Chills and thrills with a heart and brain
It’s a rarity to see a generic horror film with 2.5 hours of screen time. Only cult movies like a ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ or ‘The Shining’ would fit the bill perfectly because they’re mood pieces. After getting to know that the film has got rave reviews, I thought of watching it in spite of not being a horror movie fan. In fact, both the above factor got me curious to watch the movie. When something outside of your comfort zone impresses you, it’s a great feeling. ‘The Wailing’ almost did but I couldn’t conclusively say so.
The film has a typical South Korean opening with tired faces and not so beautiful setting. In fact, it very much reminds of ‘Memories of Murder’ with a tired police officer getting ready to go a murder spot. I’ve said time and again, the humor that Koreans induce in their films are terrific. Especially the sarcastic ones. Even though it’s a murder spot for which Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won) gets ready to go. He’s interrupted first by his wife, then by mother and then by kid who want him to eat, do household chores and get even excited about the murder because being in a village its something different for them from their routine.
Next up they see a naked woman in front of police station and go for another killing. This time its more horrific than the first one. Except for one woman with no name who keeps on throwing stone at them, there isn’t any clue which they get. She identifies the Japanese man as the ghost. Meanwhile a local hunter tells a story similar to that of what comes in Jong-goo’s dreams where he sees a man with red eyes eating a deer, raw.
Jong-goo and Hyo-jin (Kim Hwan-hee) along with his nephew, a Japanese-speaking deacon named Yang I-sam (Kim Do-yoon) go the Japanese strangers (Jun Kunimura) house to investigate. The environment is chilling. We get to know that he in fact would have done all the murders. On the way out they even spot Jong-goo’s daughter Hyo-jin’s (Kim Hwan-hee) shoe there which gets Jong-goo tensed. He leaves a fierce warning to the Japanese man to leave the place. That’s where the film looked like it intentionally got lengthier. Why couldn’t he just make him move out of there. The photos look like enough evidence to do so. He keeps telling him in spite of the Japanese man insulting him by not answering and burning the photographs.
But thanks to him, there is enough thrill moments. The first one involving the dog and the second one where Jong-goo’s gang come to kill him. Both are superbly shot adrenaline rushing moments. Add to it, the shaman scene was brilliant. May be for people in the west, all these could have been a cultural experience but being Indians, these are beaten to death concepts in our horror comedies. In spite of that, the scene still worked, thanks to the making and sound.
That shaman part comes at a good one hour before the climax. It’s only post that the film becomes monotonous. It’s understandable that they do not want to give a typical ending where all the forces act upon but what happens post that is a mundane man vs evil fight which at no point looks like something man would win.
The last part involving Moo-myeong (Chun Woo-hee), Il-gwang (Hwang Jung-min) and the Japanese stranger is a bit confusing as to who is whom and indeed becomes a fight amongst ghosts than between man vs ghost. The confusion I guess is intentional because till the end, I couldn’t identify who’s the real wrong doer. Also, I couldn’t identify Moo-myeong to be the girl who threw stones initially so I was surprised by her appearing all of the sudden. If I had known of that, the film would have been a still better experience.
constantscribbles 