Let me talk about the television which is Dae-su's companion when we was imprisoned for 15 years. Why a television? Because television is a reflection of society. The imprisonment is made much more vengeful because of the fact that there's a TV. Dae-su is seeing life outside of the room but he cannot touch it, he cannot feel it, he cannot live it. Instead, he was forced to live through it, where he gained his knowledge and how he got by. Seeing how things are outside, makes the longing to get out more hurtful isn't it? Of course, his struggle inside was shown through his repeated silting of his wrist, talking to himself and so on, but it's also that TV (which seems to harmless) that actually does the most harm. That's Chan-wook's little insert right there. The original manga that Oldboy is loosely based on isn't as grim as this adaptation. The film was dark and an powerful revenge story with one of the best plot twists ever. (Sadly, I have known the plot twist even before watching the film but it didn't take away the effectiveness of the reveal.) Dae-su is a grimier version of the original manga's lead which complements the story and the revenge so much more. It is brutal and filled with madness just like Dae-su himself. Chan-wook knows how to keep his cards, as if a knife is as the edge of your throat until he carefully laid each one out. For a dark film with dark overtones and gritty visuals, the use of music contrasts the overall aesthetics. Playing Vivald's Four Seasons is a great way to bring out the mayhem and intensity of the film especially during action scenes filled with dramatic build-up. The cinematography reminds me of Netsuya Nakashima's The World of Kanako. While Oldboy doesn't use the same fast-crazy-cuts, it still does it during intense scenes which heightens the suspense. My favorite scene is the corridor fight scene which was taken in one go. Definitely felt natural and real. Choi Min-sik is great as Dae-su so as Yoo Ji-tae (who is also in Memories of Murder) which serves as Dae-su's contrast both in appearance and personality. I'm not sure if it's intentional in Chan-wook's behalf but the great use of Oedipus Rex (best if you're familiar with it) just amazing it setting out the story and characters. Oldboy deserves the praise it gets and the hype it has. It strips its characters bare and lays out their deepest and darkness parts but never tells you to hate or love them, instead you as a viewer, make that decision. It shows rawness and boldness just like how its story goes.