Tonight, I watched the original version of "Old Boy" again. The Korean version is more emotional and artistic, while the American version is more logical and focused on scenes. The Korean version of the music adds a lot to the atmosphere for the film. At the same time, it uses a large number of protagonist monologues to unfold the story, as well as the use of many prophetic sentences and "Thesis" quotes, as well as the use of ant hallucinations. The film casts a bit of mystery, and the villain, as a direct participant in the middle school story, is more in line with such a deep heart of revenge. The father and daughter love each other because of arrangements and hypnosis. This incest is caused by external forces, and the villain’s incest is naturally produced. Although it is rejected by the world’s ethics, in the music and the picture, the creator recognizes this love. Yes, but judging from the repeated words of the male protagonist that your son is also your nephew, there is also the entanglement of this kind of incestuous love in the film. In the Korean version of the ending, the tongue-tied man cut his tongue during the infinite pain of incest, but was finally released during hypnosis and finally stayed with his daughter. Recall the sentence emphasized at the beginning and the end of the film, "Even if it is a beast, is it not qualified to survive?" This is also the creator's tacit consent to incest. Even if it is evil, true love can exist. In addition, throughout the movie, the two Avengers are all because of love, love with sister, love with wife, love with daughter, these loves are bleak and beautiful.
The US version of the film rearranges the entire logical clues, and the whole story appears more coherent and in line with reality. The umbrella woman was used as a clue to the whole revenge, and explained the reason why the male protagonist did not know his daughter in more detail. The male protagonist and his daughter are more like in an arranged meeting because of the blood relationship, but they did not expect it at all. It is the possibility of a father and a daughter that has fallen into the trap of the villain. The whole movie is closely linked step by step, very coherent. In the film, the performance of the oppressive situation of the male protagonist when he was imprisoned is more reflected through some realistic performances and actions, such as mice, blood-red bandages for boxing and pillowcases painted with blood. However, the ending of the American version lacks the hero's defensive line completely collapsed and gave up dignity and self-harm, and only expresses his pain through wailing. In the ending, the villain's appreciation of the results of his revenge is more prominent. The music plays and the villain opens his arms. Embracing the ending of revenge that you have created by yourself is like appreciating the artwork made by yourself. There is enjoyment in the expression, and it is a kind of relief, the pleasure of finally being free from the shadow of revenge. People resounded of the perverted police officer in "This Killer Isn't Too Cold". In the end, the male protagonist returned to the prison where he was imprisoned, and the female protagonist survived in ignorance, implying that she alone resisted all the crimes and punishments. Judging from the plot of the American version, including the hastily taking of the villain’s father and his sister’s incest romance, the tragic ending of the villain’s family, and the final departure of the male protagonist who is quite different from the Korean version, the creator or the American culture’s incest behavior His extreme repulsion, has no doubt about whether there is true love in it, it is completely a bad fate. In contrast to the Korean version’s prominence of love, the American version of "Old Boy" favors family affection. The villain takes revenge for being destroyed, the father takes revenge for his daughter’s affection, and the male protagonist writes to his daughter. For my daughter... Maybe the author hopes to embody this tragedy through the huge contrast between this love and the subsequent incest harm.
In fact, there is another difference between the two versions is the portrait in the prison. The Korean version has a messy head. When it is written, everyone smiles, but one sheds tears when crying. The American version is the image of a black hip-hop. The Korean version of the cell creates an atmosphere of fear and depression, while the US version is slightly mocking and trampling on human nature. This is also a manifestation of the cultural differences between Korea and the United States.
Finally, the commonality of the two films, and the most unchanged essence in the plot, is this revenge. "It is not terrible to answer the wrong question. The terrible thing is that if you ask the wrong question, then you will never get the correct answer." The male lead was locked in, he kept wondering why he was locked up, and added the villain after he came out. If Ruo can answer the two questions for the guidance, he didn't think about the reason why he was imprisoned for a lifetime, but came out 15 years later. In fact, these words are also telling the audience that revenge is more than that.
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