one point one of the main characters realises that he cannot blame anyone else for his own suffering, while Oh Dae-su remains afraid to accept the consequences for his actions. And there is this one scene though that I cannot place. I have watched the movie twice and still don't understand why they wanted to pull his teeth. Can someone explain this to me? The story line was hard to follow especially because of the many flash backs and there was a huge amount of aggression. But overall it was amazing to watch this movie. Oldboy, virtuosic and perhaps a bit .. strange?