IFFR 2010: POSSESSED a.k.a. 불신지옥 Review
(This review was published back in October '09 when the film was about to be released on DVD. I'm reposting it now because it played at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, where it garnered itself an audience rating of 3.6 out of 5...)
The herons are not what they seem!
Even though the marketing hints at yet another long-haired ghost movie made to cash in on the decade-old successes of "Ringu" and "The Grudge", Lee Yong-Ju's "Possessed" isn't that at all. In fact, his film is much more intelligent than any of those clones and certainly much more ambitious.
"Possessed" focuses on several people and how each of them handles their contact with a possibly supernatural power. And while this approach may not make it the scariest of movies, this film manages to stay quite eerie throughout its running time.
And Lee scores points by allowing his audience time to reflect on what is happening instead of pummeling them with fake scares, more evidence he placed thought over horror. It's a bold direction which may disappoint thrillseekers, but will pleasantly surprise those looking for a somewhat heartier meal.
The Plot:
Hee-Jin returns home to her mother when her young sister So-Jin has gone missing. So-Jin never fully recovered mentally from the car crash which killed their father, so Hee-Jin is worried sick. Their fanatically Christian mother on the other hand staunchly refuses to do anything but pray to God and hasn't even called the police yet. When Hee-Jin does involve a police detective he treats the situation as a regular runaway-case, and assumes the girl will return home soon by herself.
But when people living in the same building start committing suicide, each time leaving notes apologizing to So-Jin, both the detective and Hee-Jin start to investigate the circumstances surrounding the girl's disappearance. And soon they are confronted with evidence that So-Jin had developed special abilities like fortune-telling and faith-healing.
Different people have different interpretations of these powers though: according to her mother So-Jin is a savior sent by God, but others think she is possessed by an evil spirit while a local shaman has yet another take on this story. Both Hee-Jin and the police detective will have to evaluate what they themselves believe.
The Movie:
Horror can be used as a metaphor for a good many things (just ask David Cronenberg), but Lee Yong-Ju's "Possessed" works the other way round. It uses a horrific situation (the titular possession) to take a closer look at how people deal with such a thing. And the answer is not as simple as "run away, yelling" because this particular brand of possession has benefits as well as scares.
Say you met God in the flesh. What would you do? According to Lee Yong-Ju, without belief you'd be incredulous or offended. With only a little belief you'd tentatively ask God for proof, or ask for help, or even try to trick Him into doing something for you. But with full unquestioning belief the only outcome of such a meeting is despair and at best you are reduced to begging for mercy.
"Possessed" also states that non-belief is a luxury only awarded to the happy few who want nothing. The moment you start yearning for something badly enough, be it a longer life for yourself or your sick child being healed, you will grasp for anything no matter how unbelievable.
Making a horrorfilm based on such lofty themes could make for some very pretentious filmmaking but Lee deftly avoids that trap by keeping his film entertaining enough to hold your attention. Hee-Jin's search for the truth (or should that be The Truth?) unfolds as a detective novel and after a while I noticed that I was fascinated by the story. A far cry from the shock and disgust that are more common in horror! The mythology Lee uses for the "possession" is not one I've seen used often, making the film a lot more interesting than if he had used, say, a standard angry ghost.
And "Possessed" also looks good. There are a few cleverly composited setpieces in it, but my favorite moment is when Hee-Jin sits down on a bench and spots a heron walking towards her. Having lived in the Dutch swamplands since birth, I see herons on a daily basis and never fail to notice how striking these majestic birds are. And Lee Yong-Ju nails that feeling. It's a deceptively simple shot in the film but it does have impact and even supports the plot.
Acting is strong with all leads performing above-decently. The police detectives are shown a bit as caricatures but just when you think the film is slipping, a strong scene will appear which allows even those characters to shine. It all helps the viewer to focus on the story and its central questions.
Conclusion:
Director Lee Yong-Ju has delivered a very good debut film with "Possessed". He shows he is not afraid to pose serious questions even in what most people would count as a "genre"-flick and at the same he manages to keep you glued to the screen.
In general I am fed up with Asian horror but this film is a fine example why you should never generalize. It's a solid entry with an interesting premise and well worth checking out. Highly recommended!
X likes this movie too! His review:
