In 2003, director Park Chan-wook brought the world Oldboy, an in-depth film full of psychological suspense and mayhem. Its presentation is rapid which is the result of a grandeur of revolutionary directing. With Oldboy restored and back in cinemas for its 20-year anniversary, audiences are in for a treatwhether they’ve seen the movie before or are experiencing it for the first time. The setting of South Korea is dark as is thestoryline in this thriller. Park Chan-wook’s faithful direction of every fragment of the film is excellent. The film focuses on a man named Dae-Su Oh (played by Choi Min-sik), who has been kidnapped and spends fifteen years being imprisoned by captors. He made a mistake which led him to be locked up for many years with no windows and fed only dumplings. Once he finds a way out, he must find the pieces to explain why he has been locked up for so long. The audience can feel the tension of Oldboy through the vast narration during Min-sik’s performance.It is said that the motto of his character, Dae-Su Oh, is, “Just get by the day quietly.” However, there comes a storm of unexpected vengeance.

The poetic art of portraying frustration is mesmerizing because of surreal directing. The storyline is spellbinding throughout Oldboy. Once Dae-Su escapes, the film is a montage of monumental revenge. It is like an orchesis of building climaxes with technological and cinematic effects. In the film it is said, “Vengeance is healthy,” but how healthy is it for Dae-Su to put together the pieces of himself which were locked up for many years? Oldboy is a masterpiece two decades later and its restoration is one that deserves appreciation. Four stars.