Old Boy(2003)

Plot and summary: 

Old Boy is a Korean Mystery thriller - Neo-Noir film . Its the story of Oh-Dae-Su, who gets captured and held a prisoner for 15 years. How he changes during his prison life and does he find our his captors true intentions is the basic plot of the film

The film begins with Oh-Dae-su's narration of his story to a fellow person holding him at cliff of a building. He is held in a police station for drinking and mis behaving. Finally he gets our with a help of a friend and speaks to his wife and 5 year old daughter that he will be home for her birthday. Then all we see is a man who is holding a violet umbrella with striped patterns. The prison life starts for Oh Dae sue . He struggles many times and has many traumatic attacks involving involving ants and insects. He tries to kill him several times but he is saved every time.  He introspects many times to find his captors but gives up as there is too much wrong doing in his life. He builds up a patterns and starts training by himself to face his captor after his sentence.

The concept of private prison is introduced in the film where the inmates are watched and monitored. Oh Dae su tells about the gas, the melodious music which hits him and after that he is blacked out and his hair is cut, nails are cut, the room is cleaned and he is back to the self again. He begins a method where he can scrape out of the walls. At the end of 15 years he could take a brick out and feel the rain. On this day he gets hypnotized and released.

The narration ends  roof top of a building. He is a costly suit with a briefcase..He gets a phone and lots of money from a beggar. He goes to a restaurant where the call arrives from the captor, He trie to ask his name but he has no luck finding him. A teenage girl -Mido tries to touch him when he faints She takes pity on him after reading all his journals and offers to let him stay.

His traumatic attack continues and tries to control himself in front of Mido but fails and tries to rape her. She then tells him that she will tell him when she is ready. First, Oh Dae Su first finds the place he was held captured and knocks out almost 100 guards in the place with a single hammer. After this He thinks what has he become and thinks if there is any going back from this. Many points in the fim the concept of revenge and how it blinds straight thinking is clearly explained.

Finally the Captor " evergreen " reveals himself and tells Oh Dae Su. He gives him 7 days to find the reason for his capture. Even though  Evergreen gives Oh dae su is given a chance to kill Evergreen, the reason for his 15 Year imprisonment wins his judgement and he goes to find it out.Whether Oh ae Su finds out the reasons of his captor and if he kills them is the rest of the story (I will be spoiling the rest of the film if I tell it!). Finally the captor dies and Oh Dae Su asked to be brainwashed and goes back to Mido. The last scene where Mido hugs Oh Dae su  but he gives a frightened shocking expression tells the audience that the brutal truths which he knows cannot be erased and it will haunt him forever!

The concept of how rage blinds a man is beautifully.explained. Even though the captor mentions him several times of his whereabouts indirectly and at the end when he knows the brutal truths about Mido and him he could see how has been blinded by his anger to find his captor alone. Both the way the film is shot and the screenplay are unique and the dialogues at very intriguing with great depth

Verdict:

One of the notable films ever to be made . It will be remembered for its brutal story line( it is a little bit hard to digest the story a first!) Great acting by the Oh Dae Su and the captor. Surely it would take lot of courage to write a script such as this one and execute it. Kudos to the director and the writer. Even though the film sometimes feels very suspenseful like a commercial movie. It bring us to one of crucial elements of its success, its story!