And back then, I had hope that they would make it more accurate to the books...
Well I was wrong.
Spike Lee and Mark Protosevich fucked it up.
.
..
...
I guess I could give a more detailed explanation of this explanation.
It's hard to explain without going into the original story.
After 10 years of being imprisoned in a hotel room, with no knowledge of why or who did it, a man simple going by "Mister" is released into a world that he doesn't know anymore. But his ten year imprisonment wasn't in vain, as he took his time training his body and mind so that he could find out who imprisoned him and why. But is he in control of his choices, or is he still imprisoned by the one who put him there? If he wants to find out, he'll have to play "His" game.
I read the original story a couple of years before in college. I found it slow paced and the ending made me upset because it was so anti-climatic.
Compared to the Sopranos and Lost... this ending was worse.
But now, as I have grown older (and have compared it to the movies) I have found it fitting. The slow pace actually part of a theme... waiting. It does match the feel of waiting for answers and the feeling impatient. It must have been torture for the ones waiting for the comic each month.
In fact. my mind went like this ~
First 3 books - Slow paced and full of waiting. Most of the movies follow these first books (like the release, the girlfriend, and hunting down his jailers), but it also shows "Mister" getting back into the world. It's revealed in book 3 that Mister's full name is Goto Shinichi.
Book 4 - Reveals the school, Goto finally meets "Him", theme of time and waiting, and the challenge made.
Book 5 - Discussion of the difference of waiting and doing yourself. Of doing it right.
Find out "Him" is named Takaaki Kakinuma. Of Doubt. And of more games.
Book 6 - Goto, with doubt, loses the game of saying Takaaki's name. Revealed of the want for revenge from something humiliating in school. Noticed a lack of focus on Eri (the girlfriend) since book 4 and focusing on a teacher. Music class?
Book 7 - Something about a song. This is when it started to get weird for me. The hesitation of him remembering the song and even singing it. A lot of focus on the teacher. Reunion with Eri.
And then... we go into hypnosis.
Last Book 8- This I remember is when it gets shitty...or at least anti-climatic. With the forced meeting of Eri and Goto, we go into the final game and find the reason. But the problem with it is that it left too many questions, like it was rushed to end. The post ending is actually thought provoking. And the whole theme on waiting brings a dread as if we are still trapped.
I'll get back to the ending in a bit, but from here on out, I'll be talking about the movies...
Which are bad.
One being bad for it's depressing DISTURBING story... and one just being more bad.
Spoilers below.
...
But truthfully you should be thanking me... Don't watch these movies.
In each version, the main character "Oldboy" has a different name.
The Main character in the comic is "Mister" or "Sir", but his full name revealed in Book 3 of 8 as Shinichi GotÅ
The name translated for Korean Movie - Oh Dae-su
Translated for Hindu Copy Movie (a ripoff I won't talk about) - Balajeet "Bala" Roy
And the translated name for the American Movie - ...Joe Doucett
Did you get it...
Joe / Oh : Doucett / Dae-su
Ha.
It's hard to choose which one to talk about first. I usually like to save the best for last, but I don't know which one is best.
In this case, I'll go with the first movie and most famous one, the Korean one ~
In the beginning, we see a crazed man hold a man with a dog with his tie off of a roof top. Simply asking for him to tell his story. An intense opening... and then we see a young (supposed) him at an police station, drunk and with a bloody nose. Right away we find out his name - Oh Dea-su. - "Getting through one day at a time?" Wow, heavy symbolism for things to come. He also reveals that it's his daughter's birthday and the he got her angel wings. Wings as a gift. She's his angel. Symbolism!
Actually, the cop scene is pretty funny.
In fact the whole opening is better than that mess of an American version.
But I'll get to that later...
In a simple scene involving umbrellas, we see Dea-su wake up in a room. No understanding why he is there and who did it. His only connection to the world is basic cable TV and a picture on the wall.
Well that's lovely, I don't see how that could do any harm...
Ah... yeah. 15 years...
\
We find through TV that his wife was killed (and he being the culprit) and his daughter was sent to the orphanage. They knock him out with gas to clean, trim his hair, and such... and ants?
Ants? Because it was military knock out gas? He hallucinating ants?
He tries to kill himself multiple times, but they knock him out and stitch his wounds.
In an last act of defiance, he starts writing journals with the names of whoever he has wronged and starts exercising and shadowboxing from the TV.
As the years pass and he gets closer to escaping finally, after 15 years, he gets gased again and someone comes in to hypnotize him.
Ah yes... the thing I hate about this movie.
The hypnotism... I'll get to that later.
\
He gets released on top of a building, in a black suit and a crazed look. He sees a jumper with a dog and basically molested him, the first person he has had contact with in 15 years. And then we see...
...did he cum in the elevator?
