Epitaph

People that enjoy movies that sustain a horrific atmosphere and internal logic that allows "the suspension of disbelief" should give the 2007 Korean horror movie "Epitaph" ("Gidam") a chance. It is really good looking throughout and I thought the last minute or so was really great.

Even better, the visual effects have accessible meaning the way they do in some of the best Thai movies, aren't just eye candy or so obscure you'd have to be a film student to get them.

It has an irritatingly convoluted plot, but it does come together at the very end. I think the typically Asian sincerity more than makes up for the typically Asian convolution.

What seemed like a promise and at least original turns out be dull and very confusing. Now you could say that it takes time to appreciate the story and the construction of this story. But i do think that if that is the case that the story has to be interesting and entertaining. "Epitaph" just isn't. Sure there are some creepy scenes and there seems to be some atmosphere that could have made this movie into a genuine horror classic. The problem is that the story (3 different stories) is not that complicated but because of it's construct doesn't make sense at all. Only if you have the patience to sit through the movie you will get some clarification at the end. What is the purpose of telling the story like this. Is there really more to it? Is there a depth never seen before in a movie? Answer:NO! It just tries hard to conceal it's flaws and in the process have the appearance of sophistication. And believe me that it is pretty flawed. I couldn't tell you if the actors are any good. There are only brief moments of conversations between characters that were conventional but not enough for me to care about any of the characters. Overall this horror isn't scary. And it doesn't offer drama that touches me or is a least bit interesting. Not for me!

Epitaph is a horror film from South Corea. While you could definitely call it an anthology, as it contains three separate stories, all the stories are set in the same place and time, a hospital in Seoul during the Japanese occupation. While, I have to admit that the film is remarkably photographed and has great art, design and production values, and it even manages to be far more coherent and interesting that most horror films, it falls short of its potential when it comes to the stories presented.

The first story deals with a young intern, a ward of the hospital director, who becomes mesmerized by a beautiful new corpse that arrives. This is perhaps the least traditional story and the one that doesn't have any significant weaknesses. Unfortunately, it also doesn't have a very strong point by itself--this character actually bookends the film and so you do get to see and understand a bit of the theme of the overall film through him, but it doesn't have a strong resonance. The second story deals with a young girl who is brought in from a terrible car accident that takes her parents and she's experiencing terrible visions or nightmares. This portion has probably the creepiest imagery of the bunch and perhaps the strongest acting (from the little girl who plays Asako). Unfortunately, the character motivations are a little melodramatic and the segment probably goes on further than it needs to. The last segment deals with an apparent serial murder of a Japanese soldier and a mystery revolving around a surgeon at the hospital. While this segment has one or two really great ideas and resultant gorgeous imagery, at the same time, the resolution of the conflict is done via a series of twists that might even make M. Night Shyamalan roll his eyes. I think if it had restrained itself, it would've actually been a much better story.

Fortunately, even though the stories are indeed separate and focus on separate characters at the hospital, one thing that the film has going for it is that it really does a good job of sticking to its central themes of love, death and loneliness. I found that the frights were present to some degree and I'm sure that less jaded viewers might actually find them terrifying. Even with three stories that suffer from their weaknesses, the film is buoyed by its gorgeous reproduction of an era in Corean history, its beautiful photography and generally sound acting. So, in the end, Epitaph does manage to be interesting and entertaining, despite its faults. And for that, I can recommend it to horror-movie fans and the more curious (or brave) viewers of cinema. Decent. 7/10.

This movie is heavily structured (we have three subplots that revolves around different types of hauntings) but, imho, uselessly so. The three stories are pretty straightforward per se but the historical setting, the impeccable aesthetic and slow pacing give an impression of complexity. It is a good a movie but I felt slightly defrauded when it ended because the story was really just that.

Epitaph is one of those films that can very easily disappoint you when you first watch it. Especially if you expect a Ringu type flick. True, it's beautiful visually, but the storytelling is so complex that it makes you feel that either the directors - and the writer- have lost control over their material, or that you're missing something crucial. Actually, the later is the key. Cause Epitaph is not just a creepy horror flick. It's a beautiful film about LOVE. Love through and beyond life and death. Love is the common theme that connects all those perplexed stories and scenes. Having that in mind, I decided to watch it again and I must say, this time I though I was watching a totally different movie. So, my suggestion to you is this. If you're looking for a clean K-horror flick with ghosts and all the classic Ringu themes, don't watch this one. You'll be very disappointed. However, if you're interested in something more that that, give Epitaph a chance. It may not be the best one out there, but it surely has quite a lot of things to tell you.