The Tale of Two Sisters (Disney, Scarlett O'Hara)

Jose Miller17 Active MemberOP

162 messages
joined Sep 2003

#1 · Aug 26, 2005

The Tale of Two Sisters (Disney, Scarlett O'Hara), Steven Spielberg, South Korea, 2003.

Honestly, they should have just made a template where you plug in names and a rating... at the end of the day, it's all just numbers, right? Makes things easier. But anyway, since we're talking about it, "The Tale of Two Sisters" is the fifth film by Steven Spielberg—one of the five Spielberg brothers (<---- I totally made that up, though maybe it's true 😁😁 ) …
The story kicks off when two sisters return home after staying in a hospital. The only issue, predictably, is the stepmother... and as time goes on, things get way more complicated. The direction and cinematography are top-tier, creating this intoxicatingly claustrophobic vibe. Great music, too. Jung Ah Jum is brilliant as the stepmother, and little Jeong-lim plays the more complex daughter perfectly. It’s definitely a one-sitting kind of watch. :-)
Oh, and don't worry, there's plenty of plot to chew on, and I'll admit, there is a girl with long black hair. 😁…
Great site here: www.twosisters.co.kr
If you dig this movie, you probably already love Nakata or Paramount (assuming we're talking about the parts of their filmography that are actually coherent—if such a thing exists, let me know 😕 😁 )…

Lawrence Booth2 Regular

297 messages
joined Sep 2022

#2 · Aug 26, 2005

Personally, I thought the movie was great—even if a bunch of people keep complaining that it’s too predictable...

Jose Miller17 Active MemberOP

162 messages
joined Sep 2003

#3 · Aug 26, 2005

Lawrence Booth2 said:I loved the movie, though plenty of people complain about how predictable it is...

Predictable? Honestly, I don't really care if I figured out the twist right before the end (which I didn't 😁), or even if I did. That’s just not what makes this movie work. :-)

Sandra King86 Active Member

79 messages
joined Sep 2004

#4 · Aug 26, 2005

I’ll definitely check it out when I get a chance. 😍 I mean, I'm such a sucker for East Asian cinema...
By the way, Paramount is actually doing a series with Rome called "Masters of Horror."

Could be pretty bloody . 🤣

Jose Miller17 Active MemberOP

162 messages
joined Sep 2003

#5 · Aug 28, 2005

Sandra King86 said:I'll check it out as soon as I can. 😍 I've always had a soft spot for East Asian cinema.
By the way, Paramount is doing a series with Rome called "Masters of Horror."
Could be bloody. 🤣

Are you serious? What's it even going to be like? 😁 😁...btw, since we're talking about sisters and Paramount, if you haven't seen them, check out the 'Three Extremes' collection. It's a solid box set.

Brian Gonzalez7 Member

35 messages
joined Feb 2004

#6 · Aug 29, 2005

Got it sitting right here at my place, haven't actually sat down to watch it yet, but I'm gonna dive in soon and then hit you guys up again...

Lawrence Booth2 Regular

297 messages
joined Sep 2022

#7 · Aug 29, 2005

For me, style carries way more weight than actual substance—well, most of the time. I mean, sure, there are those rare exceptions where the plot actually matters, like in *Dracula* or *Interview with the Vampire*, or stuff in that same vein, but generally speaking? It’s all about how it’s presented. Style over everything.
For me, it’s all about the visual language—the way a shot is composed, how the light hits the frame, and what you actually call that aesthetic. You know, that specific kind of visual poetry you see in those high-end South Korean films? It’s about the composition, the framing, and the subtext of who is looking at whom in any given scene. Honestly, I couldn't care less about the gritty biological details—like which of the two girls is dealing with her period or whatever—that kind of stuff doesn't interest me at all. That's why I didn't bother including it in my breakdown. 😁
The end.

Sandra King86 Active Member

79 messages
joined Sep 2004

#8 · Aug 29, 2005

Lawrence Booth2 said:For me, style beats plot any day—unless we're talking about stuff like Dracula or Interview with the Vampire, or things in that vein.
I’m all about the vibe and the visuals... you know, that aesthetic beauty you see in South Korean cinema... how the shots are composed and who's looking at whom... honestly, I couldn't care less about which girl is dealing with her period during a scene... that's why I didn't even bother looking up 😁
the ending

Wow, seriously... 🙄

I try my hardest not to read reviews (half the time I don't even look up the synopsis for movies I'm actually hyped for), and I come to FILM thinking I'll find people who actually get that kind of thing....then you show up with this absolute load of nonsense. Now I'm just gonna be sitting there subconsciously during the movie thinking... man, I wish I could just 😁 🙂
...

