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A Tale of Two Sisters
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - Australia - Umbrella Entertainment Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (5th August 2023). |
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The Film
 "A Tale of Two Sisters" <장화, 홍련> (2003) Su-mi (played by Im Soo-jung) and her younger sister Su-yeon (played by Moon Geun-young are brought by their father (played by Kim Kap-su) to their family’s villa by the lake where their step-mother Eun-joo (played by Yum Jung-ah) is waiting for their return. The protective Su-mi is unhappy with having her as a step-mother, and does whatever it takes to keep her and her younger sister safe from harm. The father does not see the emotional distress it is causing, but for the young girls, the actions and words of Eun-joo are hurtful. But at the same time, there is a tormented ghostly presence that is lurking within the villa. Writer and director Kim Jee-woon’s first feature film "The Quiet Family" (1998) was a comedy-horror taking place at a rural lodge. His second feature “The Foul King” (2000) was a comedy-drama centered on amateur wrestling. For his third feature, he went again in a different direction with a horror film that had supernatural elements, family structure, as well as psychological torment. The story was loosely inspired by the Joseon era folktale “Janghwa, Hongryeon”, about two sisters and the emotional abuse they endure from an evil step-mother. While that core element remained the same, there is little else that remains, as “A Tale of Two Sisters” is a unique piece of work that is hard to discuss without raising major spoilers about the characters and the plot. The film is quite minimal in its cast and setting, as there are basically four main characters seen throughout the story and only five other supporting actors seen in only a few minutes each. In addition, ninety-five percent of the action takes place in a single setting inside the villa or just outside. What stands out is the villa itself, as the production team crafted a very unique house from its structure, the wallpapers, the furniture, and the lighting for something that was beautiful and comfortable yet disorienting and frightening. The colors of the film are distinct with the green and red hues as well as the dark tones that are flooding the corners. Each frame could easily be a portrait with its framing and its lighting, as the camera is more of an observer with still shots rather than with tracking or panning. There was certainly a lot of work done with the visual side of the film, and the house itself is a character of its own, especially with the cinematography by Lee Mo-gae and the lighting by Oh Seung-chul. The same also applies with the sound design. Composer Lee Byung-woo’s beautiful theme song plays throughout in orchestral form, guitar form, or piano form depending on the scene, and is strikingly memorable. It is oddly quite the polar opposite of a horror feature, as the melody could easily be used in a bright love story instead. But here, it focuses on the emotional drama between the family and its internal conflicts, being more heartbreaking in the process. But music alone does not make the sound design full, as the sound of the film also puts emphasis on using the surround channels effectively for scares. From footsteps running in the rear surrounds, electronic pulses jump scares, there are some utterly terrifying moments when necessary. As it’s hard not to discuss the characters without spoilers, so the following portion should be taken with caution to those that don't want to have the twist spoiled. There are quite a lot of mysteries thrown at the audience in the first half of the film. Was the girl at the beginning of the film at the hospital Su-mi or was it Su-yeon? Why does Moo-hyeon give his wife Eun-joo pills after dinner? Why is he so cold to her and his children? Who killed the bird? Where was Su-mi and Su-yeon’s birth mother? Why doesn’t Eun-joo’s brother remember the embarrassing story from their childhood? The narrative might not click together as so many oddities are scattered throughout, but once Su-mi hears the hard truth from her father, reality hits her hard and also gives the audience some demanding answers. The audience learns that Su-mi was the one in the hospital, as she was traumatized with the suicide of her mother and the accidental death of her younger sister Su-yeon. Su-mi’s repressed memories has led to a skewed reality, in which her mother had died yet her younger sister was still alive. Having dissociative identity disorder, she has projected herself as being Su-yeon at times and as her step-mother Eun-joo at times, who did in fact marry her father but was not at the villa waiting. Even when all is revealed to her, there are still some shocks that come for the audience. It’s a terrifying experience to behold, and the mysteries coming together reveal a heartbreaking situation that no one, especially a child should have to go through. Im Soo-jung does an excellent job in the lead as Su-mi who goes through quite an ordeal throughout the story. Though she plays a teen in the film she was actually in her early twenties during the shoot, and quite convincingly due to her youthful looks. Starting her career as a model in her teens and later moving into acting in her twenties through television and film, this