Asian Horror Films Thirst, One Missed Call - Essay Example

Asian Horror Films Analysis The essay below dwells on different illustrations which are exhibited in form of horror films but it is important to note that the different illustrations caught in the title and progress of the films are meant to give a deeper meaning to a context which is concealed to many. There are a total of three horror movies which shall be analyzed and the analysis shall focus on different themes caught on the films that clearly capture the basis of the film. The content differs but the alignment of the different films points to the same conclusion as we shall see below. It is important to note that regardless of the perception that horror movies are indication of an obvious darkness, the main theme in such films captures humanity’s most concealed actions and re-counts them on a different context which begs human attention. In light of the above assertion, the first film that captures the premise covered above is the film “Thirst”. The subject of the movie is relevant to the context expressed in the movie in relation to the quest to partake human blood. The illustration above only defines the obvious context but the film is an extension of a common theme which is generally considerate of human desire to take advantage of the existing structures to benefit themselves. The change in context is clear, as the truth behind some characters who are painted to be decent change to be monsters which goes against the expectations of the audience. Truth is only concealed whenever a shift in the natural is instigated which subjects human beings to less caution due to their individual nature which is not concealable. In respect to the observation made above, Tae-ju, a married woman who is betrothed to Kang-woo illustrates her nature which is not easily detectable due to her position and role in the film. The sudden change in character due to the alteration of the context illustrated above only reveals her true nature which is highly indicative of her desire and undying resentment to her current condition. The film compares two scenarios which are subjective but notably, restraint which is captured in Tae-ju illustrates her true nature once the barrier is lifted. The film creates different approaches as one seeks to differentiate true human nature and the characteristics of a vampire who cannot exercise personal control and restraint. The writer of the film captures the characters of Sang-hyun and Tae-ju who are proven to be competent and pace setters in the society. Sang-hyun who is a Catholic priest turns into a vampire but he manages to put on hold the different urges that follow vampires with specific interests given to blood cravings. Kim (2011) acknowledges that there are different perceptions that surround the subject elaborating the true definition of a vampire. There are different definitions as some people seeks to illustrate the fact that vampires are factious characters captured in films to illustrate the backdrop of liberalism. Other people view the creatures as symbol of desire which are misconstrued due to their dynamic changes in terms of feeding habits. An easy approach in regard to the perception of the film would associate the Catholic environment to a gothic alignment. Notably, due to the change in the plot and Sang-hyun’s choice to step to his new personality and embrace change, the anticipated scenario changes to accommodate the new development. The plot leaves up to the expectations as both Sang-hyun and Tae-ju tend to succumb to the pressure of being a vampire. The stereotype which illustrates vampires as vicious blood hungry monsters is still focused on, which increases audience awareness and improves the plot of the film. Generally, in reference to the adopted strategies used in the production and writing of the film, it is possible to speculate that the plot of the movie had to end with the death of the two vampires to reiterate the essence of humanity. One gathers from the movie that human nature is peculiar and one ought to treasure their individual’s forms irrespective of the different shortcomings that people may encounter. Secondly, it basis its argument on a moral value where individuals endowed with peculiar characteristics tend to disregard their existence to save themselves. The drama and thrill caught in the film resulting from Tae-ju’s quest to draw her wrath and dissatisfaction on the world on innocent individuals can be established as the marketing point of the movie. It is acknowledged that the premier of the movie in theatres was met with excitement which is as a result of the derivative meaning of the film. The content and the setting of the film are very specific which suits the development of the story which is perceived as an effective marketing approach. Tilt-shift cinematography is an approach which is meant to increase the scope of the movie in relation to angle and focus enhancement. The variation in the details in the film increases the general level of contentment as different scenes inspire specific reactions from the audience. In general, the choice of the films location and the alignment of the story with the location inspires interest. Such aspects create interests illustrated above which creates the basis for the marketability of the film. The choice of the terrain, the color schemes and the variations in film enhance suspense which is a crucial factor when film marketing is involved. The film “One Missed Call” serves an illustration of the current society which is very ignorant about relation and social responsibilities. According to Claire Maris in a book compiled by Fortunati (2003), the use of GSM phones has corroded the society leading to an unresponsive and unplugged community of young people. There are many reasons behind the quest for identity and mere intent for synchronizing intentions to copy a certain section of the society. The division between the social barricades in the lives of most youths necessitates the use of distraction which serve as a substitute to company and social status. Mobile phones create a new form of identity which expresses one’s intentions in relation to grouping and association. The film focuses on the concept of nostalgia and violence as an already existing menace seeks to end the lives of innocent people in the society. Nostalgia is a reality rather than a state of mind which illustrates the nature of the menace that is uncovered in the plot. The change in preferences which is indicated by the adoption of new strategies in the J-horror industry indicates the significance of technology in film and its role in establishing a unifying factor which is inclusive of all the needs of the young in the society. The film focuses on the theme of the absent present as the realm which has been created by human beings through technology and innovation acts as a threat to the existing structures. It is trivial that association and the improvement of social ties is reinforced by ones need to establish close relationships and the use of mobile phones has eroded the basis of the argument above. Cell phones tend to alter the popular traditions by creating a virtual world which is subject to modification by human beings in relation to their individual preferences. These new realms are neutral and human perception and needs lead to the orientation of the structures to fulfill the needs of the person involved. The film is an illustration of strangeness as an unfamiliar concept is exhibited and the involved individual ends up being spooked due to the unknown. The film takes note of the unknown and subjects the film to a new dimension which indicates the fear of an absent present. The uncanny in general, takes into consideration what is perceived in the human mind and the immediate truth to the scenario. The human mind is adventurous and as illustrated above, the presence of an absent present changes ones perception to account for characteristics which rather omit what is essential. Technology which is used to serve as a unifying factor, while decoding the subject covered in the film tends to be the evil that the film seeks to illuminate to expound on the subject of the unknown. The film uses people’s perception in relation to technology to emphasize the reality of the subject matter. The most valued additions tend to be the limiting factors since the assessment of such factors is rather superficial and human beings are rather apprehensive to such matters due to the reality that they exhibit. The film “One Missed Call” subject is rather divided as the writers sought to link two distinct factors, one a consideration of the past and the second the resultant factor to an already existing menace. The resulting factor is the collision of the two outcomes which reveals the presence of an existing realm which is categorized as the subject matter of the narrative which takes into consideration the absent present on the lives of those who are already present. The cinematography of the film in relation to the variation in video editing and sound enhancement creates an improved scenario which favors the presentation of the film in a way that arouses curiosity and the audience relate to the subject matter which makes the film relevant. Other important additions are inform of supporting factors such as actors and the role of the costumes in increasing ones awareness to the generation under focus which creates a buffer between two worlds running concurrently The third film under analysis is “Dumplings”, which is a combination of bizarre events that are rather fictional. According to Yeh & Ng (2009), horror movies illustrating cases relating to cannibalism have been highlighted in the Hong Kong movie industry since the 1970s. The plot of the film is rather bizarre as the audience become accustomed to new beliefs and approaches to rituals meant to enhance ones abilities in a specified manner. Changes in the society have necessitated the intrusion of movie producers who tend to elaborate features that occur in the society with a different view which is rather amalgamated. The film “Dumplings” captures an approach which is peculiar, and only relevant to a certain population of people. Due to the above approach, people have resulted to adopting counter measures to wear down the effects of the heinous acts. In light of the assertion above, changes such as practicing exorcism and other dissimilar approaches that are different from what a given society is accustomed to have been adopted. Generally, it is notable that the success of the horror movies is highly dependent on the ability to capture relevant issues which in most cases is used to induce humor. The unique nature of the film is derived from the acts of cannibalism which are rather peculiar and unknown to most people. The film applies the approach of paradox to illustrate its point which involves Mrs. Li seeking the help of Mei to regain her previous