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The Saeki family was the original owner of an ordinary house in Japan. But as it turned out,
their lives were not so ordinary at all. The wife was brutally murdered, and the husband Takeo and their son Toshio mysteriously disappeared. Now, as the house is
occupied by another set of owners, Kazumi and Katsuya with their aging mother, the original occupants have not let go of the place. Evil presence and apparitions lurk in it,
not only to haunt the new owners, but also to kill them as well. Eventually the couple is found dead in the attic. Visiting relative Hitomi (Misaki Ito) is also
pursued by the ghosts even in her own apartment. Social worker Nishina Ricka (Okina Megumi) also visits the house to look after the ailing mother. But she's in for a
scare. She too is not spared from the gruesome encounter with the ghosts. Such is the reality of the Ju-on, a curse that lurks in a seemingly ordinary house, with the
original angry ghost inflicting on others what she herself experienced. Could anybody stop this terror?
Asian films have come a long way in the quality of its productions. The shots are well
rehearsed and well taken. Each composition is relevant and based on the intention of the director. Save for the acting and some silly scenarios, all other factors are
capable. The best visual effect is the grainy reenactment of the brutal past; one could mistake it to be true. Also, the music and sound effects contribute a lot in
the heightening of emotions; each crescendo prepares the audience for the impending doom about to take place. The plot development, though it may seem confusing to the
audience, is nothing but strategy—a creative style that veers away from the classic Hollywood continuity. They simply reveal that time and scene don't really matter for
the Ju-on. They all lead to one reality—horror lurks in every person that comes in contact with the agitated spirits.
The purpose of a horror genre is always to tickle the fancy of the viewers by heightening fear for
that which is hidden, mysterious, or totally unknown to man. But the films that merely play around with emotions for the sake of pure entertainment should be highly subjected
to suspicion. The presence of agitated spirits lurking, terrifying, and even killing people could not hold water especially in a predominantly Catholic country where people
hold great respect for their beloved dead. Every soul is an image of the Divine Creator and therefore cannot and will not forever behave this way scaring people.
Perhaps the audience might have a penchant for screaming, but there are more important things in the world to scream about, like worsening poverty and crimes. Parents should
take great care in explaining to their children that behaving in an evil way like this has no place in the Christian world. Such spirits don't even exist.
(Date Reviewed: November 28, 2003)
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