Scarlet Sails / Alye Parusa (Soviet Union, 1961)

Scarlet Sails is a production of the Soviet-Union from 1961. It is a charming film about romance, alomst like a fairytale. Though the acting is very theatrical and overdone, after watching this movie you will find your heart to be warm. The story of a gril who is waiting for her prince to rescue her is not really innovating, but we talk about 1961 here and it really accomplishes its mission. It is funny to see that the film contains many influences of the classical Russian ballet.

The scenery is sometimes beautiful, especially the thundering waves are superbly shot!

Th Scarlet Letter / Juhong geulshi (South Korea, 2004) and the tragic story of Eun-ju Lee

This time I will not talk too much about the movie itself but more about the story behind it. A tragic story that makes you watch this film in a complete different way.

To begin with, ‘The scarlet letter’ deals about romance, betrayel, a different kind of love and regret. 75% Of this movie is decent, just about average, but the last 15/20 minutes are weird (in the trunk of a car) and very intense. It will leave you with an uncomfortable feeling. But again, knowing the story behind this film makes it really uncomfortable.

The star of this movie, in my eyes, is Eun-ju Lee. She acts with all her ability and she impressed very much! It is all before I heard she killed herself.
Because of this movie contained semi-nude scenes (don’t forget that most Korean people still have problems with this) the story goes that she almost starved herself to look good in those scenes. Maybe because of this she started to have problems within her own family. Some days after the release of ‘the Scarlet Letter’ 25 year old Eun-ju Lee was found by her brother, she hanged herself in her own closet. Why, me and many other, asked ourselves. She was a very talented actress. But everyone struggles with its own problems. Maybe she couldn’t bear to cause problems in her family, maybe it is something completely else.
Marks on her body indicated that she tried to slit her wrists as well, writing a farewell note in her own blood ‘Mother, I’m sorry, I love you’. A different farewell note showed: "I wanted to do too much. Even though I live, I'm not really alive. I don't want anyone to be disappointed. It's nice having money... I wanted to make money."

When I heard all this, I knew I would never forget this film and also that I never want to see it again. People even considered she took her own life because of the intensity of this movie. She is a great actress so I think that would not be the matter but no film deserves it to end in such horror in real life. Her own family said she would have suffered insomnia and depression because of the semi-nude scenes in this film.

The film was decent with a intense ending, the story behind it made it an awful, horrifying and heartbreaking experience. Eun-ju Lee, forever you will be remembered by those who knew the quality of your acting. Whatever caused your suicide, who are we to blame you? Such a cruel fate must mean she was also very strong, that it was enough.

To never see her smile again must be most hard for her child who has to live without its mom. Eun-ju Lee: Smile down to us sometimes.

Secret / Bu neng shuo de. mi mi (Hong Kong/Taiwan, 2007)

In Europe, classical music isn’t something anymore you often associate with young people. The complete opposite can be found in Asia, where classical music seems to be more popular than ever. It is even possible to become an idol, think of the brilliant Lang Lang who is an idol for many young Chinese.
‘Secret’ shows the importance and the popularity of this music in China. Idol, superstar and gifted actor, singer and director Jay Chou made a movie about the mystery of this music. He blended it together perfectly with a beautiful love story, brilliant piano music and a travel through time.

What starts out as a typical Asian romance story, evolves into something different. Something surrounded with mystery. I won’t explain too much, but is definitely worth to see this film!

The score is really fantastic, though you have to love piano music a bit. The acting of Jay Chou is great and also Lunmei Kwai does a terrific job, she looks stunning as well!

Suzhou River / Suzhou He (China, 2000)

Suzhou river, by director Lou Ye, is a film about the journey to find your true love. The story is set in Shanghai, and the Suzhou river is the centre of the film. Everything goes back to this river. What you get are beautiful scenes, a sad love story which, together with the cinematography, hypnotizes you and pulls you into world you never have experienced
Famous Chinese star Xun Zhou acts great as the girl you never know too much about, she is the mysterious girl who never can be yours entirely. For few minutes I had to get used to the semi-handheld camera, I wansn’t very used to this way of filming but after a while you almost don’t even notice it anymore. In fact, it adds much beauty to this film.

An unconventional film with a semi-handheld camera and a unseen narrator who is telling us the tragic story of searching but never able to get hold of the thing you long most for. Spellbinding!

Sunflower / Haebaragi (South-Korea, 2006)

Sunflower is a Korean film about revenge. This genre seems to be pretty popular in Korea, according to the releases of movies like the revenge trilogy by Park Chan Wook and A bittersweet life. It is also a gangster movie and not the only one in 2006, also ‘A dirty carnival’ has been released.

Sunflower is not focused on its action though, it is more about feelings. It is dealing about a guy who wants to start a new life after coming out of jail but again gets in touch with the world of organized crime. So far, so good but the story doesn’t sound very innovating. Well maybe the story isn’t but the movie is really different from other ‘crime’ films.
The pace is really slow and won’t be too attracting for western audiences. This is also a Korean phenomenon, a rather calm story which often ends in the worst possible tragedy or most bloody massacre.
The scene were a girl is being hit on her head with a stone, by a guy on a motor who is driving by, is really horrific. And yes, it ends in a big fight, but in fact this is a pretty stylish fight. Especially good for those who love Korean revenge movies.

Samaritan Girl / Samaria (South-Korea, 2004)

Samaritan girl is directed by the famous Korean director ‘Kim Ki-Duk’.

