Stoker Review
In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last decade and haven’t heard of the name Park Chan-Wook, then it goes without saying that you have been missing out on the works of a truly gifted auteur. Hailing from South Korea, he is most known for what is arguably his opus – the revenge thriller Oldboy. Ever since that film stormed into Cannes and won widespread critical acclaim, Hollywood has been actively trying to court his talents to use for its advantage. It took a few years but it has finally happened. Park has finally made the jump to the English Language with the Freudian Coming of Age tale Stoker.
Stoker tells the story of India (Mia Wasikowska) and her titular family consisting of parents Evelyn (Nicole Kidman) and Richard (Dermont Mulroney). The story begins when India’s father dies unexpectedly in a fatal car crash on her 18th birthday. India, who was extremely close to her father, is shattered over his death. Meanwhile, her mother regresses into an almost catatonic state.
After the funeral, a mysterious stranger arrives to the family residence in the form of a long lost uncle by the name of Charlie (Matthew Goode). He is charming, well educated, well spoken and well travelled. He immediately takes a fascination to both women for entirely different reasons. India grows both suspicious and, at the same time, strangely infatuated by him largely due to his unexplained absence. But all is not what it seems as people start to just disappear without a trace. It quickly becomes apparent that Uncle Charlie is not all that he seems to be.
The film borrows a large chunk of its setup from Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt. Like that film, Stoker deals with the mysterious, strange and off kilter Uncle inveigling his way into the household. And that’s where the comparisons end, as Stoker takes an entirely different route from here on out. Taking the title and family's surname into consideration, Stoker does have some obvious vampiric connotations throughout. With that said, it's not a vampire film in the traditional sense.
Instead, it is a fable that concerns itself with one's coming of age and the loss of innocence. Director Park has gone on record as saying that it is a film about ‘bad blood’. This is a rather accurate statement as the film concerns itself with the family ties that help us along the path from childhood into adulthood. This is echoed by a vital line of opening dialog dubbed over by India; “I’m not formed by the things that are of myself alone. I wear my father’s belt tied around my mother’s blouse, and shoes which are from my uncle”.
It is a film rife with visual symbolism. For instance, there is a moment of emphasis placed on a spider crawling up India’s bare calf. This is a moment of highly evocative imagery with its suggestion of Uncle Charlie funnelling a web of deceit.
Another is the visual use of eggs. Eggs are used throughout the film as a visual device to symbolize India’s desire to break free of her shell and fly into adulthood. With the arrival of Uncle Charlie, the shell shatters and gives way to a newfound sense of freedom mixed with an erosion of innocence.
Some have accused the film as being all style and no substance. To a certain extent, this is a truthful statement. It is stylishly well-crafted with a strong sense of visual prowess, though it is not without purpose or meaning as there is much to be admired and deciphered through its symbolism.
It is a film of mystique; a film where its central character receives a key. That key will at some point in time unlock the buried past of her family lineage. These secrets will eventually help to not only reveal but to also form her true nature of character.
The key to making this overpowering mystique work is Matthew Goode in the role of Uncle Charlie. He walks a fine line between charming and downright sinister. Behind his boyish and childlike veneer lurks an extremely cunning, intelligent and astutely aware predator who is carefully calculating his every move. From the moment he shows up on their doorstep, he immediately invokes a strong sense of mystery that beckons both Evelyn and India into a state of infatuation with him -- both for very different reasons.
Mia Wasikowska also turns in some of her finest work to date as the detached, emotionally distant and off-kilter ‘Lolita’-like India. It’s a very strong and assured performance. Her wardrobe is highly evocative of the Alice in Wonderland archetype, as her character plunges further down the rabbit hole with regards to her increasing infatuation over Charlie.
The centrepiece of this relationship reaches its oedipal peak with a masterfully crafted scene where Charlie spontaneously joins India in a duet on the grand piano. This scene gives way to further revealing the true meaning of their relationship.
Technically speaking, it is everything you would expect from a Park Chan-Wook film. It’s a visually stunning feast to look at and playing host to a rather delicate collection of surrealistic images. Director Park has bought with him his long-time partner in crime, cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon. The style employed is akin to that of an illustrated story book. This deliberate choice of style does well to contrast complete innocence with the sinister undertones of the story.
Set designs are all lavishly Victorian Gothic in flavour. The house itself wouldn’t feel out of place in any vampire novel with its blood coloured red walls, spiralling staircase and lavish interior and exterior decorating. It all looks as if it were ripped from another decade and serves to further heighten the foreboding dread that permeates the entire film.
The surrealistic charms of Stoker work best when the action is confided within the household. Unfortunately it makes a slight misjudgement when the story feels the need to briefly relocate outside of the house by entering the real world and showing India in her everyday school girl life. Here she is tormented by a rather stereotypical group of jocks for no real reason.
These scenes in question do eventually serve an important purpose to the narrative -- a purpose for which I will not spoil – however, it is also a detriment as the blending of reality and surrealism doesn’t quite gel in harmony. It doesn’t hurt the film but it did take me out of the well-established atmosphere for just a brief moment.
Make no mistake about it though; Stoker is as confronting and divisive as any of Park’s previous films. Some will hate it and find it pointless, while others will indulge in its strong use of symbolism. I fall into the latter category as I felt there was not a single scene or line of dialog that is without a grander purpose or meaning. In every way imaginable, this is very much a Park Chan-Wook film and as such, nothing about his unique style has been lost or watered down in translation to English.
Stoker is a fantastic mix of a pulpy psychosexual B-movie blended with the artistic nature of a delicate and feminine coming of age tale. It may test the patience of some with its overpowering style but for me, it worked its sinister charm accordingly. If you’re a fan of Park’s previous works, then by all means do not hesitate to see this. If you’re being introduced to Park for the first time, then prepare yourself to be confronted with a unique and well-crafted experience unlike any other that you will see this year.
☆☆☆☆
Posted by Daniel Mann - 12/6/2013
MORE REVIEWS