was her first in the lead and only her second feature after a supporting role in 2002's “The Romantic President”. Moon Geun-young, who actually was a teenager at the time of filming, is also great as the frail and quiet Su-yeon. Moon started her career in modeling and acting from a younger age, but this would also be a career breakthrough for her. Yum Jung-ah also does a wonderful job as Eun-joo, essentially having to play two versions of the character with some underlying differences. “A Tale of Two Sisters” was first released in South Korea on June 13, 2003 and became quite a sensation. With over three million admissions, it was the seventh highest grossing South Korean film of the year and the highest grossing Korean horror film at the time. It screened at international festivals including Sitges, Screamfest, Berlin and more, and was notable for becoming the first South Korean film to be screened in theaters in the United States. It was nominated for eight Grand Bell Awards (but won none), though it won a number of other Korean awards at the Director’s Cut Awards, Korean Film Awards, Blue Dragon Film Awards, and the Busan Film Critics Awards, plus a few more at international festivals. 2003 was quite a turning point in South Korean cinema with a number of darker titles. Bong Joon-ho’s “Memories of Murder”, Kim Seong-ho’s “Into the Mirror”, and Park Chan-wook’s “Oldboy” all became major hits and received international distribution, leading a South Korean New Wave that would expand the country’s output for international appeal in not just film, but in television, K-pop music, food, and culture in general. Hollywood took inspiration as well, by remaking “A Tale of Two Sisters” as “The Uninvited” (2009), “Into the Mirror” as “Mirrors” (2008), and “Oldboy” as “Oldboy” (2013). None of the remakes has the same impact as the originals either critically or commercially. Though even after twenty years, the original Korean films still hold up extremely well. “A Tale of Two Sisters” grips the audience with its terror, yet it’s memorable for the visually enticing sets and the emotional story with the characters. For the film's twentieth anniversary of, Umbrella Entertainment has given it a new Blu-ray release with an exclusive new transfer, a new commentary, and archival extras. Note this is a region ALL Blu-ray
Video
Umbrella Entertainment presents the film in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio in 1080p AVC MPEG-4. The transfer comes from the Korean Film Archive, which restored the film in 4K resolution in 2016. The original 35mm negative was acquired by KOFA in 2016, which was scanned and color graded in 4K under the supervision of Kim Jee-woon. Like the KOFA restoration of Kim’s 2005 film “A Bittersweet Life”, there are similar positive and negative points. On the positive side, the colors are bold and crisp throughout, from bright spaces outside to the dark corridors within the villa at night. The greens and reds of the wallpapers and the browns of the wood look excellent throughout. Skin tones are also well balanced, detail is strong, and is correctly framed with no issues of warping, wobble, or inconsistent color balance. Over the course of many released on DVD and Blu-ray over the years, there is debate about the color palate and which is the most accurate. The transfer here is quite different from existing HD transfers with the color balance, though this 4K restoration seems to be the most accurate, as it was supervised and approved by the director himself. As for the downside, the negative seems to have picked up some dust and speckles over the years and the KOFA 4K restoration has not cleaned them up completely. There are white speckles that can be found at certain points of the film, notably at the start and end of reels, though they are fairly minimal. Compared to “A Bittersweet Life” it seems to be less obtrusive, but it’s unfortunate that the DVDs from twenty years ago have a cleaner transfer than the 4K restoration. The positives outweigh the negatives here, but it could have been better with a bit of digital restoration applied. KOFA have done some wonderful work restoring vintage Korean films, but the one step missed here makes it hard to call it a definitive restoration. The film’s runtime is 114:52, which includes KOFA’s restoration text at the start.
Audio
Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo The original Korean language audio is available in both lossless 5.1 and 2.0 stereo. The audio was restored by KOFA in 2021 using a 35mm print which they acquired in 2016, and digital audio files acquired in 2019. The sound design is a key aspect for the film and the 5.1 track does an excellent job with the beauty and the tension. The music sounds wonderful in the surround scape and is accented well with the electronic tones and background noise for the scares. The voices of the characters are always clear and well balanced against the music and effects. There are no issues of dropout, hiss, crackle, or other issues, leaving a clean and clear remastered audio track. The 2.0 stereo track loses some depth but is still a fine choice if surround is not an option. There are optional English subtitles for the film in a white font. They are well timed and easy to read. There was one instance at the dinner table scene in which “remember” was misspelled as “remembe” yet in the following line it is correctly spelled as “remember”.
