Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Oldboy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 12, 2010

Nominated for Palme d'Or and winner of the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival, Korean director Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy" (2003) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Palisades Tartan. The supplemental features on the disc include three audio commentaries - one by director Park Chan-wook; one by director Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Chung Ching-hoon; and one by director Park Chan-wook and actors Gang Hye-jung, Yu Ji-tae, and Choi Min-sik - a gallery of deleted scenes; and theatrical trailer. In Korean, with optional English subtitles. Region-Free.

I'll tear you limb from limb.

A man (Choi Min-sik, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) is kidnapped and locked into a room. Later on, he learns that his wife has been brutally killed and daughter adopted in Sweden. The man’s only contact with the outside world is through a small TV set. He is told that if he escapes, the police will be after him.

Fifteen years later, the man is released with a wallet full of money and a cell phone. Someone calls the man and tells him that it is time that he figured out why he was imprisoned. The man does not have a clue where to start, or what to do.

The man meets a girl (Kang Hye-jeong, Why Didi You Come To My House) who offers to help - she likes him. He does not know if he likes the girl, not yet – he has not been with one for fifteen years. An old friend of the man also appears, and offers to help him track down his abductor. Soon after, he is killed.

Another man (Yu Ji-tae, Woman Is the Future of Man) appears and announces that he is going to kill every woman the man has ever loved, including his new friend – unless he discovers why he was forced to suffer. If he does, the man would kill himself. He also announces that he knows everything there is to know, because he is the one who had him kidnapped and imprisoned. Finally, he tells the man that if he wishes he could have his revenge now, but he would never know why he was forced to suffer. So, what would it be, revenge or truth?

Much has been made of the fact that Park Chan-wook was a philosophy student before he became a film director. Those who have seen all of his films believe that his unique treatment of violence, guilt and redemption are directly influenced by his philosophical view of the world we live in – according to Chan-wook, there is a logical explanation for everything that occurs around us.

In Oldboy, a film that propelled the director into the international spotlight after it won the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004, a man, Oh Dae-su, comes to realize precisely that. In the beginning of the film, he struggles to understand why he is being imprisoned, but after he is released, and after he is given a few clues as to why he might have been forced to suffer, he begins to see the world differently. It is a painful transformation for Dae-su – literally- but in a twisted sort of way also a rewarding one.

What makes Oldboy special, however, is the second point of view it offers - that of a man, Lee Woo-jin, who we are introduced to much later on, after we have already accepted that Dae-su is a victim. Through his words and actions, Chan-wook carefully questions whether knowing is indeed related to happiness, and whether ignorance is bliss.

If all you got from Oldboy, however, is that it is a revenge film, I urge you to see it again. There are rich subtexts in it that can be traced back to classic Greek Drama, as well as curious generalizations about the world we live in that are far more effective than the flashy violence Oldboy is filled with.

Technically, Oldboy is also an impressive accomplishment. The unconventional camerawork gives the film a stylish and sleek look that makes many of the graphic scenes in it a lot easier to watch. The wonderful music score, blending classical with contemporary tunes, also adds to the film’s unique atmosphere.

Note: Oldboy is part of director Chan-wook's so-called Vengeance Trilogy. The other two films in it are Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005).

Oldboy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.31:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Park Chan-wook's Oldboy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Palisades Tartan.

My major complaint with this high-definition transfer is the fact that it is fairly inconsistent. Portions of it look good, with pleasing clarity and fine object detail. Despite the unique use of light, many of the indoor scenes during the first half of the film also look good. Contrast levels vary dramatically from scene to scene, most notably during the memory flashbacks, but these fluctuations are intentional.

During the second half of Oldboy, however, and especially during the final 20-25 minutes, digital noise is very easy to spot. During specific scenes, I even noticed some rather strong macroblocking creeping in. Furthermore, those of you with larger than 50' screens would also notice mild flickering around the edges; it is not overly disturbing but it is certainly there. Finally, it is fairly obvious to tell that light noise reduction has been applied as well. All in all, while this isn't a disappointing high-definition transfer, it isn't an overly impressive one either. As far as I am concerned, Oldboy could have looked quite a bit better in 1080p. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Oldboy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are five audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, Korean Dolby Digital Stereo, English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English Dolby Digital Stereo. For the record, Palisades Tartan have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature and extras. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it (see captures).

The Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is solid. I particularly enjoyed how it treated Shim Hyun-jung's lovely music score (the classical pieces are indeed very strong). This said, the surround channels are not overly active, even during some of the bigger action scenes. On the other hand, the high frequencies are not overdone and the bass is consistently potent. The dialog is crisp, clean and easy to follow, and there are no balance issues to report with the music score.

I quickly tested the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track to see how good the dubbing was. As expected, it turned out to be lifeless and genuinely flat. In terms of dynamics, the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track is also fairly underwhelming.

Oldboy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Trailer - the original UK theatrical trailer for the film. (2 min, 1080p).

Deleted Scenes - ten deleted scenes (Oh Dae-su; Day One; Restaurant; Confronting the Guards; Kiss; The Lovers 1; The Lovers 2; Woo-jin's Preparation; Remaining Plot; Tube Station - Reflection), with optional commentary by director Park Chan-wook. In Korean, with optional English subtitles. (11 min, 1080p).

Commentary - an audio commentary with director Park Chan-wook. In Korean with optional English subtitles. From the three commentaries included on this Blu-ray disc, this is the most informative one. The Korean director provides an excellent analysis of his film, plenty of technical information addressing specific scenes and the film's unique music score, etc.

Commentary - an audio commentary with director Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Chung Ching-hoon. In Korean, with optional English subtitles. Though also quite technical, this specific commentary focuses more on specific scenes and the manner in which they were shot as opposed to the film's finished look and unique story.

Commentary - an audio commentary with director Park Chan-wook and actors Gang Hye-jung, Yu Ji-tae, and Choi Min-sik. In Korean, with optional English subtitles. I've only listened to portions of the commentary and my general impressions of it is that it has a rather casual tone. If you are looking for a strong analysis of the film, I would recommend listening to the first audio commentary with director Park Chan-wook.

Oldboy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Oldboy is a strong film with unique qualities. It is beautifully lensed and complimented by a truly wonderful music score - which makes all the graphic violence in it that much more surprising. Everything, however, is put together very convincingly, with a special touch of class. Palisades Tartan's (the successor of Tartan Films) disc was one of their very first high-definition releases, and it clearly shows. Depending on the price, I'd say it is worth adding it to your library. RECOMMENDED.