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Cast:
Megumi
Okina
Misaki
Ito
Kanji
Tsuda
Misa
Uehara
Takako
Fuji
Yuya
Oseki
Aki
Fujii
Producer:
Takashige
Ichise
Director:
Takashi
Shimizu
Score:
 
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JU-ON
AKA:
Ju-On: The Grudge
Year:
2002 Reviewer: Rob
Daniel
Japan
continues its reign over horror cinema with 'Ju-on', a massive
hit in its home country that is set to repeat 'Ring's
international success; the obligatory Hollywood remake has
retained director Shimizu and adds Buffy herself, Sarah
Michelle Gellar.
Despite
being the first theatrically released 'Ju-on' film, this is
actually the third instalment of the series, following on from
two straight-to-video predecessors.
But,
'Ju-on' can be taken as a stand-alone movie as writer/director
Shimizu is less concerned with plot logic than with capturing
the mind-bending nature of true terror.
Largely and unashamedly indebted to 'Ring's brand of
disquieting dread, 'Ju-on' offers a family of ghouls to
challenge the petrifying Sadako's fear factor
Rika,
a volunteer social worker, is sent to look in on an elderly
lady living with her son and his wife.
Rika finds the house filthy and abandoned except for
the old woman, but soon discovers an unnerving young boy
hiding in a cupboard and is soon subjected to a series of
chilling shocks.
But,
Shimizu is not content to retread the "vulnerable young
woman sleuthing the supernatural" plots of 'Ring', 'Dark
Water' or the Korean 'Phone' to name just three.
He ambitiously presents a film with no main characters,
and no guarantee who will survive as the closing credits
crawl.
Through
six chapters, named after six different characters, the
mystery of the vengeful spirits and the house's murderous
history is slowly pieced together.
But, Shimizu refuses to provide definite answers for
the ghosts' rage, which will frustrate those looking for pat
resolutions. Instead
'Ju-on' ambitiously flashing backwards and forwards in
time amongst six different people, including a policeman, a
businessman, and a schoolgirl, all connected in some way and
who, virus-like, pass on the haunting.
Shimizu,
who in the credits name-checks his Tokyo Film School mentors
Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Hiroshi Takahashi (respectively the
director of the unnerving 'Cure' and the writer of 'Ring'),
mounts a series of terrifying moments from the outset, using
deceptively naturalistic set-ups that reveal hidden dangers in
the corners of the frame or glimpses of the malevolent
spirits, complemented by a disturbing, anguished soundtrack.
Then, with the ease of a grand master he suddenly moves
his demonic apparitions out into clear view, mercilessly
disproving the adage that what isn't seen will be scarier than
what is.
Following
on from 'Ring', Shimizu includes one scary piece of video
footage and some ominously prophetic photographs and has his
unquiet spirits move with Sadako's jerky shuffles, and
references 'The Exorcist's spider-walk during the climax, but
this is more than mere copycat chills.
Expertly conveying the characters' dread as they
stumble into a horrific, chaotic vortex, 'Ju-on' recreates the
excited tension of watching a horror movie underage (a feeling
heightened in two scenes when characters hide beneath their
blankets as the ghosts advance on them).
'Ju-on'
also adds two fine fright-figures to Horror's hall of infamy
with the infant Toshio and his mother Kayoko, slain in the
house years previously. Oseki
and especially Fuji, whose crab-like crawl and maddened-eyed
stare are going to be homaged to death by lesser talents,
vividly bring these pale blue nightmares to life.
Elsewhere, the panicked living are well represented by
Japanese "name talent" Ito, Okina and Takeshi Kitano
regular Tsuda.
If
you think Japanese horror cinema is becoming mired in recently
coined cliché, or you simply love being scared, the
troubling, dreadful world of 'Ju-on' is required viewing.
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