By: Vanessa Chen
Rating: 4/5 stars
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Dermot Mulroney, Jacki Weaver
Director: Chan-wook Park
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Mystery
Stoker, South Korean auteur Chan-wook Park’s English-language film debut, is a chilling Hitchcockian thriller about a family’s shifting dynamic when a new figure comes into town.
Without giving away this dark, twisty plot, here is the overview: After India Stoker’s (Mia Wasikowska) father (Dermot Mulroney) is killed in a mysterious auto accident on the day of her eighteenth birthday, her enigmatic Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode), who no one has heard from for the past twenty odd years, returns for his brother’s funeral. Without wasting any time, he immediately moves in with her and Evelyn Stoker (Nicole Kidman), her icy, emotionally and unstable mother in their gothic mansion. Shortly after, India begins to question what Uncle Charlie is actually there for when she notices people quickly disappearing from her life.
Instead of feeling aversion to Uncle Charlie’s violent tendencies, India, an introverted and isolated young girl, becomes increasingly fascinated with him, forming a love triangle between her, Uncle Charlie and her mother. This coming of age film, seen through India’s eyes, is India’s transformation from young girl to adult by the time the curtains close. This is not your typical thriller; Park pulls you into the world of the characters and gets you invested, which makes it all the more frightening when bad things start happening.
Fans of director Park (Oldboy (2003), Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005), Thirst (2009)) will not be frustrated with his decision to make Stoker his first studio movie, funded by Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Park, known for his profoundly stylized visuals, breathtaking cinematography, strikingly graphic violence and often controversial subject matter, does not conform in any facet to typical studio releases. Instead, he continually pushes the envelope by raising big, yet unexplored questions. The provocative themes may be uncomfortable for some and will undoubtedly place viewers all over the map, the way all great films do. Heavily charged with symbolism, Stoker turns the confined space into a small universe in and of itself, frame-working the focus on one family’s exploration.
Stoker is a visually striking, stylistic masterpiece, aided by Park’s longtime director of photography, Chung-hoon Chung. Hitchcock, known for extensively story-boarding every shot before arriving on set, was a considerable influence on Park. Taking a note from Hitchcock, Park, also a master of mise-en-scène, meticulously conceived each shot in painstaking detail pre-production, which resulted in incredibly idyllic and innovative imagery.
The transitions, especially his use of cross cutting, are not only remarkably poetic, but provide significant symbolism and foreshadowing, which is the driving force behind this movie. Without adding any spoilers, it is essential to pay attention and remember all the seemingly small details, which will all reappear later in the movie’s labyrinthine development. Film is a director’s medium and Park does a heck of a job capturing one family’s descent down the rabbit hole.
Authored by Wentworth Miller, best known as the star of Prison Break, Stoker uses minimalistic dialogue which emphasizes each word spoken while focusing on building the intense tension beneath. This concentration on the actor’s silent reactions is a demanding venture to master. However, Park does not only that, but more; his rich take on filmmaking concocts and maintains both the interest and suspense necessary to keep the viewer invested, even though Stoker is a slow-burning movie. As for Hitchcock fans, there are weighty filmic allusions to Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Vertigo (1958), Psycho (1960), among many others.
With the title Stoker sharing the same name with Dracula creator Bram Stoker, there is an indication of vampirism. There is clearly a reminder of this with Uncle Charlie’s character, who displays vampiric qualities: he never eats and he changes locations almost alarmingly fast. He has seemingly supernatural senses, something he shares in common with India, one of the many things that pull them closer to each other.
It raises the question about bad blood, on whether or not there is a predisposition within the Stoker blood line to do mischievous things. In India’s opening monologue, she tells us in a breathy whisper, “Just as a flower does not choose its color, we are not responsible for what we have come to be. Only once you realize this do you become free.” These words become startlingly more sinister when her past is revealed and her family secrets unfold.
This movie certainly shows the darker side of human nature, but asks for the viewer’s opinion: Where does violence stem from? Are people born with it, or does it develop over time with exposure? It becomes a debate between nature versus nurture.
The Stoker soundtrack, primarily Clint Mansell’s (Requiem for a Dream (2000), The Wrestler (2008), Black Swan (2010)) haunting compositions, features Philip Glass’s (The Hours (2002), The Truman Show (1998), Notes on a Scandal (2006)) modern classical “Duet”, Emily Wells’ magnetizing “Becomes the Color,” which is featured in “The Making of the International Teaser Poster” along with a few other artists.
Mansell’s use of unconventional juxtapositions create a timeless, unique sound with elements of guitar, piano, percussion and electronica. The distinct design of a movie soundtrack allows an album to stand as one continuous piece of music, rather than individual tracks. The impressive variations in sound, progression, melody and dynamics creates an enthralling atmosphere that heightens and harmonizes with Park’s work; Mansell has outdone himself again.
Nowadays, there are a number of trailers, clips, interviews and featurettes available online via YouTube. For those who are inclined to seeing a scene from the movie, there is an excellent clip called “Sheriff Comes Calling”. The way the cinematography and script work together to create the perfect beat by beat changes is without a doubt, innovative. His cinematography alone reveals nuances and tells the story with hidden subtext. The shifting dynamics between the characters are emphasized to the greatest intensity with his stunning vision. Great directors are ones who utilizes every aspect of filmmaking to his or her disposal; Park is one of them.
Official Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNpDG4WR_74
Official Trailer #2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brjtL-2kE9A
