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The ending of Oldboy (2003) is deliberately ambiguous regarding whether the hypnosis worked. Oh Dae-su asks the hypnotist to split his personality into two: 'Oh Dae-su' (who is ignorant of the incest) and 'The Monster' (who knows the truth), and for the Monster to die. In the final scene, Mi-do embraces him and says, 'I love you, Oh Dae-su.' He smiles, but the expression is painful and contorted, often interpreted as a grimace. Critical visual clues include his footprints in the snow; depending on the viewer's analysis, they may suggest the 'Monster' walked away (success) or that Dae-su followed the Monster's path (failure). Most critics and the director suggest the hypnosis likely failed or was incomplete, leaving him with the burden of the secret.
The effectiveness of the final hypnosis session at the end of Oldboy is intentionally ambiguous, but the specific details presented strongly suggest that it may have failed, or at the very least, left Oh Dae-su in a state of permanent confusion and pain—which serves as Lee Woo-jin's ultimate torture.
Here are the specific details of the conclusion:
Oh Dae-su sought out the female psychiatrist/hypnotist (the same woman who previously helped him in the elevator and who works for Lee Woo-jin) after Lee Woo-jin committed suicide. Lee Woo-jin's final act of revenge was achieved, but Oh Dae-su still wanted to protect his daughter, Mi-do, and relieve his own suffering.
The hypnosis was intended to completely erase Oh Dae-su's memory of the incestuous nature of his relationship with Mi-do, allowing him to continue living with her as his lover, but without the knowledge of their familial bond.
After the session, the scene cuts to Oh Dae-su wandering in the snow. Mi-do approaches him and embraces him, asking if he remembers her.
The film cuts to black immediately after his face contorts. The ambiguous ending leaves the audience to interpret if Oh Dae-su is doomed to:
Given the visual detail of his final, pained expression, the interpretation leans heavily toward the hypnosis being incomplete, ensuring that Oh Dae-su's suffering—Lee Woo-jin's final goal—is prolonged and perpetual.
The summary simplifies the hypnosis to a memory wipe, omitting the specific 'Monster' vs. 'Dae-su' split and the instruction for the Monster to die. This metaphor is central to the film's visual storytelling (footsteps).
The summary omits the visual clue of the footprints. In the final scene, footprints lead away from the hypnosis chair, but Dae-su is found at the end of them (or near them), leading to debates about whether 'The Monster' walked away or if Dae-su is the Monster.