The Doll Master

knightofdreamz · Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:53 pm Movie of the week (1): A Tale of Two Sisters.

Sorry for the late start with this. I decided that i would just toss this movie up that most of the members have see since its half way into the week. Also this will force me to finish watching this movie.

So anyway i will be watching the rest of this movie tonight and hopefully i wont fall asleep again.

knightofdreamz · Fri Jun 22, 2007 4:59 am

So..... anyone watch this movie? wanna discuss it?
anything?
lemme know if you guys watched it and i will kick it off.

suicide_girl · Fri Jun 22, 2007 12:55 pm

Actually, i haven't watch this movie! i'll be watching it now!

ShadowDepths · Fri Jun 22, 2007 6:41 pm

I watched this movie, but I watched it some time in 2006. I didn't watch it again. Maybe I should just to refresh my memory.

However, I do remember thinking that this movie was strange. It also had a twist that I didn't expect.

knightofdreamz · Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:20 pm

Maybe i should have watched it earlier in my asian horror career. Cause i just saw every twist coming and nothing in the movie really surprised or haunted me. I will give it some credit for how well the movie was put together and the quality of direction and execution.

sage · Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:24 pm

Before I began, wanna say I can’t stay and discuss this tonight with you guys because I’m going out. But I will post my opening for this discussion. I will continue tomorrow night, lol!

I love discussing this movie. And one of the things I love most was in the ambiguity of the story. You can’t deny the MANY symbolisms in this movie. From the birds to the dresses in the closet, it demands a personal interpretation. I’ve been on many horror websites and many discussions, and ultimately, I’ve heard many interpretations. And I hope to hear some of you guys!

Here are a few points I’d like to discuss with you guys, besides all the likes and dislikes, lol:

1. Are there ghosts in the house?
2. What was the significance of the birds?
3. Which parts are real and which are figments of the imagination?
4. what was the meaning of that ‘period’ scene
5. what was up with that scene at the end
6. What are some of the symbolism in the movies that you guys catch?
7. Was there any part of the movie that you didn’t get?

And btw, this is my all time favorite Asian horror!!! Why? Simple, aside from the supreme execution and direction of director Ji-woo Kim and intricate (albeit sometimes confusing) plot, what made this movie so effective in (my eyes) were the powerful emotion driven characters!! Ladies and Gents, this was not just an exercise in making scared, shock-filled face like most horror movies, this was a testament to acting at it’s finest! There were no over zealous scared or emotions; these were real genuine, human, characters whose action were dictated by disturbed, deep-rooted issues! In other words, I could relate to them, LOL!!!

O.k., now let’s hear some of your interpretations.

sage · Sun Jun 24, 2007 9:08 am

LOL…geeeez guys, don’t all jump up at once now!! Well I guess I’ll be the first to share my interpretation. This was the result of reading many discussions and debates about the movie. But remember, this is just my opinion, ok? I maybe right, I maybe wrong….so be nice, lol!

I think to truly understand the movie you have to know what the movie is really about. Personally I think this movie was about coping. Not just coping with lost, per se, but coping with unrelenting guilt. Obviously, MPD (multiple personality disorder) played a huge role in this movie, so as a clinical therapist in training…heheh….i’ll explain the cause of MPD. This specific MPD (as there are many) is called Identity Disturbances. It’s caused by a stressful or traumatic experience. Although labeled as a Disturbance, it’s actually a normal psychological function for coping with trauma and stress. In Su-mi’s case, it existed for two reasons

A. To rid herself of the guilt of not being there for her sister when it was most crucial. She would bring Su-yeon back, by ways of her own psyche, so she can act out the ‘protector’ role, thus, "being there for Su-yeon", thus (lol) relieving herself of guilt.

B. Scapegoat purposes. Su-yeons death was so devastating to Su-mi that she had to counter it with another powerful emotion: HATRED; Creating a relationship of paradoxical intrigue; the more she loved Su-yeon meant the more she hated Eun-joo!

So this movie, I believe, was really about coping.

Now, on to point 1, was there ghost in the house? I’m really not sure. I believe, the girl under the sink was a real ghost (lol, pardon the irony) of Su-yeon. But the ghost that Su-mi encountered while in bed was more or less her imagination. I really wanna hear what you guys think about point 1….seriously!! I’m still kind of unsure about it.

2. What was the meaning of the birds? I believed the birds represented Su-yeon’s innocence. Again, Su-mi’s mind is constantly beating her with images of guilt. When you see the flashback of Su-mi killing the bird in the palm of her hand, I believe, it really translated to her having a hand in the death of Su-yeon by not being there for her.

