Chan-wook Park’s 2003 revenge thriller from South Korea, Oldboy, which is based on the manga by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya, is a movie that if you see only one foreign film in your life, this must be one that you consider. It’s dark, brooding and unsettling, and it’s a grim portrait of what people would do for payback, a cinematic plummet into a madness from which an exit seems impossible.
I knew about the upcoming Americanized retelling when I watched Park’s film for the first time last year, and afterwards, it was difficult to imagine any director being able to match its intensity. While watching the new version, however, my doubt became smaller and smaller as the film proceeded.
Directed by Spike Lee, this film is not a shot-for-shot remake, but rather a worthy reimagining of this disturbing tale of revenge. Lee does tribute to the original by placing nods from that film in certain areas, but this new version is its own movie and is distinguishable from Park’s.
While stumbling home one night after having too much to drink, Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin) wakes up to find himself in a strange motel room. He soon realizes that his room is actually a prison cell, with a television being his only access to what’s happening in the outside world. He doesn’t have any idea of why he’s there or who’s holding him there, nor does he know for how long he will be there.
Twenty years later, he awakens inside a trunk in the middle of a field, not having a clue as to why he was released. With the help of a mysterious girl named Marie (Elizabeth Olsen), Joe sets out to uncover the identity of his captor and the reason behind his imprisonment.
Josh Brolin and Min-sik Choi (the protagonist, Oh Dae-su, from the original) present different interpretations of the character. Choi's performance was more emotionally raw, whereas Brolin is a gruff, rough-and-tough fighter, even more so than Choi’s interpretation. The fighting that Brolin’s character does is is so skillful and brutal, he could be a candidate for the next Expendables film. The negative, however, is that he can sometimes come off as cold and unsympathetic because of his violent persona. As far as the film’s conclusion goes, the way Choi reacts to the big reveal is a total gut-punch that’s hard to shake off, whereas Brolin, although obviously disgusted, doesn’t exactly reach the heights of horrific realization that Choi accomplished.
Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Marie, is the American counterpart to the role of Mi-do, which was played by Hye-jeong Kang in the South Korean version. Just like Kang, Olsen presents her character as a highly mature individual, exhibiting someone who carries a warmth and caring nature about her as she attempts to help Joe.
Sharlto Copley's Adrian Pryce, however, is the one who nearly strolls away with the show. While doing so, he continues to exemplify that he is one of the best recent imports for American cinema (he's a native of South Africa). Although Ji-tae Yu’s portrayal of the villain in the original (the name of whom was Lee Woo-jin) was chilling and quietly sinister, Copley's interpretation is much more threatening. With his slicked-back hair, spiffy wardrobe, accent and creatively-cut facial hair, he has all the makings of a James Bond villain.
Copley effortlessly conveys how dedicated and twisted his character is to carrying out his revenge, and yet, he’s charismatic at times, and has the appearance of what the devil might look like in human form. The versatility of the character allows Copley to successfully go from fits of rage to unsettling calm, and just as Pryce is absorbed in his plan, Copley is absorbed in his role.
One memorable sequence from the original that Spike Lee's retelling keeps is the brutal and beautifully choreographed fight in the prison hallway. Lee, however, not to make it exactly like the original, adds his own alteration. Similar to the original, he films it all in one long take with Sean Bobbitt's cinematography, but instead of having the whole fight take place on one floor in the prison, it's staged to go from one level to the one below it.
The effect of having this scene in one take is to heighten the sensation of the physical toll this is taking on John, and for how long he has to be in this fight. This few-minutes-long, uninterrupted shot allows for the viewer to stick by John as he’s being battered and returning the hits, giving us a clearer sense of what he has to go through in order to rescue his daughter.
Speaking of the cinematography, there is also the use of high-angle shots, and they create a somewhat disorienting feel, a sense of vertigo as we’re positioned above the action. Two of the moments in which this type of shot appears are pivotal: right before John is imprisoned, and when he’s released. This method of shot composition helps to emphasize the strange nature of the events surrounding the main character.
The set design by Sharon Seymour helps to further understand the characters, especially Adrian. There’s a scene in the film where, after enjoying a swim in his apartment’s pool, he retreats to the spacious living room. Here, the viewer has a perfect example of the set design emphasizing the nature of the character who’s occupying that space, with this particular piece of set design echoing what was done in the original. The living room of his apartment has some walls that are made up of windows that nearly have floor-to-ceiling length, as well as a huge television that allows Adrian to watch his prey.
This setting compliments Adrian’s prying sensibilities. He’s always watching the main character and having unsettling access to everything he does. Similar to movies like Saw, with their morally-unhinged and voyeuristic antagonists, Adrian fits that mold, taking seemingly innocent victims and shoving them to the edge.
Mark Protosevich’s screenplay faithfully follows the beats of the original, while also succeeding in not making the film feel like an unnecessary rehash for American audiences. Just like how the original supplied flashbacks to the connection between the characters of Oh Dae-su and Lee Woo-jin, this remake provides flashbacks as well between the two opposing individuals, but these add some interesting and disturbing differences from the original.
In his narrative, Protosevich takes out some scenes from the original and adds some that are completely new, like the first 10 minutes that go deep into Joe’s personality and family life. While doing justice to the original, Protosevich still takes the risk of bringing the story in his own direction for his approach, and it’s a risk that fully pays off.
Those who have seen the original know that Adrian has a troubled past, but by the time the full reason for his motives are brought out and the big reveal arrives, it’s a little more twisted than that of the original. In the case of the original, it’s much more uncomfortable to watch once you have knowledge of the twist ending, and it’s the same with the Americanized retelling, if you have seen the original as well.
What’s respectable about Spike Lee’s Oldboy is that, although he amps up the violence in certain scenes, he doesn’t have it descend into it being glorified. This is a tale of revenge, and the protagonist does what he has to do to get through to the villain, and the grim nature of the story calls for some degree of brutality. There’s a reason for the violence, and Lee understands that.
Lee captures the significantly dark tone of the original, particularly in the revenge scenes, the prison scenes and, of course, the infamous conclusion. Even if you already know the twist ending, the uncomfortable visuals he uses and the tension he builds between the characters is enough to get you as nervous as you were the first time you experienced the original and were wondering what was going to happen. If you haven’t seen the original, you will be just as nervous during the build-up, maybe more so. Lee has made a movie in which he shows his dedication to the fans of the original, while also making a movie for those who are unfamiliar with the story.
Oldboy will take you to some dark places, but just like Joe in his quest to find the truth, you won’t find closure until you find answers.
Final grade: A-
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