[Confession] The Wailing
Let me start this confession by saying how mind fucked I was when I watched this. The Wailing, Directed and Written by Na Hong Jin, is a 2016 critically acclaimed Korean thriller that lets you think what the hell is happening in the movie even until the credits roll - and you don't know how happy I was at analyzing this.
Here is the synopsis of the movie:
The arrival of a mysterious stranger in a quiet rural village causes suspicion amongst the villagers- but as they begin killing each other for no apparent reason, that suspicion turns to panic. When the daughter of the investigating officer falls under the same savage spell, he calls in a shaman to assist in finding the culprit.. (c. imdb)
The first time I heard about The Wailing was from Infinity Challenge's Infinite Company mini drama, (whew tongue-twister) where the talented little girl Kim Hwan Hee (played as Hyo Jin) and the Japanese star Jun Kunimura (as the mysterious stranger) made a cameo appearance. Ha ha and Jun Ha were talking about how they watched the film The Wailing that stars those awesome people - and that got me curious.
In the unsettling rural village draws a Policeman (played by Kwak Do Won) to mysterious illnesses that makes the people have murderous tendencies. The Policeman feels that a Japanese man that mysteriously arrives in the village has a connection to these murders. But when his daughter starts getting the same symptoms these people have, he knew he had to find the root of all evil. He then encounters a mysterious woman (played by Chun Woo Hee) and tells all the things she knows about these murders like she's seen them but before she could further help, she disappears. That's the time he seek help to a shaman (played by Hwang Jung Min).
The Wailing delivers a dark atmosphere that emphasizes its intriguing mystery. Though the pacing were baby steps, it still reaches to its melting point before it explodes. I, for an instance, had numerous pauses and distractions before I finally completed it - it was lengthy (almost 3 hours), It could have been shorter if they choose to cut scenes instead of showing the whole thing and I almost had no faith if I really get what it wants to deliver. And alas, you need to have a little knowledge on eastern rituals and beliefs before you get the drift.
So when I'm confused, I endlessly search on explanations to understand. And finally understanding what the movie meant, it now sounds fascinating and for me. So the movie embeds bible, angel and demon shenanigans that can either guide or destroy us because it actually depends on our choices if we're going to give in to temptations. There were subtle clues and actions that the actors did that may have slipped past my radar and analyzing it right now makes me want to mentally slap my brain. The movie requires you to at least watch it more than once to truly value what it meant. The Wailing doesn't rely on jump scares fyi because what makes it so horrifying is the story itself.
I recommend this movie to thrill seekers and movie critiques because it impossible to turn off your brain while watching this. Makes you witty if you get the whole thing.
My Rating:
Plot: 8.7/10
Acting: 9.3/10
Cinematography: 9.5/10
Characters: 9.0/10
Uniqueness: 10/10
OVERALL RATING: 9.3