Two schoolgirls want to travel to Europe but need money for the airplane tickets. They find the solution in prostitution. In the beginning it seems to be fun but it the mood effectively changes when one of the girls kills herself by jumping out of a window when the police enter the room. The other girl takes over the clients and offers them for once her body along with the money they first got from the people. She wants to buy of the sorrow in fact.
Her dad, a police officer, begins to suspect something and chases the clients of his daughter down.

First of all, this isn’t an easy movie. Like no other director, Kim Ki-Duk can create a suffocating atmosphere. The entire time watching this movie you will feel uneasy, don’t really know how to react. It’s a film that most of all deals about changes in personality after the experience of some tragic event.
The movie can be split in two segments. In the first we see the events that unfold and how their life is before. The second part shows what happens after this horrible event happened. Frustration and the feeling of not being capable of doing something about it will give a nasty feeling in your stomach.

Though this film is maybe not as violent like some other work of Kim Ki-Duk, don’t underestimate it. Some scenes contain very explicit violence and the entire story has a devastating impact. Also, it is a Kim Ki-Duk movie, so a very slow pace of the story and not too many talking are included.

In my opinion it’s is a beautiful but bitter story about the relationship between a father and daughter. In intriguing film made by a brilliant director.

Suicide club / Jisatsu saakuru (Japan, 2002)

54 girls who commit suicide by jumping in front of a train! That is how 'suicide club' (also known as suicide circle and in Japanese Jisatsu saakuru) starts, so if you want to see something happy or without blood don’t turn this film on!

More suicides appear and on the spot where it happened is a sports bag found. In it is something gruesome, something made of human flesh. It should already be clear that is film is very harsh! The police doesn’t have a clue but get a strange phone call which leads to an even stranger website. An investigation starts.
In high school some students found the suicide club, and to honour their name they jump of the roof of a school building. What drives these boys and girls to end their lives?

A rollercoaster ride which will take you to much shocking stuff! But it doesn’t lose itself in cruelty and stays interesting, leaving you with many unanswered questions. The cinematography is very intriguing, especially when there is a scene about a family watching tv and the next moment a little girl is giving her rabbit salad in a strange cage. She closes the cage and the film continues. What can we except from this scene, what is its relevance? It keeps you wondering.

I thought it was a really interesting and totally weird film by director Sion Sono. The music fitted really perfectly as well, the complete opposite of the mood of this film. But once more, I don’t exaggerate when I say it is only for people with a very strong stomach, true horror is shown. It probably is a movie that is society related. Japanese society is know for his high suicide rates and this movie shows a Japanese society that completely lost his mind, kind of an pre-apocalypticalworld. Everybody seems to have lost connection with itself.

‘Now it is time to bid you all a pleasant farewell’

Storm Riders / Tian Xia (China, 1988)

Well just a very short post about this one!

Storm riders is an enjoyable movie to watch! With good acting of Aaron Kwok, Ekin Cheng and Sonny Chiba it really was worth more than 2 hours of film.

So when you wanna watch a nice adventure movie with pleny of martial arts, this one is good for you, but don't expect an innovating movie. In it's kind, it satisfies greatly! It's martial arts at is best!

I have to warn you to watch the version which runs for 2.07 hours. There is another shorter version of this movie to but you won't understand the story if you watch that one!

Salo, or the 120 days of Sodom / Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma (Italy, 1975)

In 1975 a movie emerged that shook the entire filmworld. For over 30 years it was sealed away, forbidden in most countries, people forgot about it but now it is in the world again. I even heard abour people that buy copies of this movie for about 600 dollars.

What movie am I talking about? 'Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom' by director Pier Paolo Pasolini.

A movie that shows northern Italy in 1944, where there is a small area that hasn't been liberated yet from fascism. In this period the elite brought man and woman to their homes for their enjoyment, their pleasure. Pleasure in the most cruel ways imaginable. In this film you will see some of these masochistic games. It really hurts your soul when a girl screams 'God, why has thou forsaken us'.

This film is highly disturbing! Showing the darkest of minds and make you really hate humanity. It is no ta movie that should be seen by many people, it's too heavey too cruel, I guess your experience an ill stomach after watching it. I already seen some sick movies, but this one is different. Not only for its shock effect but also to show the sickest things people are being capable of. It makes you really lose faith in this world. In one way you want to turn it of for every second but in fact you just can't, it's kind of intruiging and you just have to keep watching. Even when you know it will only be more cruel.

It isn't a bad movie, not at all but it's only watchable for a very few and in the end nobody can say they enjoyed this one. You are lucky when the scenes only haunt you for a couple of days, so really you should only watch it when you have very strong nerves.

I won't see this one ever again but I am glad I had the chance to see it to come to this conclusion.

Sympathy for lady vengeance

The third and last film in Park Chan Wook's revenge trilogy.
It deals aboutr a woman who is released from prison after 13 years, by flashbacks you will know why she was put in jail. It's because of the kidnapping and killing of a little boy.



But did she really committed this great crime? She wants to take revenge on the people who put her in this position. This evolves in a rather dark movie, with very dark humour. She also searches for her child which she gave away for adoption. The main character 'Lee Geum-ja' is pretty good casted. Beautiful, elegant and a very coldhearted person! The acting of Lee Young-ae and Choi Min-sik is really great and the art direction and camera work is also very beautiful. The musical score of this movie is really fantastic with it's classical themes.