A Tale of two sisters

The basics

Janghwa hongryeon is a 2003 south Korean horror film writer and is directed by kim ji-woon. It is both the highest- grossing Korean horror film to be screened in America in 2009. the original Korean folktale the sisters names are Janghwa and hongryeon (rose flower and red lotus) in the film they are su-mi and su-yeon which still means (rose and lotus) A tale of two sisters opened up very positive critical review and won best picture at the 2004 fantasorto.
Rating on rotten tomatoes meanwhile meteoritic scored the film 65 out of 100 meaning generally favourable reviews from 19 other critics.
Awards and nominations : the blue dragon award in 2003/ Brussels international festival of fantasy film in 2004/ chlotrudis award in 2006/ fant-asia film festival in 2004/ fantasporto in 2004/ gerardmer in 2004/ Pusan international/ screafest in 2003/sitges nomination in 2003.

Plot

The film opens with su-mi being brought to a psychiatrist. She is unresponsive until a picture of her family is shown to her. She is taken by her farther moo-hyeon, along with her timid sister, su-yeon. There, they are met by there difficult step mother, eun-joo.

During their stay, su-mi and su-yeon encounter a ghostly woman at night. Additionally, tensions grow worse between the sisters and eun-joo especially after bruises are discovered on su-yeons arms.

Later, at a dinner party a guest convulses. Eun-joo sees a girl under the kitchen sink and insists to moo-hyeon that strange events have become more frequent since su-mi and su-yeon returned. Her pet bird is slain and found in su-yeons bed. In a rage she locks su-yeon in the wardrobe, and after su-yeon is freed, moo-hyeon asks su-mi why she is making trouble. Su- mi insists that the step mother harasses su-yeon, locking her in the closet. Moo-hyeon informs her that su-yeon is dead, and that she is not getting better.

Su-mi wakes and believes her step mother has killed su-yeon and placed the body in a bag. A fight ensues between the two and su-mi is rendered unconscious. Moo-hyeon returns home to find an injured su-mi however the stepmother and the bag are nowhere to be found.

A flashback occurs, depicting su-mi as the step mother. Then, the real stepmother appears in front of su-mi it is revealed that all along su-yeon really has been dead and the step mother was absent. Su-mi was acting as the stepmother and imagining her sister throughout the film.

In the past eun-joo was a live in nurse caring for the girls sick mother. The girls sense that eun-joo and moon-hyeon are flirting. Su-mi displays her disapproval towards eun-joo who in turn takes her anger out on su-yeon then returns to her room and su-yeons. Su - yeons mother is shown trying to comfort her as she too starts crying.

In the present eun-joo goes into su-yeons room where she hears a noise coming from the closet. A women crawls out (either su-yeon or her mother) and takes vengeance.

The flashback picks up again from when su-yeon had fallen asleep. She wakes up and opens the wardrobe door finding her mother who committed suicide. Terrified she accidentally pulls the wardrobe down on top of herself. Eun-joo hears and goes to investigate but leaves rather than helping su-yeon. She changes her mind and goes back. En route she passes su-mi and an argument starts between the two of them. Eun-joo warns su-mi that she may come to regret this moment but su- mi dismisses the warning as nonsense and angrily marches out of the house.

Su- yeon keeps clawing at the wardrobe until she eventually dies.



My views on this film

A triumph of stylish darkly absurdist horror that even manages to strike a chord of Shakespearean tragedy - and envokes a sense of wonder anew at all the terrible things people do to themselves and each other. Definitely should be watched its an amazing film hard to follow and confusing at times but by the time you get what is actually happening and begin to follow the plot you cant keep your eyes off the screen.