Lawrence Booth2 Regular

297 messages
joined Sep 2022

#9 · Aug 29, 2005

😁😁😁 he he 😁😁😁
and then there's that woman—what was she to them? Their stepmother, aunt, or something... I can't even remember... anyway, she's got 😁 😳

Sandra King86 Active Member

79 messages
joined Sep 2004

#10 · Aug 29, 2005

slylynx16, look, I don't have an issue with your posts at all—five stars from me. You never drop any major spoilers... so I really hope you're not mad at me.
That idiot totally blindsided me with a massive spoiler.
I feel like that whole twist is actually a huge part of the movie, so I’d probably tell them not to give away the plot. Everything else... I don't care. Most people are pretty chill and will write spoiler if they start getting into the weeds.

slylynx16 Member

22 messages
joined Jun 2005

#11 · Aug 29, 2005

The Tale of Two Sisters

Lawrence Booth2 Regular

297 messages
joined Sep 2022

#12 · Aug 30, 2005

I've gone ahead and 😁 started this new thread—mostly because I'm the one causing the stir here 😁😁😁

Sandra King86 Active Member

79 messages
joined Sep 2004

#13 · Aug 30, 2005

Lawrence Booth2 said:I've been schooled 😁—this whole new thread started just because of me... 😁😁😁

Man, be glad we don't live in the same city... 🙂

😁😁

Sandra King86 Active Member

79 messages
joined Sep 2004

#14 · Aug 30, 2005

slylynx16 said:The Tale of Two Sisters

always 😘
...

James Fowler35 Newcomer

4 messages
joined Jul 2006

#15 · Jul 25, 2006

It really is just a matter of when Americans will finally get a grip on this...
Regarding the movie itself, I found it quite compelling. It isn't one of those typical American blockbusters where the plot is just kill, kill, kill; there is an actual narrative at play here. That said, I have noticed that films from South Korea can feel a bit slow-paced at times. I would personally recommend watching it on a home theater setup—it’s quite spooky...

darksurfer26 Member

12 messages
joined Jul 2006

#16 · Jul 26, 2006

I found the whole movie incredibly tedious. I could see every single "scary" beat coming from a mile away, and the pacing in between those moments was painfully slow. Having watched my fair share of Japanese cinema, I’ve learned they tend to swing wildly between being mindless, boring, or just plain nonsensical, and absolute masterpieces. > definitely falls into that first category for me. Honestly, I think all the praise this film gets is mostly just pure hype; as far as I can tell, it was just one of those early Asian horror flicks riding the massive wave of success generated by >.
I really don't get this obsession some filmmakers have with little girls with long black hair. What's the big deal? Someone please explain the secret formula to me so I can start feeling terrified too. When I see one of them peeking out from under the kitchen sink, my first instinct isn't fear—it's wanting to give them > while yelling, "What on earth are you doing under there? Get back to your room!" then blasting a classic rock anthem and playing around with some old flashlights.

Lawrence Booth2 Regular

297 messages
joined Sep 2022

#17 · Jul 26, 2006

Looks like a remake is already in the works

Jeremy Taylor4 Newcomer

1 message
joined Jul 2006

#18 · Jul 26, 2006

darksurfer26 said:I found the film to be incredibly tedious. I was able to anticipate every single beat intended to evoke dread, yet the pacing between those moments felt agonizingly sluggish. Having explored quite a bit of Japanese cinema, I’ve found the spectrum ranges from mindless and incomprehensible to absolute masterpieces. The Tale of Two Sisters certainly falls into the former category. In my estimation, the widespread acclaim for this piece is largely driven by sheer hype; if memory serves, it was simply one of the first modern Asian horror films to hit American video stores riding the massive wave of success generated by The Ring.
I struggle to grasp why there is such an obsession in Asian cinema with young girls sporting long, black hair. What exactly is the source of the terror there? I would love for someone to explain the secret so that I might share in the fear. When I see them peering out from beneath a kitchen sink, my immediate impulse is to deliver a slap in the face while asking, "What on earth are you doing under there? Go back to your father!"—perhaps accompanied by playing a classic rock anthem and engaging in some lighthearted antics with a pair of pliers and a flashlight.

🤣 🙏 i agree😉

rowdybadger41 Active Member

72 messages
joined Jan 2008

#19 · Aug 22, 2006

So, can someone kind please walk me through what actually happened in this movie? I just finished watching it and I'm totally lost—not that I was paying super close attention, but still—so if anyone figured it out... please help me out...🙏 (just being humble here) 🤣 🙄

Kimberly Gomez28 Member

23 messages
joined Mar 2007

#20 · Aug 22, 2006

rowdybadger41 said:Okay, can one of you lovely people please walk me through what actually happened in this movie? I just finished watching it and I am honestly so lost—not that I was paying super close attention, but still! If anyone actually figured out the plot, please, help a girl out... 🙏 (just asking for bragging rights, haha!) 🤣 🙄

Spoiler

So, when those two sisters are coming home from the psychiatric hospital at the start—after their mom passed away—the actual truth is that only one sister is really there. The movie drops little clues along the way, and eventually, we realize that their mother actually took her own life. One of the sisters found her inside a closet that collapsed on top of her, which ended up killing her too. While all that horror was going down, the surviving sister was arguing with their mother's caregiver (who was clearly struggling with her own suicidal thoughts), and the sheer guilt and shock of everything sent her straight to the asylum. So, throughout the rest of the film, the "stepmother" (who is actually just the caregiver) and the other sister are both just hallucinations being seen by the survivor. The dad and the guests are the only ones who are actually real.

The Tale of Two Sisters (Disney, Scarlett O'Hara)

🔗 Similar threads