Moment #2-Oldboy

Film:
Oldboy

The Players:

Ji-tae Yu

Yeon-suk Ahn

Jin-seo Yun
Hyun-jung Shim
Chan-wook Park

The second film in director Chan-wook Park's Vengenance Trilogy is in the form of Oldboy. The 2003 realese has greatly been observed as one of the best Asian films of all time. It follows the story of Dae-su Oh, a man who has been locked in a hotel room for fifteen years and mysteriously realesed one day for no apparent reason. Upon his realese he is given five days to figure out who kidnapped him, and more importantly, why they let him go.

In this scene we flashback to the Dae-su Oh's teenagehood, where he has been spreading the word that Woo-jin Lee and his sister Lee Soo-ah have been having an incestusous relationship, and that Woo-jin Lee is pregnent, even though she isn't. So much to the point that she begins having a ghost pregnancy, and starts showing symptoms. This causes her to commit suicide by throwing herself over the edge of a dam, only to be saved at the last minute by Woo-jin. I wish that this clip would have subtitles, but I could unfourtanetly not get them. But the quick translation is basically the same over and over again.

Lee Soo-ah: Please, let me go just let me go.

Woo-jin Lee: No! No! I'll never let go.

The scene comes toward the end of the film as part of an amazing reveal. This isn't the complete end to the film, which is split up into about three sections, each with their own amazing moments. This one is my favorite however. With some obvious reasons as you can see.

Firstly, by way of the story, which is showing how deep these two truly care for each other, and how through simple words someone's life can be changed forever. the relationship that the two have is so deep and true, the lengths by whch they go to save (and ultimatley end) it, are truly phenomanal. The way that Chan-wook Park directs the scene is amazing as well. How we see her fall multiple times in different, though unique angles. How within the same flashback, we see him in the present and past, not to mention the amazing score in the background: 'Cries and Whispers' by Hyun-jung Shim. As well asthe great acting, and very well done violence and blood. The final look on Woo-jin Lee's face after he has died is truly spectacular. A reaction to his final thoughts. A mixture of depression, anger, but mostly, relief.