Extras
Note that with the subtitles on the bonus features, they names of the cast and crew written in the western form of given/family names (ex. Jee-woon Kim), rather than the Korean family/given names order (ex. Kim Jee-woon). The film’s subtitles with the credits have the Korean order which is the more universally accepted form for Korean names written in alphabetical form. They have been written below in the Korean order with the family name first. Audio commentary by writer/director Kim Jee-woon, lighting director Oh Seung-chul and cinematographer Lee Mo-gae This commentary is one that points towards the technical aspects of the film. From the look of the film with the constructed set and careful darkened lighting of the interiors, the effects, the set designs with the furniture and the wallpapers, there is a lot discussed on the visuals and creating a horror feature with beauty. Note this was originally recorded for the 2003 DVD release. in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles Audio commentary by writer/director Kim Jee-woon and cast members Im Soo-jung and Moon Geun-young This commentary has Kim joined by the two young leads, as they recall the film from the performance side. Discussed are the auditions, about their characters, difficulties faced, their reactions to the feature, and much more. Note this was originally recorded for the 2003 DVD release. in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles Audio commentary by author and film historian Dr. Colette Balmain This new and exclusive commentary has Dr. Colette Balmain take a look at the film through a critical eye. Discussed are about the use of colors, the use of foreshadowing, the cinematography, the psychological issues with dissociative identity disorder, South Korean cinema at the time, meeting the director, about the original folktale, and more. She is quite knowledgeable and has a lot of information to tell, without having to rely on facts and figures like filmographies and such. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Making Of" featurette (23:55) This featurette includes interviews with the cast and crew, behind the scenes footage, and clips of the film. Included are footage of the make-up effects, recording the music, finding the vintage wardrobe, plus information on the story, the characters, and more. The picture is upscaled from standard definition, and the colors are noticeably washed out. Note this was originally made for the 2003 DVD release. in 1080p 30fps AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles Interviews with the Cast (46:32) Presented here are a series of interviews with cast members Kim Kab-su, Yum Jung-ah, Im Soo-jung, and Moon Geun-young conducted by Kim Jee-woon after the completion of the film. Kim Kab-su discusses the difficulty he had with his performance, Yeom talks about wanting to take on a more challenging role, Im discusses the awkwardness, and Moon gets tearful about her good memories from the set. The film clips are in windowboxed 1.85:1. Note this was originally made for the 2003 DVD release. in 1080p 30fps AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles Deleted Scenes (with audio commentary by director Kim Jee-woon) (31:27) Presented here are a collection of deleted scenes, including the introduction of the wardrobe, Eun-joo’s time after taking her medication, Su-mi and Su-yeon in the bathroom, a poisoning sequence, and a few more. The scenes are not available with the original dialogue and are only available with mandatory commentary by Kim Jee-woon, who discusses the scenes and why they were deleted, such as pacing, revealing too much, etc. Note this was originally made for the 2003 DVD release. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.85:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles Outtakes (3:32) Rather than film flubs, these are a collection of alternate takes from throughout the shoot, accompanied by the gorgeous theme music as there is no dialogue for these particular shots. Note this was originally made for the 2003 DVD release. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.85:1, Music Dolby Digital 2.0 "Production Design" featurette (12:09) Art director Cho Geun-hyun discusses the gothic style for the art direction, the challenges of designing and redesigning the house, the choice of wallpapers to reflect the different characters, the antique furniture, and more Again, the film clips are windowboxed.in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Note this was originally made for the 2003 DVD release. in 1080p 30fps AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles "Music Score" featurette (6:12) Composer Lee Byung-woo is interviewed here as he discusses the challenge of making a beautiful score for the film against frightening visuals. There are also clips of the recording process as well. Note this was originally made for the 2003 DVD release. in 1080p 30fps AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles "CGI" featurette (6:03) This featurette has interviews with artists from Digital Tetra which created the CGI for the film. There weren’t a lot of CGI effects in the film itself, but for the necessary scenes the team members show the renderings and techniques used to make the effects look as natural as possible. Again, the clips from the film are windowboxed in 1.85:1. Note this was originally made for the 2003 DVD release. in 1080p 30fps AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles "Creating the Poster" featurette (6:09) Photographer O Hyoung-geun is interviewed here, as he discusses the shooting of the film poster which was quite different from other standard South Korean films at the time, which did not dedicate time for poster photo sessions. He