fairness to ensure that her husband regains the previous perception he had towards her. The film reveals that Mr. Li is having an affair with his masseuse, which is also known by Mrs. Li. The persistence exhibited by Mrs. Li towards fulfilling the needs of her husband illustrates the nature of marriages in the current society. The writer use the film as a mirror of the current situation of marriages as most couples disagree due to factors resulting from appearance, grooming and association. Mrs. Li is concerned about the condition of the marriage alone while Mr. Li as illustrated above devoirs on the youth for their unique attributes. On the film Mrs. Li is the victim of a marriage which tends to undermine her role in the relationship. A change in strategy which leads to her seeking the help of Mei is anticipated and she illustrates her commitment towards pleasing her husband. It is common that most films are based on some truth regardless of the fact that the films are viewed as an extension of reality which is usually altered to cater for the expectation of the audience which depletes the intensity of the story line. What seems as superficial to most people is painted as a necessity in the film. After watching a rerun of a movie she stared in her 20s, Mrs. Li breaks down into tears due to the loss of her young attributes which she likens to the failure of her marriage. The film questions the role of Chinese doctors and the impact they have on individuals due to their refined approaches to cure. Mei after hearing Mrs. Li situation she prepares Mrs. Li some dumplings, and after some hesitation she tends to overlook the consequences to improve the life of her marriage. She acknowledges that in order for her to conceive children, she must have the backing of her husband. In relation to the assertion made above, variations in medicine and the need to adopt a new approach which involves young children sparks a particular emotion on the audience. Cannibalism is not an acceptable act, and the movie not only focuses on the consumption of human body parts but it also takes into consideration abortion which is not approved on the basis of medical grounds. The foundation of the film is ironical because those that are mandated to take care of the patients tend to take advantage of the same clients they are hired to represent. The theme of murder, deceit, selfishness, bribery and discontent are focused on, on a deeper level to ascertain the intensity of the topic under study. Humans have been known to adopt new processes so as to comply with the regulations of sanity which are in tandem with the specifications of the society. (Chan et al, 2006) Mei is an illustrations of social misfits who dwell on the success of unruly and unregulated structures in the society.In relation to the analysis of the uncanny nature of the different changes in the status of the film, Mrs. Li is implicated as a character and the intervention process of her approach is lowly conventional. In reference to the illustration above, Mrs. Li is well conversant with the role of the fetus and she tends to be wavered by the nature of the dumpling under analysis. A change in anindividual’s presence enable the people to change their perception regarding to what is considered as normal in thesociety. Mr. Li’s infidelity which he exercises with no form of guilt or reservation reiterates the subject matter of the film which tends to be ironical and creates a perception that humans are only opportunistic and only live for the moment taking little concern of future occurrences. In relation to the concept above, Mei aids a young girl who has been impregnated by her father in aborting the fetus which she executes without regard for the girl’s age and the results which accrue making dumplings. Mei also creates the concept of uncertainty after she flirts with Mr. Li while she is very cognizant of the fact that Mrs. Li has been doing everything she can to arouse her husband’sinterest in her. In general, the concept of acrimony which is reiterated by individual greed and the quest to exercise cannibalism shows the true nature of the individuals, and their contribution to the plot of the story. Mei’s role in murder and the quest to cross the border reveals her to be an abject element in the film. According to the film such characteristics are threats to consistency, identity and order. People eat to satisfy their hunger but the film’s approach is an amplification of the truth which tends to conceal the intended purpose while illustrating the form of gastronomical horror which is established in the presentation of the dumplings. The presentation of the film in reference to cinematography which entails the use of lights, direction and the arrangement of the film are in cohesion with the film which exemplifies the subject. Work Cited Chan, Fruit, Miriam Leung, Ling Bai, Tony K.-F. Leung, and Bihua Li. Dumplings. Australia: Accent Film Entertainment, 2006. Fortunati, Leopoldina, James E. Katz, and Raimonda Riccini. Mediating the Human Body: Technology, Communication, and Fashion. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 2003. Internet resource. Kim, Kyu H. "Horror to the Extreme: Changing Boundaries in Asian Cinema (review)." Journal of Korean Studies. 16.2 (2011): 317-319. Print. Yeh, Emilie Y, and Hei-tung N. Ng. "Magic, Medicine, and Cannibalism: The China Demon in Hong Kong Horror." Horror to the Extreme: Changing Boundaries in Asian Cinema. (2009). Print. Read More