Chan-wook Park’s big directorial break came in 2002 with the film Sympathy For Mr Vengeance. This established him as one of the biggest directors in Korea in particular. Sympathy For Mr Vengeance was followed by Oldboy in 2003 and then Sympathy For Lady Vengeance in 2005 completely the Vengeance Trilogy.
It has been noted that there is often a problem when trying to examine a non-western film using ideas of european psychoanalysis because the contrast in the cultures and backgrounds could lead to misinterpretation. However Chan-wook Park’s knowledge of european philosophy and his interest in western films has allowed him to engage tropes in his films that span both western and eastern cultures.
The film shows many elements that lend themselves to psychoanalytic interpretation. It is often unclear if what the audience are watching is memories that Dae-Su is recalling or whether it is part of his hypnosis. Hypnosis is vital in misleading the audience and therefore instilling a sense of fear. In cases of hypnotism, Freud, Jung and Lacan suggested ‘The Talking Cure’ to help people reconnect with their unconscious and bring them back to a conscious state. A major part of the film hinges on what moments are real and which are hallucinations - these hallucinations that we see could also be representing symbols from Dae-Su’s unconscious as a result of hypnosis. Freud’s Uncanny can be used as an explanation here. To depict these confusing states Park turns to Surrealism in the film. For example, Dae-su is informed that he’ll be released into a field, a shot of his cell is then juxtaposed with a shot of grass. The camera zooms out and we see a red suitcase in the field, not too long after Dae-su falls out of the suitcase. This unnerves the viewer in a way that is reminiscent of the Surrealist tradition of filmmaking. After Dae-su falls out of the suitcase it is revealed that he is actually on a rooftop covered in grass. A number of shots follow this reveal including a man holding onto a dog who appears to be preparing to jump off the building, the next shot is of Dae-su preventing this suicide by clutching the man’s tie, and following this is a shot of Dae-su in a lift. Despite the fact that all of these images make sense, the fact that there is no continuity means that the audience cannot interpret the Surreal scenes. Shortly after this scene there is a scene that shows Dae-su eating a live octopus with flailing tentacles as a young woman called Mi-do looks on unconcerned. While this is unsettling to the western audience, it is seen as a delicacy in South Korea. However, this could also be pointing to Freud’s notion of the id and it’s animalistic instincts.
Another instance of the Uncanny is evident when an ant is seem running up Dae-su’s arm. This then becomes three, a dozen until the camera shows his entire face is crawling with ants which makes the audience recoil and feel uncomfortable. The only logical assumption is that this is another hallucination of Dae-su’s. The use of insects is disorientating and much like the octopus, avoids rational interpretation. Similar to dreams, these incidents throw off the audience so that the Uncanny prevails.
Dae-su often shows behaviour similar to the id throughout Oldboy. For example, he gets drunk on his daughter’s birthday, steals a woman’s sunglasses and then forces himself upon Mi-do sexually. This shows that he has an urge to act upon his impulses without much remorse. This also correlates to Jung’s archetype of the persona and the shadow, implying that it is his shadow side that tells him to give into the urges. However, at the end of the film, Dae-su realises many of the horrible things that he has done and offers atonement for his wrong-doings. This could illustrate his persona trying to learn from these events in order to ascertain a sense of guilt and empathy. The significance of the high-school trauma echoes throughout Oldboy and could be used to highlight Freud’s theory of the Oedipal phase. It is revealed throughout the film that both Dae-su and Mi-do have been conditioned to respond to a hypnotic suggestion which unknowingly causes them to commit incestuous acts. This fulfils Woo-jin’s plan for vengeance on Dae-su, for unwittingly leading his sister - who he was involved in an incestuous relationship with - to commit suicide. The Oedipus complex sheds light on this aspect of the film. In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, Oedipus blinds himself once he reaches the realisation of what he has done. This is reflected in Oldboy as Dae-su in a complete state of repulsion, cuts out his own tongue. This also symbolises his pledge of silence and a plea to Woo-jin not to reveal the truth to Mi-do. Through this act of silencing himself, Dae-su shows recognition and guilt for what he did to Soo-ah and Woo-jin.
In one last attempt to control his ‘shadow’ or id personality, Dae-su asks the hypnotist to help him forget what happened between him and Mi-do. Dae-su sees a reflection of himself in the window and the hypnotist asks him to acknowledge his reflection as the monster within himself. The audience is led to believe that by acknowledging his shadow side, Dae-su enables his own persona to take control, therefore hypnosis is presented as a positive cure. After this scene we see Dae-su talking to the hypnotist in the snow and although it is unclear what the context of this scene is, the snow could be suggestive of a fresh start. We then see Mi-do tell Dae-su that she loves him and a smile from Dae-su may either signify his hope for a sexual reunion or recognition of a bond between the two. It is unclear whether he remembers what happened between them or if he knows who Mi-do is. The nature of the ending, positive or negative, is left completely open to audience interpretation and allows for much conversation about the film.
I think that at the end of Oldboy, the hypnotism failed in getting Dae-su to forget what occurred between him and Mi-do. I believe that he chose to continue on with Mi-do because the shadow part of himself was not defeated after all. I prefer this interpretation of the ending because it means that Dae-su is still paying for all of the wrong-doings that he did, not only to Woo-jin and his sister, but to everyone else that he hurt.
While Chan-wook Park is experienced and has the knowledge to apply incidents of the Uncanny to both Western and Eastern audiences I believe that some of the instances of the Uncanny may be more unsettling to Western audiences because they do not understand some of the Korean culture, for example, my least favourite scene was Dae-su gorging on the Octopus whereas it is seen as a delicacy in South Korea, which shows that culture does make a difference when witnessing the Uncanny.
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