Lucia Roman

The plot was a significant downgrade from the original, it was still very entertaining and a good story, but it lost so much of the charm to it the original had. There was simply no reason for this sequel to exist. I was very disappointed in the characters, I expected to see how Yuki would develop and move away from her past and come to terms with the many deaths in the previous movie. Instead, she wasn’t even really a major part of this movie and everything she did boiled down to fighting or doing nothing. The other characters weren’t particularly fascinating either. The pacing was good, but I mostly feel this way because I felt no emotional connection to the story. It was over quickly but also not too soon, it was just fine for the quality of the film. I think they actually did very well for the world building, the narration and the details about the setting somehow seemed natural and also stayed consistent. The rebellious spirit of the time but also the strong sense of honor in the upper classes was very accurate to where the country was at after the Russo-Japanese War. The themes were just fine, they entirely rid the previous movie’s ideas of justice and humanity and focused not so strongly on the anarchist movement. It just felt so unconnected to the original and the themes are just a bit too tired. I found the cinematography to be quite strong in this film. The dramatic style has grown on me and it also just becomes a bit more grounded and creative in this movie. I love the different angles, like one where we see from Yuki’s perspective as she fights. The awkward zoom-ins were still present, but used much less thankfully. Despite the movie’s quality, I did still have a previous attachment to Yuki and therefore did get a bit emotional. Watching her cry at the very end symbolized to me the regaining of her long lost humanity, I found it to be pretty powerful in an otherwise underwhelming movie. I think this movie is still fairly unique, it’s not as special as the original but still leaves its own mark. It’s very anti-government which surprises me because many older Japanese films were not exactly patriotic, but followed those dated ideas of honor. The dialogue was very painful, it was dreadfully simple most of the time and sporadically tried to be deep and interesting. I really had a hard time taking anything they said seriously. Also, Yuki barely has any lines in this movie and her lack of involvement brings it down so much. Overall, I didn’t love this movie but it was still fun. I feel a bit indignant that there is a sequel and the lost potential of Yuki’s character development. Plot - 4 Characters - 2 Pacing - 6 Worldbuilding - 9 Themes - 5 Animation or Cinematography - 8 Emotional Impact - 6 Uniqueness - 8 Dialogue - 1 Overall Enjoyment - 4 **Total: 53%**

The plot was incredibly unique and filled to the brim with many conflicting stories and emotions. Through the films entirety, I found it captivating and wonderful, but ever so slightly lackluster. Gwynplaine is a fantastically written character who along with Quasimodo from Hugo’s earlier novel created an entire character trope. The deformed man who is hated and laughed at by the world despite being simply like everyone else. The contrast between his sinister face and kind, fearful personality is beautifully portrayed in this story. I do wish that Dea could have been a bit more interesting, she really just waits on bated breath for Gwynplaine for the whole movie, but they could have delved into the debt she believes she owes him and where her love stems from. The pacing is so strong for the vast majority of the movies until the final fifteen minutes which really drag on. The rest moves cautiously through time, much like our main character, doting on the dreadful scenes and the emotional ones. I really love the world building in this film, not only does it portray the times they live in through the clothes and speech and culture of the people, but it’s also applicable to the real world. Rather than understand, people would rather do anything else, this idea, which is also a massive part of the themes, is accurate to the time this film takes place and modern day. Speaking of the themes, I found them incredibly powerful and moving. It took the idea of never judging a book by its cover and turned it into something much more impactful then those words. It also shows that people are not what they seem, the smile plastered across his face at all times is a total lie, he in fact lives a miserable and painful life, seen by the world as only something to laugh at. Again, the cinematography was very good up until the last fifteen minutes. It grew very basic and really didn’t attract my attention in the slightest, the unique and emotional shots were gone and replaced with hasty action ones. But the rest of the movie did beautifully at creating touching and engaging scenes. While I went into this movie expecting it to be scary, I was entirely mislead and it was much more somber than I anticipated. I found many of the scenes to be very impactful and found myself emotional on behalf of the characters, they did so well portraying the self-consciousness of Gwynplaine. I struggle with the uniqueness of this film, considering its massive similarities to The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Since these are made by the same author, I’m willing to cut it some more slack but it really is very similar. I still think it’s a wonderful film. The dialogue didn’t seem too outstanding, it went well with the tone from scene to scene but didn’t get in the way in a good way or bad. I really don’t have much to say about it. Overall, this is a new favorite to me. Despite the last fifteen minutes being underwhelming, I found this movie to be a fantastic watch. I can’t really fully explain why, but I adore it.  Plot - 10 Characters - 8 Pacing - 9 Worldbuilding - 10 Themes - 10 Animation or Cinematography - 8 Emotional Impact - 9 Uniqueness - 6 Dialogue - 7 Overall Enjoyment - 10 **Total: 87%**