\
Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Yikes... hard words there. But it fits the movie.
He gets in a fight with some punks while he tries to have his first cigarette in 15 years. He gets called "dickshit" and he's fascinated. Television doesn't teach you swear words. I guess if it's only cable....
Ah, there's a fight! Did the training pay off.
The simple answer is yes, yes it did.
\
While examining the street and a fish store, a homeless guy comes by and gives him a phone and a stackful of money. Part of the comic, but not really necessary.
He goes into a sushi store and talks to the girl working...
"You look familiar, but it's my first time here." Weird wording...
Then the phone rings and he talks to "Him".
I like Oh Dea-su telling "Him" who he could be, but "He" just laughs it off.
An expert on Oh Dea-su. Yikes.
Ah, the "eating the live squid part". This part is one of the famous scenes in this movie.
You would find me jumping out of an airplane before I would do something like that...
Anyway, he passes out.
/
The girl "Mi-do" takes him to her house, and reads his journals. He realizes he probably got sick from a lack of Vitamen A and E because of no sunlight. Good point.
And then we get an attempted rape scene? Well it's kinda a mixed bag. Both serious and funny.
I don't know how to feel about that scene... but compared to later, this is just the tip of the awkward iceberg.
She talks about the journal and people who are lonely have hallucinations of ants?
Symbolism??? I never heard of that.
Anyway, we see Dea-su is hurting from his imprisonment and losing his family, and is going mad trying to adapt to the world and find his imprisoner.
And then, just like the comic, he goes to Chinese food place to Chinese food place to find pot stickers, the same pot-stickers he was fed for 15 years.
After the 5th restaurant, he throws up and keeps going.
At least he isn't throwing up every time he eats pot stickers. That would be dumb...
*FORESHADOWING*
/
Back at the girls place, we find out that "Him" had been e-mailing Mi-do and Dea-su can't fully trust her anymore. From the comic, the feeling of mistrust is used to push away the main character. Do I like that? Not really.
And then he finds the pot stickers.
He follows the deliver boy to a building and finds it has a hidden floor (in between 7 and 8).
Hammer time!
Do I like the dark comedy in this? Yes, I'm twisted like that.
He ties down the owner of the floor and tortures him for answers... with a hammer and the owners teeth.
The torture scene in the American I personally like better, but the Korean is still good.
Why the cookie tin? Small thing but still...
/
WE GET TO THE HALLWAY FIGHT SCENE. 25 VS. 1!
ALL 3 MINUTES OF IT IN ONE TAKE!
SERIOUSLY, IT'S THE ONLY REASON TO WATCH THIS MOVIE~ In fact, just watch this part and nothing else.
After that bloody scene, we see him pass out outside, and a stranger helps him to a cab. Before the cab pulls away, the stranger lifts his head and reveals to be "Him". So close...
Dea-su is taken to Mi-do's place, where she treats his wounds. He listens to the tape he received and hears the request. This one has a 'gasp' moment for how long he is being held. And even asks what did he do.
The only answer we get is that Dea-su couldn't keep his mouth shut, that's why "He" did it.
/
He goes to an internet cafe and meets an old friend.
260 women? Damn... No wonder he wrote journals.
He finds the code "Evergreen." And with some more awkward Mi-do scenes, he finds where "He" is.
/
In another hotel room (like the one he stayed in) he meets "Him" and his guard. There, the man offer's Dea-su a challenge. In 5 days he has to find out who he is and why he imprisoned Dea-su, or he will kill Mi-do.
Dea-su almost kills him, but he offers that if he kills him now, he will never find out the full reason why he did it. He would also give him...
A remote for his Pacemaker device? What the... Blah...
Basically, it leads to the simple choice of Revenge or Truth.
And Dea-su, leading by madness, wants the Truth.
We see... well I'll skip this part. But basically, it's the guys he fought before getting back at him.
"You trust me now, you bastard?" Mi-do screams... Not really, but whatever.
Abusive relationship? Song time!
/
Sigh... As you near the end of this movie and mystery, it gets really messed up.
But the major hint is the date the game ends. July 5th. Back in 1979.
"Fighting for the truth, not revenge. But vengeance is apart of me."
The ending... is bad.
Like not good.
Like the twist is do disturbing that it's known to scar people.
Like everytime I tell a person not to watch this movie, they tell me it's awesome until this part.
And if you don't know what it is, then stop.
Run and leave.
I know you are curious, but you have a choice.
Be a fool like I was and continuing will only lead to madness and self destruction.
...
Or...
Maybe it will show to you what NOT to do?
That I leave up to you.
But in the spirit of the comic, I won't tell you now.
You could look it up, of course.
But then, you wouldn't get my jokes. Or thoughts.
And really, REALLY don't watch this.
You will be sorry.
Concluded in Part 2~
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