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A Tale of Two Sisters (Janghwa, Hongryeon)Director: Kim Ji-woon Rating: MA 115 min (feature only) Aztec International In horror-movie terms, Korea may be the new Japan. They've given us the conventional but very satisfying 'The Phone', the superbly unnerving 'Uninvited', the subtle 'The Ghost'. Now, from director Kim Ji-woon (perhaps best known for his chapter in the pan-Asian horror omnibus 'Three') we have 'A Tale of Two Sisters', based on a Korean folktale (similar to the European 'Snow White & Rose Red') about two sisters at the mercy of their wicked stepmother. Su-mi and Su-yeon return from an extended stay away to find their stepmother Eun-ju reigning ascendant over their home; their distant father turns a blind eye to her cruelty to Su-yeon. Su-mi begins to realize that they have more to worry about than Eun-ju, however, as she is haunted by terrifying nightmares and uncanny events. '...Two Sisters' isn't really a horror film - rather, it's suspense with horror elements - but it is genuinely scary at times. It doesn't have much in common with better-known J-horror shockers like 'Ju-on' and 'Ringu' (although it does employ the woman-with-long-black-hair-covering-her-face figure, like so many others). It's surreal and atmospheric, more like 'Memento' or 'Picnic At Hanging Rock'. The film's non-linear, open-ended storyline is potentially confusing and it requires a real commitment on the part of the viewer to piece together the plot, but ultimately it's very rewarding. Visually, it's awesome: superbly, effortlessly Gothic to a degree that most European directors couldn't hope to achieve. The house at the centre of the story is stunning, an odd mix of Eastern architecture and oppressively ornate William Morris-style fittings, illustrating the culturally-transcendent nature of the myth. Yum Jung-ah gives a taut performance as the (literally, this time) archetypal wicked stepmother Eun-ju, tightly reining in her hysteria. The whole film rests on the young and slender shoulders of Lim Su-jeong as older sister Su-mi, as the central narrative figure, and she holds up well. Younger sister Su-yeon (Mun Geun-yeong) is so defenseless and adorable she would rouse the protective ire of even the hardest heart. Kim Kap-su, as emotionally distant father Mu-hyeon, is also effective: unnervingly blank and absent, most of the time. The DVD is a nice package, combining the film with a wealth of supplementary material, including interviews with the director and actors and a making-of documentary. There's an American re-make in the works (yet again - this is the worst example of plunder since England looted the treasures of Ancient Egypt and carried them back to the British Museum). It's almost certain to be awful: this is exactly the kind of film that major studios can't do.  |
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