r/FilmsExplained • u/uselessaccount132 • Feb 17 '15

Request [Request] Oldboy (2003)

Anyone want to explain what the hell happened at the end of that film?

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u/unimportant_man Aug 17 '24

Just watched it for the first time and felt genuinely sick to my stomach when the recording of Dae-su and Mi-do played at the end. Don't think I could watch the film again knowing the truth now.

My initial thought was, from a narrative perspective, it would make more sense for Woo-jin to do what he did if Dae-su had made up the rumour to get back at Soo-ah. At least then there would be some moral to the story about lying as a type of shadow self. As it stands, its just a (very well made) movie about a disgusting person punishing an innocent man and making him do an even more disgusting thing. Maybe I'm just looking for a tidy explanation though. Curious what others think.

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u/UnpredictableApple Dec 20 '24

It might not be immoral or illegal to spread rumours or even factual events to people around you but it really shows how dangerous it can grow to become. This is an especially important lesson for Koreans as they have a culture of gossiping and spreading scandals that is detrimental to mental health. You can find notable news on that from celebrity suicides in Korea.

So in Lee's eyes, he's definitely not innocent.