An opera of vengeance

Korean director Chan-wook Park's "Oldboy," the second chapter in his Vengeance Trilogy (part one being "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance; part three being "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance"), is the kind of film that acts as a calling card to the cinematic world. Honored with the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival (unfortunately meaning it took second place to Michael Moore's worthless "Fahrenheit 9/11"), "Oldboy" is a film that demands to be seen by all.\nAfter spending a few hours in the prison drunk tank, Oh Daesu (Min-sik Choi) is abducted off the streets and imprisoned for 15 years without a clue as to who the perpetrators are. During these years he learns via television that he supposedly murdered his wife, teaches himself how to fight by punching his prison walls and even begins to tunnel his way out using metal chopsticks. But all his hard work is in vain, for the day before his escape, he is suddenly let free and given new clothes, money and most importantly, a cell phone. \nThe outside world is an even bigger prison for Daesu. Still wanted for his wife's murder, Daesu is befriended by a young sushi chef named Mi-do (Hye-jeong Kang) just as the cell phone rings. The kidnapper has called to give the ultimatum that Daesu has five days to figure out why he was imprisoned, otherwise everyone Daesu encounters, including Mi-do, will be killed. \nEverything in "Oldboy" hits at a perfect pitch. The acting performance that Min-sik Choi gives is one-of-a-kind, going from drunk fool and helpless prisoner to ultimately an avenging demon. Violence ranges from sheer brutality (such as when Daesu performs oral surgery via claw hammer on one of his kidnappers) to an operatic display when Daesu fights over 15 men using the same hammer -- all in a single take without any edits. All of this is complemented by the film's wonderful score and director Park's artistic flair. \nWhile the Korean DVD release has way more extras, the US release borrows only the core supplements. A director/cinematographer commentary offers much insight into a lot of the technical work. The deleted scenes are decent but nothing spectacular. There is also a photo gallery and short interview with the director. And of course trailers for "Oldboy" and other Tartan Asia Extreme releases. \nIf you enjoy revenge flicks, Asian films or just damn good cinema, "Oldboy" should be bumped to the top of your must-see list. It is one of the films solidifying South Korea as the next big foreign film industry, with "Oldboy" being one of the best films they have to offer.