Oldboy (Chan-wook Park, 2003) Thoughts.

From all of the films recommended on the course, I found Oldboy to be the most interesting and the film I took the most away from. Oldboy is most notable for having one of the best long takes in any film which sees the protagonist Dae-su fight against a gang of people in a hallway.

The way that the scene is shot is especially memorable. Most films now have action scenes filled with quick edits that jump between angles and close ups as well as using 'shaky cam' in order to signify the intensity of the fight scene. Oldboy averts this by having a single shot track Dae-su as he makes his way through the hallway without a single switch. It's refreshing to see it and the side shot of the fight reminded me of a side-scrolling fighting game such as Final Fight or Street Fight which also conveys a character taking on many people with ease. 

The sound in the scene is also worth noting. The way that the Foley sound effects are mixed in with the real audio from the footage makes more a much more impactful experience and allows the audience to really feel every punch or kick thrown by the characters. Because we aren't distracted by constant cuts or shaky cam, we can also see every hit connect and, with the sound, makes for a satisfying fight sequence and one of the best long takes in any film.

In a very similar fashion, the recent Netflix series Daredevil showed off a action scene clearly inspired by Oldboy. This scene follows Matt Murdock under the guise of Daredevil break into a criminal hideout and the entire sequence is also one take. Even athsetically with the colours of the shot and the mixing of sound does it match Oldboy. The big difference between the two is the shot itself. Rather than sticking to a rail from the side, Daredevil looks down the hallway like someone's point of view and follows the action as it goes from room the room.