And, well, the “New Boy”…um…Bitches
I have to admit, I put off watching the 2013 remake of Park Chan Wook’s game-changing original for a long time. Ok, to be honest I more than just put the remake off. I scoffed at the idea of a remake, laughed at the casting, and shuddered every time I walked past its posters plastered around every corner of the London underground. But alas, a year after its release and a lorry bin’s load of scathing reviews later, curiosity got the better of me and I watched it.
Brace yourself, guys. I’m going in for the kill. But first let’s go over some basic comparison points.
Acclaimed Korean director, Park Chan Wook, loosely based the original “Oldboy” (2003) on a Japanese Manga of the same name. With more violence and graphic blood, Park’s film tells the story of an unjustifiably imprisoned man seeking revenge on those who imprisoned him. On the surface this steely revenge-based plot leaves the viewer perched on the edge of their seats, but it’s the film’s iconic fighting, octopus eating scenes, cinematography and acting that leaves one breathless. On the other hand we have the 2013 version.
In its own right, the film is good looking compared to most blockbusters and the leading role played by Josh Brolin was superbly acted. On its own, the film is OK to watch as an action-filled search and destroy blockbuster.
This film can’t, simply, stand on its own, though. One can’t just separate it from the original and, weirdly, Spike Lee doesn’t seem to want us to. Ever played a round of Chinese Whispers?
I was surprised to see Lee copy and paste some scenes from the original “Oldboy” almost identically into his own. Like the iconic hammer scene and the ‘I’m lonely so I masturbate to workouts scene’. And it was all slightly uncomfortable to watch. It kind of left the effect of reminding me how superior the original scenes were. The hammer scene for instance was so raw and bad-ass in the original. Spike Lee managed to turn a noteworthy, single tracking shot into a clean cut amalgamation of highly stylised and choreographed killings. Hollywood much?
Essentially the films’ scenes are the same, but the newer version is missing the brutality and poetry of Park’s direction. Just like a game of Chinese Whispers, some of the juicy segments of the original story come through, but others don’t. Although I am glad not to see the new version butcher the octopus scene, I was disappointed that it didn’t, at least, include something of that nature. And the hallucination scenes without the ants? The new hallucinations were so tame! I didn’t squirm once during the entire film and, frankly, I missed that nauseating ant-crawling-on-skin feeling the original “Oldboy” delivered.
But on a serious note, I tried finding something about the new version to distinguish it from the first, and all I could think of was that the protagonist is slightly more despicable in the 2013 film, and that the 2013 film gives one a brief run through of recent American history. But does that necessarily add something to the original? Heck, I don’t even think it’s enough to make it equal to the original. My point is, the Spike Lee remake of “Oldboy” seems, well, pointless.
At the end of the day, however, it doesn’t matter what I think. It matters what you think. If you reckon you like the superficial and choreographed feel to a film, then go for it. If you haven’t seen the original and went straight for Spike Lee, I’m coming for you. No, I’m kidding. Whichever director you choose and whatever film you favour, I think it’s safe to say that no one’s immune to developing an opinion about “Oldboy”. So devour it, consume it and enjoy it, because remember, it’s not just “Oldboy”.
It’s “OLDBOY”, bitches!!
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I agree with your view on this remake. it was lacking the rawness that the original had. without it the remake came off as bland and uninteresting in comparison.
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Totally, thanks for dropping by 🙂
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