3. What part was real and what part was a figment? Well hmmm…not sure why I put this in the discussion points because it is very similar to point 1. lol

4. What was the significance of the ‘period’ scene? Well if you haven’t guess that Su-yeon wasn’t real up to this point, then this scene was a HUGE give-away. It also hinted on a third personality; that of the stepmother. What was the clue? They all had their period at the same time, heheh.

5. What was up with that scene at the end? This point caused the biggest disputes on many sites. Did Eun-joo really see a ghost or was it, again, a scene acted in the mind of Su-mi? Personally, I believed it was the latter. I believed Su-mi created that scene in her mind to summon some kind of closure. For it all to end, the villain had to die or get her just deserts. And when she cried at the very end, it was definitely a tear of relief….that was reinforced by a smile.

6. Symbolism. A friend of mine brought this point up in one of his discussion. He said he noticed a lot of close-ups on bloody hands. There was the period scene, the dream sequence, the stabbing of the hand during the physical dispute between Su-mi and Eun-joo, resulting in, well, a bloody hand. I thought about it and it started to make sense. This was how I realize the real theme of the movie. See this movie, was above all else, a story of guilt, remorse, and learning to deal with it. All these images of blood on her hand were, again, the product of overwhelming guilt. It wasn’t just blood on her hand…..It was SU-YEON’s blood on her hand!!! And also notice how the hands shots are always immediately before, during, or after some kind of dramatic sequence. This, ultimately, represents a battle between her longing to wash her hands clean of the guilt and the ever present ghost of guilt.

7. Was there any part of the movie you didn’t get? Yep!! Did I really see a tent in the middle of the road as Eun-joo's brother and his wife drove to Su-yeon’s house for dinner? I can’t seem to decipher that! What the hell was that all about?!

WHEWWW!!! Can you tell I’m passionate about this movie? LOL!! 5 years of psychoanalysis and 1 semester of film study and this is what I have to show for. My life is complete, lol!!

DP McCOY · Sun Jun 24, 2007 3:26 pm

I watched A Tale of Two Sisters again this morning(some scenes over and over!),and this is how I interpreted it ...

Are there ghosts in the house? Yes,imo the spirit of Su-Yeon is present in the house.The dinner scene where Mi-Hee chokes and struggles on the floor she sees Su yeon's spirit under the sink therefore this must have been real,Mi-Hee's strange episode also seems to be a re-enactment of Su-Yeon's final moments(Notice the choking,struggling,hands clawing).The spirit of the Mother I am still not sure about,real or imagined?The scene where she enters Su-Mi's room is open to either possibilities,what I personally thought about the imagery when her Mother stands open legged across Su-Mi with blood running down her leg then a hand thrusts out from beneath her hem is that it is a symbol of re-birth,either this is Su-Mi's Mothers spirit trying to communicate what her daughter needs to do in order to rid herself of her insanity and move on,or it's her own psyche trying to communicate the same message.Maybe neither :?
What was the significance of the birds? I thought the birds were a metaphor for Su-Mi's incarceration both physically(in the asylum)and mentally(she is locked in loop by her extreme sense of guilt).When it is revealed that Su-Mi Killed the birds I believe it represents Su-Mi's belief that death is the only means of escape from her miserable existence,this theory is backed up by the scene where Su-Mi is about to be killed by her stepmother(In her mind it's her stepmother anyway),at this point an almost serene smile can be seen upon her face suggesting she feels happy that she is about to be released from her agony.Ironically,the statue Su-Mi is about to be crushed by is covering its eyes with both hands(not wanting to see reality?)
What's the meaning of the period scene? This scene suggests that Su-Yeon and the stepmother are both part of Su Mi's delusions and are not really there at all.I believe in the case of Su-Yeon she is both present as a spirit and a figment of Su-Mi's imagination.
What was up with the scene at the end? This is difficult to give a good answer for.When the stepmother walks on the floorboards blood seeps up,the door had been nailed shut but now was opened,by who?Su-Mi perhaps?This would suggest she had never been in the room before now,the picture frames were now bare and the wardrobe was now back in it's correct place(It is seen elsewhere in the house),I think on balance you would have to conclude this scene is also in Su-Mi's mind,like sage said a Kind of closure.
Was ther any part of the movie you didn't get?Yep,the object on the road for me too!
Symbolism. I noticed the blood on the hands too,Su-Mi feels she has her sisters blood on her hands.A few other symbols I noticed were red colours seem to pop up here and there,danger signs?Broken or fractured glass,this seems to be used as a metaphor for Su-Mi's fractured state of mind.One perfect example is the scene where the Camera's perspective shows Su-Mi's father through the shattered glass of(Ironically)the medicine cabinet.Reflective surfaces,Water,glass,mirrors even the polished floor in one scene,this all hints towards Su-Mi's schizoprenia.
I think that's about everything I can think of right now(my brain hurts)
One thing I am sure of is A Tale of Two Sisters is a wonderfully crafted film,and while the central theme most definately is the destructive nature of guilt and grief the movie does not give any easy answers,it isn't all tied up in a neat bow and challenges the viewer to think about what they have just seen.

