Extreme

I think it's a credit to Fruit Chan that this relatively innocuous image still make me sick to my stomach. I am compelled to write about this film because it's somehow still unresolved in my mind. On Monday, All Hallow's Eve, I saw Three Extremes, a horror film triptych of sorts... it consists three short films by three different accomplished Asian directors (one Chinese, one Korean, and one Japanese.) The still above is from the first if the three films, "Dumplings". On the one hand, none of the films resort to traditional scare tactics used by many horror movies, but they also manage to skirt psychological terror (the other sub-genre of horror), and move into the realm of the semi-surreal. Yet the situations of the film are so grounded in real life tragedy, that one couldn't classify them as purely surreal.

I can't say much about the events of "Dumplings" (obviously the Chinese one, directed by Fruit Chan) without simultaneously giving away the whole premise and making myself retch. This film really bothered me... a lot. It definitely smashes political correctness in the face, which I fully support, but I fear it begins to trivialize two really sensitive subjects (which, again, I can't mention.) This is the type of movie that would be instantly banned, were it legal to do so. That said, it succeeds in being incredibly creepy, and genuinely horrifying. However, if you are the type of person that enjoys a good scare, it will not give you that satisfaction you get from making it through a good frightfest.


The second one, "Cut" (the Korean one, directed by Chan-Woo Park) is visually interesting and uncomfortably funny, in a "I-know-this-is-a-tragic-and-frightening-situation-yet-I-can't-help-but-laugh" kind of way. This was my favorite of the three, although I still don't exactly understand what happened in the last few minutes. Although, walking out of the theater, I said I never wanted to see these again... I think I may want to give this one another try to see if I can figure out what happened. Check out the picture though, and although you won't know exactly what's going on, you can definitely feel the tension, and see the visual attraction.

And then there's Miike's "Box". Oh, Takashi... you've let me down. Don't get me wrong, your film is really good. Perhaps a bit too muddled and unnecessarily cryptic, with an overdose of dream sequences and metaphors, but so was Memento, and that got nominated for all sorts of awards. But what happened to the kitsch and the gore. There's no dismemberment with the classic blood powerwashing, there's no random choreographed singing, and there's no gratuitous death sequences. Instead you invoke real-life issues such as sibling rivalry and child abuse. wtf, man? I feel let down. Fine, grumble mumble, you attempted artsy film with respectable results... you're the f-ing man, now bring back the kitsch.