Based on the old Korean folk tale Janghwa and Hongryeon, Korean Director Kim Jee-woon (known for Korean comedies and a scriptwriter for horror) takes the characters from the old (father, two sisters, and a wicked stepmother), and re-creates a brilliant storyline while keeping the horror and drama intact.
An old vehicle pulls up to a large old house. The door opens, and a father steps out of the vehicle with his two daughters. The sisters are Su-mi(the elder sister) and Su-yeon(younger sis), who've just recuperated from a hospital and is now living with their stepmother. Su-mi is very protective of her younger sister, and there is an very close bond between the two. Upon entering the door, the interior design reflects a clean, well organized décor, yet it gives off a dark mood, as if being watched. A women comes and gives the sisters a warm welcoming, however the sisters aren't thrilled to meet this women. It becomes apparent that the sisters have a history of physical abuse with this women. Throughout the film the sisters refers to this women as the "Evil Stepmother".
That night, the two sisters sleep in their individual bedroom. The dark, placid hallways become haunted with footsteps. Su-yeon wakes up in terror and notices the strange noises emitting from the floor creaks. Her bedroom door suddenly opens, and a dislocated hand reviews itself. She runs off to her older sister and tells her someone went into her room Su-mi decides to go take a look. She walks downstairs to investigate, and notices her dad sleeping alone on the couch. She fixes his blanket and in comes her step mom. After a brief argument, her step mom sits down and watches TV. A closer look reviews that the TV is showing a black and white static. Su-mi goes into the kitchen and drinks a bottle of water. Inside the fridge, a strong odor emits from a brown bag. As Su-mi opens the bloody brown bag, she shrieks at the findings of a human hand. She rushes back into her room and tells Su-yeon it was that "woman" who did it.
The plot thickens into a string of mysterious events that will mislead viewers to keep them guessing. Su-mi will frequently argue with her step mom, and her dad will rush to her aid but she refuses to fill him in. He keeps telling her to rest so she doesn't get sick again. There are ghost hiding beneath the sink, mysterious blood stains, animal cruelty, and strange illnesses haunting anyone who dare enters the house. The characters are fogged, keeping viewers fogged about each character as the narration unfolds. Character perspectives and ideals reviews disturbing memories of abuse. There are multiple plot-twist and clouded mysteries taken into climax hooking onto viewers minds, and drama excavating deep into our hearts.
The focus of the film is not blood or supernatural, but rather a variety of psychological events forming the basis of horror. Outside of the hospital, the house is the main setting of the film. The backgrounds are vibrant and beautiful. Outdoor reveals happiness and love between the two siblings. The inside of the house feels dark and gloomy. There is no real music to speak of as its mostly subtle. However, when tension built up and the music kicks in, fear is increased 10 fold, leaving viewers suffocating in anticipation. The nature of the characters becomes a clouded mystery as the narration approaches the story leaving questions of what's real and what's an illusion.
The cast performs stunningly beautiful, falling into each of their roles flawlessly. Su-mi (Lim Su-jeong, awarded best new actress in a Korean Film Awards) effortlessly draws the border between fear and anger. Her sister Su-yeon shows no sign of strength, being the timid and innocent sweet little girl that she is. The father is reluctant of the strange happenings inside the house. He appears to be empty and in dismay of the strange happenings in the house. The stepmother (Yeom Jeong-a) manipulates a destructive insanity bearing a wicked laughter.
Off the bat the film starts off at a slow pace and gets going a bit late. However, this approach does manage to enhance the tension and realism of the characters. The scenery are full of substance and are gorgeous to look at, and the suspenseful music retains the haunting feeling of despair and uneasiness throughout the whole film, making it easy to overlook the slow pace and enjoy the film. Another problem was the lack of direction toward the narration. Because the story is narrated through the eyes of the characters, it can be really hard to follow. Viewers will get clues and hints that goes unexplained, leaving us with more questions than answers.
A Tale of Two Sisters is unique. The approach to psychological horror through story segmentation and stellar dramatic performances gives the film depth and flavor. It borrows certain horror elements from other horror films and puts them in good use (Onryos). What truly brings the story to life is the emphasize of horror through the eyes of its characters. Its creepy in the sense of what people do to others and to themselves. The sad truth of reality, an illusion that won't leave your mind, that's psychological horror. As asian horror films go, there is a re-make for an American version coming 2008, thus the butchering of a ****c fairy tale. Treat yourself to the original "Tale of Two Sisters", bring some friends over and watch it at night, you'll still be talking about a week after finishing it
