2003 ‘장화, 홍련’ Directed by Kim Jee-woon
A recently released patient from a mental institution returns home with her sister, only to face disturbing events between her stepmother and the ghosts haunting their house- all of which are connected to a dark past in the family's history.
Janghwa, Hongryeon, 2 soeurs, Két nővér, Dos hermanas, A Tale Of Two Sisters, Zwei Schwestern, Los poseidos
This has been in my queue for years. I thought I would adore this film because it is one of the most hyped films of the Korean New Wave and Kim Jee-woon is great but I think I messed up and saw this film 15 years too late. The style is definitely of its time. I can see the influence this film had on the last decade and a half of this genre -- especially the Blumhouse films like Insidious, Sinister, Conjuring, etc. So I wasn't swept away because I'm so used to the style now. Damn it.
Watched on Kanopy.
Btw, Kanopy is an amazing streaming platform that is free with a public library card. They have a great selection of films... perhaps the best in terms of diversity - classic, foreign, indie and new releasees. Kanopy is one of two platforms streaming this film - the other is Shudder.
Part of Hoop-Tober
“I’ll always be with you.”
In close-up, a man washes his hands carefully and repeatedly. His hands do not appear dirty. He has not, so far as we can tell, just used the toilet, nor is he preparing to eat or to engage in some practice necessitating sterility. He is merely awaiting a conversation. Nonetheless, he is fastidious about his washing. It is a curious image with which to begin Kim Jee-Woon’s A Tale of Two Sisters, but one that, eventually, makes a great deal of sense. For hand-washing, in the grand tradition of Pontius Pilate, is commonly associated with the cleansing of guilt, and guilt hangs over Kim’s picture like a deathly shroud.
Of course, hand-washing…
To all involved in the making of this film:
You're all a bunch of heartless bastards.
Sincerely,
Dirk's insomnia
Hoop-Tober, Film 17 of 31:
A complex film that utilizes the concept of non-linear filmmaking quite well, but is so intricately crafted that it might confuse some viewers. You'd be hard-pressed to find a horror film with a better combination of cinematography, editing and performances... but even calling this a horror film feels wrong. The ever-mobile camera juxtaposed with the gorgeous set design makes for a fantastic visual experience, and the sound design is just as well put together. There were at least a half dozen points during the film where a certain sound effect or scream or something sent a shiver down my spine and made my body tense up.
A Tale of Two Sisters has an impressive atmosphere…
A Tale of Two Sisters is another Asian horror that was unable to avoid the inevitable catastrophe; the American re-make. Thankfully those lucky enough to be aware of the original can still discover the horrifying delights of this film, in one of the best to come from the genre in the past decade or so. The film isn't without its problems however but the skilfully crafted atmosphere more than compensates for those issues.
There is no hurry to get to the heart of the story which is what makes this so effective. The idea is to play between the lines of the real and imaginary, while still managing to scare the pants off you. Monsters are shown early enough although…
One of the greatest films of all time, A Tale of Two Sisters remains one of the most brutally poignant and emotional works, not only out of South Korea, but globally.
My first Korean horror and was immediately hooked, turned out that all else failed in comparison.
A Tale of Two Sisters has been a long outstanding watchlist item for me, possibly almost as long as it’s been available in the U.S. I guess at some point, I saw the American re-make The Uninvited, but somewhere since I guess I forgot they were related.
Kim Jee-woon’s original is a very pretty and much better movie. Studied and formal, Kim delves into Hitchcockian confusion, playing off the recent mental breakdown of one of two sisters. Are these delusions? Or ghosts? Or something else? A gorgeous sense of unreality arises.
The Korean fairy tale from which Kim adapted has seen a slew of cinematic adaptations. I’m curious of how they measure up against this version.
One of the best Korean horror films ever made. A gut-punch that leaves you cold and helpless. It builds its horror around the pain only to burst into one of the most emotionally devastating twists in horror history. Classify this in horror films that will make you cry.
Got a little convoluted near the end but still fucked me up with the jump scares, and the twists.
I’m not going to pretend to understand everything that happened, but it did have a few genuinely terrifying moments. As with most Eastern horrors, it is first and foremost a drama, so keep that in mind while watching it.
Tobias Andersen 7,070 films
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updated: 2019-02-13
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