Japanese horror flick 'Ju-On' convoluted but popular
By Kevin Crust
Los Angeles Times
 |
| "Ju-On"
R, for some disturbing images 92 minutes |
The first two movies in this series were shot and released on video in 2000 as "Ju-On" aka "Ju-On: The Curse" and "Ju-On 2" aka "Ju-On: The Curse 2" and were big hits in Japan and have a cult following internationally with fans of Asian cinema. This film was actually called "Ju-On: The Grudge" and was followed by "Ju-On: The Grudge 2," both released in 2003 — however — for the U.S. release, it is simply titled "Ju-On" and the American remake is called "The Grudge." Got that?
Good, because that's nothing compared to the convoluted plots of the films, each revolving around a horrific event in the same house and the continuing curse that befalls it. The four Japanese films are each variants on one another and not, strictly speaking, sequels. In fact, the films are closer to being remakes, made up of sequences of scenes separated by title cards each referring to one of the characters. The sequences repeat various stylistic motifs and jump around in time intentionally muddying the chronology.
"Ju-On" (or the third "Ju-On," if you must) opens with a series of grisly, grainy shots of a family covered in blood. This is the most stylish part of the film visually and Shimizu then moves to a more realistic look.
A young home-care worker named Rika (Megumi Okina) is sent to the normal looking house in a quiet neighborhood to check on an elderly woman living with her son and daughter-in-law. When Rika arrives, the woman is on the floor and in shock, obviously terrified of someone or something. The house is disheveled and there is no sign of either the son or daughter-in-law. Rika hears noises and goes upstairs to investigate.
To reveal anymore about the plot would be a spoiler, and suffice it to say that what follows is indeed scary. However, the repetitious, episodic nature of the film's structure seems to unnecessarily alleviate the building tension making it a far less frightening film than it might have been.
The production values are predictably low-key and some of the effects are fairly cheesy. Aficionados of Japanese horror may enjoy scrutinizing the variations Shimizu applies to each of the sequences and trying to make sense of the plot, but it could be rough going for others.
