Critically acclaimed Japanese horror films - Ju-on: The Grudge

'Ju-on: A curse born of a grudge held by someone who dies in the grip of anger

It gathers in the places frequented by that person in life,

working its spell on those who come into contact with it and thus creating itself anew'

http://cf.badassdigest.com/_uploads/images/ju_on_the_grudge_xlg.jpg

Plot summary:
A supernatural curse is placed on a Japanese home where the vicious murder of a mother her son once took place. Those who step inside the home are cursed and doomed to be stalked by the vengeful spirits that dwell within, only before meeting a terrifying and inevitable fate.

What (if any) are the differences to American directed horror films?
As the first Japanese horror film I had ever seem there were a lot of differences to American and European horror. First and foremost, the plot required constant focus, missing one moment resulted in confusion and frustration. The plant life in people's gardens was harder to identify, as I understand that Japan has different species of plant, tree, flower and other forms of foliage. The storyline involved a curse, someone has died in the past, stalks and kills those whom enter the cursed home - I cannot remember the last European or American directed horror film that used a cursed being or entity. Next, I noticed that the visuals seemed to use a more heightened grey-scale. Sound is also used more effectively to drive suspense.

The camera work is always focused on what is happening, primarily the characters, there are few moments when the camera looks away and focuses on anything else. A unique sound is played to denote the presence of the cursed being(s) in this film, I was more aware when something interesting was about to happen such as a characters death or the cursed being(s) were in the room. Acting in Japanese horror films is very robotic, dull and sometimes emotionless, I have seen my fair share of badly acted American and European horror films but this film was poorly acted from start to finish. This film also contained little blood, violence and gore, showing that the director is focused on developing the plot and projecting an effective horror atmosphere rather than creating another title driven by blood fuelled mayhem.

At random intervals there were black screens with Japanese symbols, perhaps introducing another character or new chapter in the film. The antagonist(s), in comparison to American and European horror films, appear on screen much more often, eliminating questions of what said antagonist(s) look like, varying from subtle to obvious. This film focuses on using scares instead of shocks, it may contain both, but scary images and sequences are more frequent. The most notable difference was the characters, the vast majority of them were female, both protagonists and antagonists, suggesting a complete difference in gender roles when looking at characters in American and European horror films. By the end of the film there were several unanswered questions, requiring me to go online to gain full context, however, it also made me realise that some of these unanswered questions were a good thing because it allows viewers to make their own answers.

Were there any cultural differences in this film?

http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2004/images/juon.jpg

The design of the Japanese buildings were different to what I have seen in American and European horror films, the furniture was lower to the floor, wood appears to be the preferred building material, white and brown are the most favoured colours and all the furniture is lower/smaller/closer to the ground. Sliders are used for most interior entryways i.e. doors, windows and rafters.

Cream, beige and whites are preferred colours for official settings i.e hospitals, offices and police stations. Doors are rarely one fixed shape and are covered in small glass panels. The overall look of buildings are tidy and organised, not to mention the exterior streets and alleyways are spotless, with no little or rubbish lying around.

Characters remove their shoes when entering peoples homes, referring to each other using correct titles i.e Miss, Mr or Mrs. Bowing is also customary for displaying gratitude to other characters and also characters introduce themselves.

What evidence is there that this horror title is critically acclaimed?
'As a film, it is at once too much a part of an overarching story and divided into too many episodes to be all of a piece. However, as a sustained collection of scare moments, it's a winner.'
(Kim Newman, Empire)

"one of the most frightening films I've ever seen."
(Sam Raimi - director of the Evil Dead series)

'On the scare my booty off meter, I give this movie a five out of five.'

(Vicky Renee Johnson, horrornews.net)

This is truly a creepy and memorable film which doesn’t overdo the gore or special effects and provides a nice balance of scary bits with story exposition.
(randomwire.net)

While not perfectly written, “Ju-on” is a visually enthralling and frightening film. It re-imagines the familiar haunted house story with an innovative new take on the genre. “Ju-on” isn’t just for foreign film buffs; it will appeal to anyone who wants a good scare.
(Joseph Savitski, beyondhollywood.com)

Are there any atmospheric projections, feelings and moods evoked or symbolisation in this film?
A cat is killed at the start of the film, symbolising animal cruelty. The opening is both suggestive and strong, highlighting themes of death. In the first chapter, a child is found in a cupboard, promoting themes of isolation and abandonment.  

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Throughout the film, cursed beings appear out of nowhere, evoking feelings of anxiety and uncertainty.

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Finally, there is a scene which includes a large number of black cats, symbolising human superstition or perhaps human obsession.

What relevance does this research have towards the development of my project?
As the first Japanese horror title I have viewed, this film helped create a starting point towards recognising the unique characteristics of Japanese horror films. With this framework, I will be able to analyse other critically acclaimed Japanese horror films with less difficulty and thus, recognise said unique characteristics with much more ease. Some of these characteristics can and will be applied to my personal horror interpretation to create a more successful projection of Japanese horror.

Resources:
http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?DVDID=10270 
http://horrornews.net/50493/film-review-ju-on-the-grudge-2002/
http://randomwire.com/ju-on-the-grudge
http://www.beyondhollywood.com/ju-on-the-grudge-2003-movie-review/