SHUTTER
US, 2008, 87 minutes, Colour.
Joshua Jackson, Rachael Taylor.
Directed by Masayuki Ochiai.
Yet another remake of an Asian ghost story, this time from Thailand in 2004. It belongs to that group of remakes of horror films that are watchable by most audiences, like One Missed Call and The Eye recently, The Grudge and The Ring films some years ago. They are not slasher horrors.
Wisely, the adaptation, while it begins and ends in New York, takes the action to Japan where this kind of ghost story has more traditions and credibility. The subject is ‘spirit photography’ where either a white blur or the figure of a dead person registers when a film with a negative is taken. When newlyweds, Ben and Jane (Joshua Jackson and Rachael Taylor) arrive for their honeymoon in Japan where Ben had previously worked, they have a car accident on a lonely road where Jane runs into a young woman. Search reveals that there is no trace of the woman. Ben is on a special assignment from his two American friends – but the white blurs appear and spoil his fashion photoshoot. Who is the ghost? Why is she following Ben and Jane?
While the film is spooky, it is not too spooky and the screenplay plays fair in the last half hour giving a reasonable (if not rational) explanation of all that has happened. It is one of those ‘sins of the past finding you out’ moral scary fables.
It reminds moviegoers of Lost In Translation because the husband is a photographer and the wife is on her own. This gives the film opportunities to show a great deal of local Tokyo colour and activities. The trouble is that the wife encounters a ghost rather than Bill Murray. Joshua Jackson acts distressed and Rachael Taylor is a strong heroine with whom the audience can identify and perceive what is going on.
1. Asian horror films? The tradition from Japan, developed in Korea? The original a Thai variation? The adaptation to an American film and the world market? How well did the film translate to the US and Japan?
2. The New York opening and closing? The Japanese locations? Tokyo? The road? The country towns? Mt Fuji? Authentic and realistic atmosphere? The contrast with the supernatural? The ghosts and appearances?
3. The plausibility of the plot? Ben and Jane, the wedding, the photos, going to Tokyo, meeting their friends, the initial talk? The drive, the accident? The ghost, the police search for the girl? The effect on Jane and the white in the photos of her, the consequences for Ben, the elaborate fashion photo shoot, seeing the ghost amongst the people he photographed? Jane and her nightmares? The friend and her advice about the magazine and spirit photography? the information about ghosts and the collection of photos? Their friends? The meal together? Ben and his past in Japan? The decision to search for the body, the body found in the house? Her body, the issue of the cremation? The shift in credibility with the appearances of the ghost, the light in the photos? The persecution of Ben, his accidents? The shift after the cremation? The growing sense of menace? The deaths of the two friends, the eye and the camera, the other friend leaping to his death, his seeing the ghost? Jane and the New York photos, seeing the ghost go into her picture? The attack on Ben after Jane left him? The finale in the cell – and the nurse going in to Ben and the ghost crouched on his shoulder?
4. The American friends, Japanese friends, work? The deaths? The final revelation about the rape and their involvement?
5. Ben, photographer? Relationship with Jane? His past relationship with the girl? The drive, Jane and the accident? The consequences, seeing the ghost in the groups for photography? The information, the search about ghosts? The body? The visit to the mother? His seeing the girl, the flashbacks and the story, her obsession, her various appearances? His fears, his shoulder, going to the doctor? The cremation? Everything seeming all right, Jane and her finding the photos, his revelation of the truth? The ghost and her confronting him, in the hospital, going mad? her continued presence with him?
6. Jane, with the group, her time in Tokyo and sightseeing, the accident and its effect on her, sense of responsibility? Sharing the search with Ben? The photos? The body, the cremation? Her concern about Ben? The photos in New York and her realizing that the ghost was warning her about Ben? The photos, discovery of the rape scene, the explanation? Her decision to leave Ben?
7. The young woman, translator, her loving Tun, the rape, his taking the photos, victim? Her attempts at killing herself? As a ghost, her appearance, her manner of stalking Ben, climbing, on his shoulders …?
8. A satisfying ghost story – in the Asian tradition of spirits, their appearing to their friends, their enemies, vengeance?
