Unveiled: The Truth Behind Oldboy's 2013 Remake - Exclusive Insights from the Original Director
Revel in the gripping narrative of Oldboy 2003 as it prepares for an anticipated re-release on August 16 Uncover the stark contrast between the original masterpiece and Spike Lee's lackluster 2013 remake, leaving audiences yearning for the unparalleled brilliance of the former
Summary
Park Chan-wook feels honored that Spike Lee directed the Oldboy remake, as Lee is a director he respects and has been influenced by.
Park found the remake of his own story to be an odd experience - it felt both familiar and new, like seeing a familiar face.
Unfortunately, Lee's remake of Oldboy failed to measure up to the original in terms of critical acclaim, visual style, and emotional weight. As a result, it remains largely overlooked within Lee's body of work.
Oldboy director Park Chan-wook recently discussed his feelings about watching Spike Lee's 2013 remake of the film. Park's Oldboy, loosely based on a Japanese manga, tells the twisted tale of a man imprisoned for 15 years and seeking revenge after being released. The original film, released in 2003, received critical acclaim and was championed by Quentin Tarantino. However, the remake was directed by Lee and starred Josh Brolin. As the original Oldboy prepares for a 4k theatrical re-release, Park reflects on his experience watching Lee's version and expresses admiration for Lee while admitting to feeling a sense of strangeness seeing his own creation being reimagined.
I was initially highly esteemed that
Spike Lee’s Oldboy Falls Far Short Of The Original
by a director whom I hold in high regard and who has personally influenced me. Observing the film, it evoked a sense of eeriness as it portrays the story I have conceived, albeit in a different manner. It is akin to encountering a familiar countenance, yet tinged with novelty. ...Just like when one ventures into amusement parks and encounters the hall of mirrors, witnessing distorted reflections in peculiar mirrors, it was an enjoyable experience akin to that.
While Park's Oldboy emerged as the winner of the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, earning a reputation as an influential cult classic, Lee's remake received a mixed response (as evident from its 39% Rotten Tomatoes score), ultimately fading into obscurity within the extensive and impressive filmography of the director. Despite Lee's assertion that his Oldboy was a re-interpretation rather than a straightforward remake, the film borrowed heavily from Park's work, resulting in a feeble imitation that failed to contribute anything significant, either thematically or in terms of visual innovation, to the original version.
The original Oldboy is primarily known today for two aspects: its notable extended one-shot hallway fight scene, which has influenced numerous films including the recent Netflix movie Extraction 2, and its shocking plot twist involving incest. While Lee's adaptation maintains these crucial elements, it regrettably falls short in execution, lacking the visual style and emotional resonance achieved by Park's original film. Park, on his part, appears to be accepting of the alterations made by Lee in his rendition of Oldboy, describing the experience of watching it as "enjoyable" yet also "unsettling."
