You could watch all of Oldboy and be completely unimpressed by most of it. I wouldn’t be all that upset or surprised either (I’d disagree, though I understand it’s not for everyone), but I’d wager that it’s impossible for anyone to witness the iconic hallway fight scene and walk away without a blown mind. The premise of the scene as it fits into the plot of the movie isn’t terribly relevant, or maybe that’s just what I think since the story escapes me, even as I re-read online descriptions of it. What matters here are the protagonist who is a man essentially backed into a corner, both in the scene and in his narrative, and the action that results from one man taking on a hallway full of henchmen.
Once again, we have a three-minute continuous take, but rather than a camera sweeping in and out of rooms, it’s all in one long corridor with intricately choreographed fighting. Our hero is armed with only a hammer, and at one point gets a knife jammed in his back, but each time he seems to be put out, he comes back with even more fury. It’s incredible not only how realistically the action works, but the physical performance, especially the wonderful touch of doubling over from sheer exhaustion, stands out in particular. With a Spike Lee-directed remake set for release in November, we’ll have to wait and see if there’s any attempt to recreate such an incredible visual sequence.
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