But if some folks were annoyed by the absence of all that happy-ending, definite resolution malarkey in Ring, they certainly won't be at all pleased with Kairo. In fact, they may well be downright annoyed by the whole affair.
But that would be to miss the point, and points, by their very nature, are meant to be observed, to be acknowledged.
And the point here seems to be that Kurosawa is terrified by the prospect of eternal loneliness, and also none-too-pleased about the self-imposed segregation we exist within via this here cyberspace get-up. He craves personal, human interaction, rather than prolonged debates about whether or not Episode III Will Own Your Ass, with some assemblage of text on a screen somewhere.
In this respect, Kairo is as much a science fiction thriller as a full-blown Ghosties & Ghoulies affair. It shares much of the reactionary fear of technology that many great sci-fi works exhibit, staring with uncertainty towards the latest developments in home-entertainment appliances. It's ironic, but somehow crucial, that this raft of technophobic fright-fests stems from possibly the most technology-driven society on earth.
Wes Craven had been pencilled in to direct a remake of this Korean oddity, but found his attempts thwarted by studios who insisted it was too similar to Ring. It's hard to see these alleged similarities. Yes, it's leisurely paced, and has communication technology getting all homicidal, but there the common ground comes to an abrupt conclusion. Kairo has no truck with urban-legend "Die In Seven Days" carry-ons, nor has it much of a detective narrative running throughout. There's no race-against-time to stop this diabolical spirit-spitting, because, as Kurosawa almost audibly sighs within the celluloid, there's nothing we can do about any of it. The possibility of an emptiness for all eternity is very much a reality for these characters, and really, if they were being honest, chances are the studios simply didn't feel like pumping the money into an existential fable about the emptiness of death, especially one with sparse opportunities for CGI-horses getting all splattered.
Coming soon - The iPod What Can Kill You!
The Duke resides at Mondo Irlando.
Article comments
1 - Laurence Bush
Kairo is thought-provoking film, a rare quality these days. It's not just a critique of Internet culture and the lack of intimacy in post-modern times. It's an apocalytic vision of the civilization ending with a whimper instead of a bang. It doesn't offer any simple answers or rationalization but suspends the viewer in a state where the otherworldly fuses with the "real" world.
2 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Laurence, thanks for the comments! There i was thinking The Duke's critique of The Internet What Can Kill You was gonna get all lost in the midsts of time and so on, unloved and scarsely mentioned. Good for you!
I agree with you, Kairo is incredibly thought-provoking, and offers no simple soloutions. It's a decidedly idosyncratic affair, and it's a shame it hasn't saw a UK or US release (to the best of my knowledge. certainly not in the UK anyhow). I tihnk the most important aspect is the atomisation of society on account of the technology and what not, but you're right, there's also a dreadful sense that the world will end without anyone knowing a terrible lot about it. It just bleeds out one day. Scary notions.
Thanks again, much appreciated.
(My, how the Duke has grown since this review. I didn't count one "Motherfucker" anywhere in the text!)
3 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Holy shit, Laurence, i just caught on! You wrote the Asian Horror Encyclopedia! How the hell you doin', friend? Wow! Keep up the good work, man. I'm honoured as all motherfuck to have your comments on this here articlet. Thanks!
4 - Laurence Bush`
Aaron, Thank you but I don't know how much of an honor it is! Asian horror is too large a subject. After years of work, I just self-published my book unedited. I thought no one would notice. Now, it's in more than ten university libraries typos, wart and all.
I still think your review on Kairo hits the nail on the point, far more than the others I've read. Too bad about "The Cure" though. It should been a lot better. I expect great things from Mr. K and keep up the good work yourself!