sage · Sun Jun 24, 2007 10:52 pm

Yeah, that bird part was one of the hardest metaphor to decipher. But i like your explanation. Never thought of it that way before. And also the symbolism.....NIIICE!!! The fractured pictures and glasses really reinenforced the theme of a fracture psyche! Good catch, man!

knightofdreamz · Mon Jun 25, 2007 12:23 am

The bird scene got me but after watching a few parts over again i came to the conclusion that it was something along the lines of Su-Mi subconsciously torturing her personalities.

sauroposeidon · Mon Jun 25, 2007 1:03 am

Alrighty, my take on all this. I'm so totally late, and most of what I have to say has been said already. Boo! Anywho...

This movie is definitely a favorite, thanks to my interest in film AND psychology, whoo. The bottom line in the movie is--Su-Mi is a nutjob. I'm sure Su-Mi knows she's a nutjob, and everyone else does too. The symbolism and all that fun stuff has already been discussed, and I agree with the majority of it, so I'll just talk about something different.

The thing that I loved about the movie is the amazing use of color and set design. When the girls first walk into the house and meet up with the "evil stepmother," the lighting tint is a very dark blue. This dark blue comes up quite a bit throughout the film and is something used to create a sense of uneasiness. Something isn't quite right, and at the time you can't put your finger on it.

There's also a great great juxtaposition of the brighter, warmer tones with the decidedly dark subject matter. The film is full of rich reds and greens, trying to convey the feeling of a nice happy family home, but of course it's easy to see that isn't the case. This comes into play when the family is at dinner with the girls' uncle and his wife. It's a very tense situation, but the coloring is vibrant, almost mimicking Su-Mi's obliviousness to the family's feelings about her pretending to be the stepmother.

The way the camera shots were set up is also a pretty good device. Upon several viewings, it's fairly obvious that when Su-Mi's father is speaking to her, there is generally no one else in the frame but the two of them. He speaks directly to her and never acknowledges Su-yeon's presence. Watching the first time, you might not even notice that. But sitting and rewatching just to pick up on clues about Su-yeon being dead, that fairly obvious one is there the whole time.

There's a limited use of wide shots in the movie. In addition to several other things mentioned being representative of Su-yeon's illness, this could be considered another. The shots are tight, closed-in, helping to add to the tension and uneasiness.

And I'm totally rusty on having to analyze movies as far as technical stuff. So I think I'm done now.

ShadowDepths · Mon Jun 25, 2007 1:31 am

Wow! :shock: You guys are really into this movie! I watched this movie over a year ago and only watched it once. I don't really have much to discuss. I merely watched this movie because I was curious about it. I didn't really pay attention to symbolism or significance. After reading what sage and sauroposeidon wrote, I'm starting to think that I should pay more attention! :D

sage · Mon Jun 25, 2007 6:34 am

WELL DONE SAURO!!!! You just gave me another reason to watch this movie for the 1000 time. I can't believe i never notice the directions of the color scheme. Again, well done! :wink:

sage · Mon Jun 25, 2007 6:36 am

ShadowDepths wrote: Wow! :shock: You guys are really into this movie! I watched this movie over a year ago and only watched it once. I don't really have much to discuss. I merely watched this movie because I was curious about it. I didn't really pay attention to symbolism or significance. After reading what sage and sauroposeidon wrote, I'm starting to think that I should pay more attention! :D

Shadow this movie rewards multiple viewing :wink:

sauroposeidon · Mon Jun 25, 2007 6:39 am

sage wrote: WELL DONE SAURO!!!! You just gave me another reason to watch this movie for the 1000 time. I can't believe i never notice the directions of the color scheme. Again, well done! :wink:

My film professors would sneak up on me and beat the snot outta me if I didn't pick out things like that.