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Oldboy is a 2003 South Korean action thriller film co-written and directed by Park Chan-wook. One of the most important themes in Oldboy is the human concept of the Truth. Oldboy helps us understand the need for truth in our human minds, and that revenge does not alter the painful feelings that have been experienced.
Humankind is obsessed with the truth, insisting it is upheld in business and personal relationships. As keeper of the truth, Woo-jin taunts Dae-su by saying, “Like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler, free yourself.” Although Dae-su is let out of captivity, the only way he can really free himself is by discovering why he was locked up. Until then, he is merely living in a “bigger prison.”
Woo-jin finally reveals to Dae-su that Mi-do is actually his daughter. Woo-jin imprisoned Dae-su for fifteen years so his daughter could grow up, and then used hypnosis to spark an attraction between the two. As a concerned father, Dae-su begs Woo-jin not to tell Mi-do the truth. As a gesture of goodwill, he cuts out his own tongue in front of Woo-jin. As Woo-jin agrees to his gesture of repentance, he kills himself. Dae-su asks himself, “After my revenge will I be able to go back to the old Dae-su?” Woo-jin says revenge is good for your health but it is clearly shown in the movie that is not the case. What happens when the revenge is complete? Will those old painful feelings return? Perhaps the only real salvation is to forget. After Dae-su finds out about the whole daughter's situation, he asks the hypnotist to help him forget his secret and kill “the monster. The ending is ambiguous. Dae-su smiles, but his smile quickly fades into a frown.
Throughout the movie, mirrors are symbolled as the truth is portrayed as the plot of the movie progresses. The reason is that throughout the movie, mirrors are featured prominently in the film. Dae-su tries to kill himself using glass from a mirror. When Dae-su confronts Woo-jin, he is shown in a mirror. Woo-jin’s sister uses a mirror to see Dae-su spying on her. Dae-su’s face is reflected at the end of the photo album. During the final hypnotism, Dae-su sees the monster’s reflection in the window. These mirrors indicate the fragmentation of the self which can be distressing.
Oldboy tells an interesting story about Dae-su and helps us understand how important the truth is to us. More than revenge, the truth can be the more demeaning part about oneself. Even though the truth sets you free, it can haunt you from realizing the mistakes you have done. In Dae-su’s story, he wanted to be hypnotized and lose the memory of the truth that was revealed to him. How you deal with the truth is an important decision that builds character and personality. Simply ignoring or avoiding the truth in this case, helped Dae-su be able to live with himself. Was that the right thing to do?
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