The plot is a sloppy, but wonderfully entertaining mix of two movie tropes, government experimentation on psychics and a vengeful ghost who curses all do a certain thing. The story is fairly interesting, but is hindered by its lack of explanation and massive plot holes. It mainly consists of our two main characters doing things for no apparent reason. The characters have barely any personality to them, they merely go through the motions of the nonsensical plot and interact in very strange ways. For example, most of the movie Ryuji is very nice to his ex-wife but doesn’t seem to hold any of the former love he had during their marriage. Yet not only does he sporadically say something awful, like that the entire family should die or that their son should have never been born, but they also try at the end to rekindle their love, as Asakawa calls him her husband. None of the few characteristics they have are consistent throughout the movie. Somehow, this movie was decently paced. I felt that if they actually explained, it wouldn’t even have to be much longer. There are plenty of moments that would be perfect for a conversation between characters or a debrief on what their plan was and why they were doing it. The world was not at all relevant to the story so it wasn’t really developed. It had some history to it, like the experiments and Shizuko’s backstory, but really nothing significant. I can’t think of a single lesson this movie made an attempt to teach. I thought they would focus a bit more on Asakawa’s neglect of her child or Sadako’s reasoning for what she does, but it boils down so heavily to good vs. evil and no questions asked. The cinematography was pretty clean, for the few frightening scenes they did well placing the camera to add suspense and editing the sequences. It wasn’t really anything incredibly special, good or bad. I didn’t really have any emotional attachment to any of the characters so I was unable to empathize for them too heavily, but there were a few scenes were I did get a bit scared. This movie really didn’t have many horror scenes, which is odd for a horror movie, but the ones they did have were satisfactory. This movie kicked off a massive trend of horror films in Asia, so it being one of the first of its kind in its respective region is noteworthy. Many of the plot points are basic however and have been seen in many other stories, but I do believe there were certainly innovative elements to this movie. The dialogue was nearly irredeemable. At the very least, it was humorous and not dry and boring, but it was so pointless and so unrealistic it was laughable. Nothing said in this movie did much to explain anything, it was mostly just background noise. Overall, despite my previous cynical statements, I loved this movie. It was terrible in a shamefully fun way and I really can’t explain why I liked it so much.  Plot - 6 Characters - 0 Pacing - 7 Worldbuilding - 5 Themes - 0 Animation or Cinematography - 7 Emotional Impact - 3 Uniqueness - 7 Dialogue - 1 Overall Enjoyment - 10 **Total: 46%**

The plot is absolutely somber and real, its mix of dramatic elements and painful realities make it incredibly special. The fact that it all happened really gives the viewer chills to come to terms with, watching these brilliant actors, who are amateurs but captivate the audience, display a forgotten and violent history is wildly powerful. The characters are also fantastic, I can without a doubt imagine someone like Florya existing during that time, young and impressionable, ready to act on and be doomed by his perception of war. Suddenly, so many of his actions have so much weight, he is burdened with such guilt and stress and his innocence fades slowly, replaced by traits from his surrounding partisans. He lowers his voice, speaks with more authority, at first giving the impression of a child trying to be an adult, then a child who is already mentally matured by trauma and pain. Glasha is also a wonderful character, she is slightly more realistic than Florya, seeing war for what it is and understanding what his fate will be, but she too has childish dreams. The foul twisting of their innocent hopes encapsulates the cruelty of war with a slap. The pacing was very well done, many people comment that the movie is a bit long, but I actually would have preferred it to be even longer. I feel there was so much more that could have happened in between, it all felt so piled upon itself. However, I think they did amazingly with individual scenes and leaving space for thought and reflection. The historical accuracy of this movie is really incredible. So many war films omit this aspect and focus on the battles themselves, but this one clearly went through pains to create exactness. The different languages spoken, the contrasting outfits from partisans to German soldiers to civilians, all of these little things made it all so real. There are so many themes in this film and none of them are underdeveloped. The biggest one is simply the horror of war. Unlike most movies who focus on the war front, the home front comes into focus and we see the struggles of everyone involved, how widespread the conflict truly is. This movie shows war for what it truly is, a disgusting and miserable human error that breeds nothing but hatred and hardship. The cinematography was absolutely beautiful. The colors made everything look almost dreamlike, while the events and expressions of the characters were brutally honest. The bright and beautiful in another context fire, the blue skies trodden with smoke, it all feels so unreal but yet so genuine. The close-up shots really highlight the name of the film and the stunning performance from the actors. We bear witness to their suffering, we cannot judge or understand it, but merely watch. This movie never fails to leave me shaken after watching it. I feel so ashamed to be a human being and so grateful to have never been in a position like any of the characters in this film. It leaves such an impression and such a strong emotional reaction. Contrary to so many movies, this one uses an abundance of close-ups, which aren’t often used to often in films, but it works perfectly in this one. It also tells a story that has been lost to time, if it was ever really known at all. I had no idea about the Belarusian experience during the Second World War before my first watch of this movie. The dialogue didn’t really catch my attention, there were much more important aspects for this film. But the lines I do remember were concise and relevant, the tones in which Florya used at different times helped the viewer gauge the impression he was hoping to give. The sound editing for the speaking also had a dreamlike aspect, it almost felt dubbed over, the voices were always so loud. Overall, upon my third rewatch of this film, I once again gain a deeper appreciation for this masterpiece. Originally, I rated it a 89%, but this movie is one that needs to be analyzed in order to get the full picture. It is such a tour de force and I shall never forget it even if I wanted to.  Plot - 10 Characters - 10 Pacing - 9 Worldbuilding - 10 Themes - 10 Animation or Cinematography - 10 Emotional Impact - 10 Uniqueness - 10 Dialogue - 8 Overall Enjoyment - 10 **Total: 97%**