Nov '17
Revisited Korean horror epic The Wailing (2016) the other night. Directed by Hong-jin Na, of The Chaser (2008) which I enjoyed and The Yellow Sea (2010), which I've not yet seen but probably should before too long. The Wailing begins as something of an infected horror. A small rural village is plagued with inexplicable rashes followed by violent mania, perhaps related to a mysterious Japanese gentleman who has taken up residence in a nearby forest. But the plot thickens instead of devolving into the usual carnage and sieges. Investigating police officer Jong-goo and his colleagues blunder about, and by the by his daughter Hyo-jin becomes afflicted, even seeming possessed. A shaman is summoned for help, but things are not to go simply or smoothly...
This is one of those horrors in which the supernatural is bound inextricably to ordinary human failing. Certainly the evil here is formidable, enigmatic, implacable, but the villagers wracked with gossip, superstition and xenophobia, cut off from civilisation, and police force hot headed but short on bravery, integrity or wisdom, are still more than helpful. And its also one of those horrors, fewer in number, in which that bond is worked through at leisure and without compromise. A good near two and a half hours long, and it makes use of it. This sort of thing can get to be a drag, gloomy, inevitable, not actually much fun, but the ever shifting plotting and multiplying mysteries of The Wailing give it considerable intrigue. It also has regular injections of creeps and tension, it may be thoughtful and measured of pace but it's no sedate to no key ambiguous arthouse picture. The thoughtful side, the scares and the pace all work together, always compelling, never allowing relaxation. Pacy action is just too much like easygoing fun for really effective horror in my book, at least not until a climax and then only for a little time. Here there is a definite quickening and climax, but as mentioned, no compromise. This is one that can be watched a few times to really get the measure of.
Everything is assembled with skill and played on point, the actors move with grim force through confusion and anger and fear and desperation, and tragic little flickers of understanding. The film looks great, it has its own lost little semi fantastical world even in what seems to be modern times. Early on and even throughout there are images of calm, stillness, natural beauty. Not just empty prettiness though, but a sense of a world where these things can happen, a world that abides but offers no respite.
This definitely won't be for everyone, and for my own tastes I perhaps could have gone for just a little more grue or freakishness on screen. But these are minor quibbles, this is one of the best horrors of recent years. Strongly recommended.
This is one of those horrors in which the supernatural is bound inextricably to ordinary human failing. Certainly the evil here is formidable, enigmatic, implacable, but the villagers wracked with gossip, superstition and xenophobia, cut off from civilisation, and police force hot headed but short on bravery, integrity or wisdom, are still more than helpful. And its also one of those horrors, fewer in number, in which that bond is worked through at leisure and without compromise. A good near two and a half hours long, and it makes use of it. This sort of thing can get to be a drag, gloomy, inevitable, not actually much fun, but the ever shifting plotting and multiplying mysteries of The Wailing give it considerable intrigue. It also has regular injections of creeps and tension, it may be thoughtful and measured of pace but it's no sedate to no key ambiguous arthouse picture. The thoughtful side, the scares and the pace all work together, always compelling, never allowing relaxation. Pacy action is just too much like easygoing fun for really effective horror in my book, at least not until a climax and then only for a little time. Here there is a definite quickening and climax, but as mentioned, no compromise. This is one that can be watched a few times to really get the measure of.
Everything is assembled with skill and played on point, the actors move with grim force through confusion and anger and fear and desperation, and tragic little flickers of understanding. The film looks great, it has its own lost little semi fantastical world even in what seems to be modern times. Early on and even throughout there are images of calm, stillness, natural beauty. Not just empty prettiness though, but a sense of a world where these things can happen, a world that abides but offers no respite.
This definitely won't be for everyone, and for my own tastes I perhaps could have gone for just a little more grue or freakishness on screen. But these are minor quibbles, this is one of the best horrors of recent years. Strongly recommended.
Dumplings is a feature length development of a short in the anthology film Three Extremes, which I've not seen. I did however know the secret of the dumplings beforehand, and was wary that the whole film was going to be a futile mystery. Fortunately it lets on almost from the start, whats important is not the shock but what's behind. The film has a potent take on the beauty industry, the way it feeds on and fuels deceit and delusion, insecurity and greed, drives disconnection and decay, in short is parasitic. The one child policy comes into it too, and the cruelty of folk medicine, and the people involved don't get off either, never really unwilling, with basic founding failings of love and fidelity. The style is slick, spare and coolly alluring, it doesn't shirk cringe making unpleasantness but only shows enough to have essential impact, not to turn into some schlocky gross out. There's morbid humour and erotic charge, drama, tension and sheer horror, deftly, even playfully handled. Some sense of an artist really enjoying their work. I'm not aware of anything else from director Fruit Chan but I'm rather interested now.
Miriam Yeung as Mrs Li and Bai Ling as Auntie Mei are excellent, giving not just credibility to proceedings but a real humanity and vulnerability. There's always a danger with this kind of film that it can feel callow, too cynical, too intellectualised, but they bring it back. The rest of the cast of the cast are solid too, including Tony Ka Fai Leung as the adulterous Mr Li.
This all would be quite excellent, but actually it doesn't entirely come off. Basically, the secret of the dumplings is absurdly horrible, to a degree usually seen in either juvenile schlock or the darkest of grotesque satire. Dumplings is largely serious, but a little difficult to take seriously because one can never quite believe it. Also, while the plot does develop, it doesn't do quite enough and the film never quite builds up a full head of steam. The tension doesn't really go anywhere, and the ending is a bit limp. So while there's much to enjoy, it doesn't totally satisfy.
Still recommended though.