30 quotes
A Promise of Vengeance and Retribution
Oh Dae-su
I will avenge for my fifteen years... for every tooth I pull out...you will age by one year.
[''Dae-Su to the man owing the complex where he was imprisoned'']
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Confronting Truth and Defeat in Oldboy
Oh Dae-su
Erasing my memory and telling me to find the truth was cowardly. I won. So die like you promised.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Transformation into a monster
Oh Dae-su
I have truly become a monster...
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Burden of Time and Endurance
Oh Dae-su
If they had told me it was going to be fifteen years, would it have been easier to endure?
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Right to Live Despite Imperfection
Oh Dae-su
Even though I'm no better than a beast, don't I have the right to live?
[''The hypnotist quoting a line from his journal'']
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Reflection on Love and Length of Time
Oh Dae-su
] ]s to a pop star onscreen] ... and your lover. But... my lover's song is too short.
[[w:Television addiction|The TV is both a clock and a calendar. It's your school, your home, your church, your friend...; Dae-su [[w:masturbate|masturbate]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Connection Between Melody and Sleep
Oh Dae-su
When the melody turns on, gas comes out. When the gas comes out, I fall asleep. I found out later it's the same ] ] on ] ]s.
[[w:Kolokol-1|Valium gas; [w:Federal Security Service|the Russians used; [w:Guerrilla phase of the Second Chechen War|those Chechen; [w:terrorist|terrorist]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Betrayal and Misunderstanding in Oldboy
Woo-jin Lee
Your tongue got my sister ]! It wasn't Woo-jin Lee's dick; it was Dae-su Oh's tongue!
[[w:pregnant|pregnant]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
A Vow for Revenge and Justice
Oh Dae-su
No...first I have to kill the bastard!
[''Responding in his mind to Mido about visiting his wife's grave'']
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
A Plea for Mido's Protection
Oh Dae-su
Please. Don't tell Mido. What has she done wrong? You know it was all my fault... I have committed an unforgivable sin, against your sister. And I also... did you wrong. But, please leave Mido alone... If by any chance Mido finds out the truth, you son of a bitch, I'll tear you limb from limb. And your remains will never be found. Why? Because I'm going to swallow every last bit.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Confronting the Consequences of Creation
Woo-jin Lee
You really are the very monster I created, aren't you? But you won't find out the "why" of this if you kill me. Fifteen years of being curious would go to waste.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Fifteen Years of Imprisonment, Five Days of Vengeance
Taglines
15 years of imprisonment, five days of vengeance
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Loss of Joy and Purpose
Woo-jin Lee
And now... now, what joy will I have left to live for?
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Confrontation's Conclusion: A Life at Stake
Taglines
End of confrontation, one must die.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Futility of Imaginary Training
Oh Dae-su
Can fifteen years of imaginary training really be put to use? No. It can't.
[''Dae-su tries to sexually assault Mi-do and gets clobbered'']
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Importance of Television in Uncertainty
Oh Dae-su
If you see a man whose face is hidden behind a violet umbrella...then... my advice is that you become good friends with Television.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Call for Participation in the Room
Oh Dae-su
Anyone here with an ], raise your hand.
[''To a mob of thugs in hallway''; [w:ABO blood group system|AB blood type; ''Three thugs raise their hands'']
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Desire for Freedom and Escape
Oh Dae-su
One month...I'm out in one month...One month, just one month...I'm out in one month! What if I am on the 50th floor? I don't care if I fall right down on the ground...I would still be out!
[''When licking his hands touched by the first raindrops he felt in 15 years after digging with a chopstick through the wall'']
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Reflections on Sin and Simplicity
Oh Dae-su
I thought I'd lived a simple ]. But I've sinned too much.
[[w:life|life]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Equal Weight of All in Water
Woo-jin Lee
Remember this: "Be it a rock or a grain of sand, in water they sink as the same.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Struggles with Social Connections
Oh Dae-su
As I expected, I can't get along with anyone today either.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Significance of Why Over What
Woo-jin Lee
What I am isn't important. Why is important.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Desire for Unconventional Food Choices
Oh Dae-su
I said... I want to eat something alive.
[''Before eating a live octopus and then faints at sushi bar counter'']
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Solitude of Sorrow and Shared Joy
Oh Dae-su
Laugh, and the world laughs with you... weep, and you weep alone.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Imprisonment and the Quest for Revenge
Taglines
Imprisoned for 15 years... ...5 days to seek revenge
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Value of Long-Term Preparation
Oh Dae-su
Can fifteen years of imaginary training really be put to use? Apparently, it can.
[''Dae-su fights a gang of thugs'']
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Silence is often more powerful than words
Woo-jin Lee
Oh Dae-su talks too much.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Importance of Asking the Right Questions
Woo-jin Lee
Your gravest mistake wasn't failing to find the answer. You can't find the right answer if you ask the wrong questions.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Reflections on Life and Growth
Woo-jin Lee
How's life in a bigger ], Dae-su?
[[w:prison|prison]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
A Vow of Revenge through Violence
Woo-jin Lee
I'm going to kill every woman you love until you die. You're notorious for not protecting your women.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.