This movie was released as an extra feature on an Oldboy DVD and it's on the current Blu-Ray release as well. I should say the original Korean Oldboy; I'm trying to pretend the remake didn't happen. Regardless, at three-and-a-half hours, it's substantially more than just an extra feature, which is why I'm posting a review of it. It begins on the first day of shooting and ends on the last; it is, bar none, the best thing I have ever seen about making a movie. It's exhaustive, as the running time suggests; I want to say, just going from my memory of the film, that we see all but one scene from the movie being shot, at least in snippets. There are some really long bits that are just incredibly engrossing. The shoot of the final scenes in New Zealand; the days spent shooting the climactic penthouse scenes, and, of course, the days spent creating the hallway fight scene. Oh, and the octopus scene. The film captures the brutal, punishing parts of making a film and the exhilirating, often hilarious parts as well. It is, of course, a necessity that you watch the film itself first, but that's no chore. But once you've finished the film, load up this documentary. It's a wonderful, compelling, consistently entertaining look at the creative endeavor of making a masterpiece. Great documentary. Highly recommended. 4 stars.
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Je n'aime pas dans les vieux films américains quand les conducteurs ne regardent pas la route. Et de ratage en ratage, on s'habitue à ne jamais dépasser le stade du brouillon. La vie n'est que l'interminable répétition d'une représentation qui n'aura jamais lieu.