"Clarity" Treatment

In a forest, a boy, sitting on a log in a clearing, ponders his existence. Things are always the same. He thinks of the torture, the pain, the anguish of his everyday life. He considers the teasing and the bullying, the pressure, and the ennui. But most of all, he dwells on the loneliness. He has no friends, no companions, not even any acquaintances. He's a loner--he, himself, and him, all alone in this cold world.

In town, the boy, sitting in a chair in the school office, ponders his existence. Noting a flier for a local group therapy session, he scoffs. No one understands his struggle. No one can relate to him. Hell, no one even tries. He's a loner--he, himself, and him, all alone in this cold world.

In the forest, just like every day, the boy approaches his log. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees something new. A carving on a tree. Long ago, in despair, he had carved a note reflecting his feelings. However, what he saw was not what he remembered. A new mark. Just two words: "What's wrong?"

A flurry of emotion sweeps over him. Embarrassment, relief, doubt, clarity, happiness, sadness. But most of all, confusion. He looked around. Had someone really found his spot? What did they want? Did they really care? Did someone... care?

Oral Research Part 4 - Narrative

IV 

The five minute excerpt which I've chosen to analyze takes place from 1:07:37 to 1:12:37. Here, Dae-su and Mi-do trace their target's clues to Dae-su's old school, Evergreen High School, where he and the antagonist--discovered to be his former classmate Lee Woo-jin--were fellow "Old Boys" (that being the school's mascot). Dae-su's investigation and cell-phone conversation with high school friend Joo-hwan digress into a discussion of Woo-jin's sister, Soo-ah, and her whorish ways. Enraged, Woo-jin, who had been listening during the entire conversation, murders Joo-hwan. Both hero and villain subsequently suffer emotional breakdowns.

I chose this section because it serves as a sort of transition from the mystery "whodunit" atmosphere of the Oldboy's second act into the third act, in which Dae-su gains his vengeance and redemption. In creating this scene, director Park Chan-wook incorporates nearly all of the film's most prominent themes as well as some of its most genius screenwriting, beautiful cinematography, engaging score, and fantastic performances.

The significance of this selection as far as the overall narrative is that it bridges the gap between the film's mystery and its resolution. Dae-su and his companion Mi-do, in the beginning of the scene, follow the antagonist's clues to his alma mater, where they discover the identity of Dae-su's imprisoner. Woo-jin's motive is hinted at but not revealed in its entirety as he has an emotional outburst at the implication that his sister was, to put it appropriately, very sexually active.