Retro Junk

Oldboy

Release: November 21, 2003

It would be a sin to reveal too much about this riveting and bizarre thriller from Korean director Chan Wook Park, except to say that it's about a man named Dae-Su (Choi Min-Sik) who is locked in a hotel room for 15 years without knowing his captor's motives. When he is finally released, Dae Su finds himself still trapped in a web of conspiracy and strangeness. His own quest for vengeance becomes tied in with romance when he falls for an attractive sushi chef (Gang Hye-Jung), who feeds him live octopus and who may or may not be involved with the bizarre mystery. This is all served up in a striking palette of purples and dark reds; oozing with post-neo-noir style, and stuffed with insanely malicious twists and turns. Choi Min-Sik is terrific in the lead, counterbalancing over-the-top hysterics with deadpan cool to run the gamut of Asian antihero traits. There are intense fight scenes (Dae Su's favorite weapon is a hammer), look-away moments of torture and self-mutilation, sex, and gallons of black humor. Not for the squeamish, but for those seeking something wholly original and daring, this cinematic entree is alive--it's hard to imagine a better slice of psycho-shock sensationalism.

Trailers

Posters

Quotes

Dae-su Oh: "Even though I'm no more than a monster - don't I, too, have the right to live?"

Dae-su Oh: "If they had told me it was going to be fifteen years, would it have been easier to endure?"

Dae-su Oh: "Please. Don't tell Mido. What has she done wrong? You know it was all my fault... I have committed an unforgivable sin, against your sister. And I also... Did you wrong. But, please leave Mido alone... If by any chance Mido finds out the truth, you son of a bitch, I'll tear you limb from limb. And your remains will never be found. Why? Because I'm going to swallow every last bit."

Dae-su Oh: "Revenge is good for your health, but pain will find you again."

Mi-do: "Dae Su. In front of me is some kind of box. He's telling me to open it. It's the same violet box..."

Dae-su Oh: "No! No Mi-do don't. Don't open it no matter what. Or something terrible will happen."

Dae-su Oh: "I thought I'd lived a simple life. But I've sinned too much"

Woo-jin Lee: "Mister. Are you alright? What happened to you? Saewoon Apartments, Eung-am building 8. Take care of him."

Dae-su Oh: "Thank You."

Woo-jin Lee: "Not at all. Well, then. Farewell, Oh Dae Su."

Dae-su Oh: "Farewell, Oh Dae Su."

Dae-su Oh: "Erasing my memory and telling me to find the truth was cowardly. I won. So die like you promised."

Mi-do: "Very lonely people that I met... they all hallucinated ants at one time."

Mi-do: "What should I pray for?"

Dae-su Oh: "Dear Lord, next time let me meet a younger man."

Mr. Park: "You see, they say that people shrivel up because they have an imagination. So, don't imagine anything, you'll become brave as hell."

Mr. Park: "[hands Dae-Su a business card while grinning a big gold-toothed grin] This dentist is really good."

Mr. Park: "We put a hypnosis-inducing drug in your water"

Dae-su Oh: "Sodium barbiturate?"

Mr. Park: "Ha! TV Man knows it all!"

Mi-do: "I love you... Oh-Daesu"

Mi-do: "[looking around the inside of Dae-su's "cell"] You stayed in a place like this for fifteen years?"

Dae-su Oh: "Yeah, but after the first seven it felt just like home."

Dae-su Oh: "[Dae Su is on his knees. Begging] Please. Don't tell Mido. What has she done wrong? You know it was all my fault... I have committed an unforgivable sin, against your sister. And I also... Did you wrong. Please leave Mido alone... If by any chance Mido finds out the truth, you son of a bitch, I'll tear you limb from limb. And your remains will never be found. Why? Because I'm going to swallow every last bit. [Crawls over to Woo-Jin and starts to grovel to Woo-Jin]"

Dae-su Oh: "Woo-Jin! Please, sir, I made a mistake. Please forget what I said. Sir, Woo-Jin! [Raises up on his knees to face Woo-Jin]"

Dae-su Oh: "We're Evergreen Oldboys, remember? [singing]"

Dae-su Oh: "With the energy of a green pine tree/The Great Sangnok High... [Grabbing hold of Woo-Jin's leg. Begging, and weeping]"

Dae-su Oh: "I'll do whatever you want. I'll do anything, I beg you. Woo-Jin, if you want me to be your dog. I will. From this moment on, I am Woo-Jin's dog. I'm your bitch. [Starts barking maniacally like a dog]"

Dae-su Oh: "Look, I'm wagging my tail. I'm a dog, I'll guard your house. I'll be your slave... [Starts crying frantically, and falls to Woo-Jin's feet. He begins to lick his shoes... Humiliated... defeated... ]"

Woo-jin Lee: "And now... now, what joy will I have left to live for?"

Dae-su Oh: "If by any chance Mido should find out the truth, you son of a bitch, I'm going to rip you limb from limb. And your remains will never be found. Why? Because I'm going to swallow every last bit."

Woo-jin Lee: "Your gravest mistake wasn't failing to find the answer. You can't find the right answer if you ask the wrong questions."

Woo-jin Lee: "Your tongue got my sister pregnant! It wasn't Woo-jin Lee's dick; it was Dae-su Oh's tongue!"

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