talks about the controversial look with the young girls in bloody dresses, making a standard looking family portrait into something more iconic and sinister. There are also examples of his black and white portraits as stills. Note this was originally made for the 2003 DVD release. in 1080p 30fps AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles "Director's Explanation" featurette (10:26) Filmmaker Im Pil-sung sits with Kim Jee-woon, asking questions about the film and its mysteries, as well as horror in general. Discussed are about going against popular trends, the necessity of a confusing narrative, and also the importance of DVD extras. Note this was originally made for the 2003 DVD release. in 1080p 30fps AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles "Director's Thoughts on Horror" featurette (15:51) This is another conversation with Im Pil-sung and Kim Jee-woon, which focuses on horror in general. Talked about are the genre’s misconceptions, the use of sound effects, the appeal it has for younger crowds, and also more in depth talks about DVD extras and how they are important tools for filmmakers and film fans for the future. Note this was originally made for the 2003 DVD release. in 1080p 30fps AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles "See the Movie with a Psychiatrist" featurette (5:20) Psychiatrist Kim Jun-ill discusses about the film and its portrayal of mental health issues and trauma. Talked about are the plausibility of the character(s), Carl Jung’s theories, the importance of understanding, and more. Again, clips of the film are windowboxed. Note this was originally made for the 2003 DVD release. in 1080p 30fps AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles "Letter from Su-mi to Su-yeon" featurette (4:42) The featurette has Im Soo-jung recalling the production a year after filming wrapped and what the film and character meant to her. Still images, behind the scenes footage and film clips play alongside her narration. Note this was originally made for the 2003 DVD release. in 1080p 30fps AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles "Letter from Su-yeon to Su-mi" featurette (8:53) This featurette has Moon Geun-young recalling the production a year after completion, from the friendly film crew, the cake the crew got for her, the difficulties of filming, deleted scenes and more. Still images, behind the scenes footage and film clips play alongside her narration. Note this was originally made for the 2003 DVD release. in 1080p 30fps AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles Trailer (2:04) Presented here is the original South Korean trailer of the film, emphasizing on the horror aspects heavily with the use of jump scares and echoey effects. in 1080p 30fps AVC MPEG-4, in 1.90:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles The Blu-ray carries over all the extras from the 2004 South Korean Metro DVD and adds a new and exclusive commentary. There were some DVDs with exclusive extras, such as the Japanese Amuse Soft release having some Japanese exclusive extras and the UK Tartan release having an exclusive interview with the director. The South Korean Content Zone Blu-ray from 2013 had some exclusives with a 10th anniversary introduction and footage from the 10th anniversary screening plus the director’s 2000 horror short “Coming Out”. Arrow UK released their Blu-ray in 2021 which had an exclusive commentary and exclusive video essays. Unfortunately it didn’t utilize the 4K restoration master. The Australian release is currently the only home video release to utilize the new restoration. The UK trailer from Arrow Video.
Packaging
The disc is packaged in a keep case which includes a limited slipcover. The inlay has the original theatrical poster artwork while the slipcase has newly comissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch. The packaging mistakenly states the disc is region B only, as the disc is in fact region ALL. There is also a Collector's Edition limited to 350 copies exclusively at the Umbrella Webstore which also includes: - Custom artwork outer rigid slipcase - 48 page perfect bound book - 8 artcards - A3 reversible poster The book entitled "A Collection of Interviews, Experiences and Art" features essays and stills. The first essay "Bringing the Frost: An Overview of Contemporary Korean Horror Cinema" is by John Harrison, focusing on the genre over the years. Next is "A Tale of Two Sisters" by Riley Jones which looks at the film's themes. This is followed by "Artwork Creation" by Colin Murdoch (which misspells his name as "Collin"), which has information on the artist and how he created the new artwork, which includes conceptual designs and sketches. Finally there is a section for the international theatrical poster artwork. The package also includes eight artcards with stills from the film and an A3 poster with the original theatrical poster on one side and a newly comissioned poster on the other. The rigid box with Murdoch's artwork fits all the contents within. Note that on the back of the box, it mistakenly states the booklet's title is "An Undiscovered Masterpiece of Cinema", which is a copy and paste error from Umbrella's "Houseboat Horror" Blu-ray release. 
Overall
“A Tale of Two Sisters” is one of the best and most important South Korean films of the new wave. The gorgeous visuals, the calculated scares, the emotional story of a family’s breakdown is played in an intimate setting that grows with repeated viewings. The Umbrella Entertainment release is an excellent one, with a 4K restoration transfer (which has its flaws) and a great amount of extras including a new exclusive commentary. Highly recommended.
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