Director: Kiyoshi
Kurosawa
Notable Cast: Haruhiko
Kato, Kumiko Aso, Koyuki, Kurume Arisaka, Masatoshi Matsuo, Shinji Takeda, Jun
Fubuki, Shun Sugata, Show Aikawa, Koji Yakusho
“What got you started
on the internet?”
“Nothing in particular…”
“You don’t like
computers, right?”
“No.”
“Wanted to connect
with other people?”
“Maybe. I don’t know…everybody
else is into it.”
It’s a simple scene in the larger realm of Pulse. Two different people, a young man
living on his own and a young woman who works on computers for a living, are
brought together by a strange website asking a basic question, ‘Do you want to
see a ghost?’ It’s their rather mundane interactions and somewhat awkward
chemistry that really does encapsulate the entire concept and brilliance of
this often-overlooked J-Horror classic, recently given the pristine Blu Ray
collector’s treatment by Arrow Video. This is a film about a lot of things. Ghosts,
friends, suicide, the fears of a technology and the cultural lag we feel as a
society as it continually outpaces our understanding, yet it’s a theme of
connection that truly grounds the entire film in a layered manner and lifts it
above so many of its horror peers, in J-Horror and beyond. It’s a scene where
two unconnected people are brought together in fate like means to try and make
a connection that brings to life the subtle script and inspired atmospheric
direction of Kiyoshi Kurosawa. It’s perhaps not the most memorable, flashiest,
scariest, or inspired scene, but it’s one that proves just how insightful Pulse is as a cinematic feat. This is a
film that, like its ghosts and protagonists, crosses over into a must more philosophical
and terrifying realm where the things on the surface are not always what they
seem.
Michi (Kumiko Aso) stumbles upon a horrific sight. A
computer guy helping her out hangs himself after no one can reach him. Ryosuke
(Haruhiko Kato) goes to a computer expert (Koyuki) at the college when he
finally caves in by getting the internet and is disturbed by a site that keeps
popping up. The two of them will find that something much more sinister is afoot
and that both the events that kick off a ghostly spiral are connected…which
will lead them to some terrifying discoveries.
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| How strong is your connection? |
Isolation has always been the key ingredient in developing
truly effective horror. A cabin in the woods, no cell service, trapped in an
abandoned building. These are all things that horror repeatedly uses because
isolation is scary. Humanity are inherently social creatures and the feeling of
loneliness, isolation, and disconnection is one of the things that seems to
scare people the most. Pulse, like
many great horror films, takes this sense of isolation to an entirely new
level. As I mentioned in the opening of this review, Pulse is a film based on connection and it uses it in some
perpetually clever and inspired ways to layer its themes of isolation to
effective use. The narrative itself showcases a very busy Japanese society as
it continually degrades by some kind of supernatural effect that’s spurred on
by the use of the internet as a gateway to a ghostly realm. Director Kurosawa shows this in some
inspired ways by always having multiple people in a shot initially, but
increasingly using single shots of characters later or showing scenes where
there should be a lot of people as empty or desolate by the end of the film.
The same goes with the character interactions that seems natural for the
circumstance, but get increasingly disconnected and tense as the film goes on. Pulse
uses its discord and growing isolation between characters and plot as a way to
mimic the disconnect that unnerves us so well. It works because the narrative
still flows naturally and realistically (even with the supernatural elements)
so that the audience is hooked into what the film has to say and how it says
it.
Kurosawa even attempts to disconnect his audience to make
them feel the tone and atmosphere as he goes too. Things only increasingly get
stranger as the film progresses, not following its own rules at times (or rules
that we assume are in place) and increasingly pulling back from traditional
structure and storytelling mannerisms to being more vague and philosophical. As
it plays out, the answer to ‘why?’ becomes less and less relevant as to the
question of ‘what do we do now?’ increases. That’s the beauty of Pulse and perhaps the reason the
American remake is so abysmal in comparison. This is a film that requires its
audience to feed into its themes and tone with their own personal opinions and
emotions for it to work as it should. It’s a film where the details matter,
like the use of red tape on doors and windows or the strange theory one
computer student has about ghosts that’s replicated by a program using dots,
but an explanation is never outright given for them and it crafts a world
creating technique that’s quick sand and sucks its audience in leaving them as
perplexed and unsure as the characters in the film.
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| Never turn your back on your friends... |
The execution of Pulse
is impeccable too and only occasionally slips up through some now dated CGI
work or slight stuttering in the narrative flow. The performances, visuals,
camera work, and score are all on the same page to add to the thematic and
narrative approach to the film though and it makes Pulse a very effective bundle to consume. Kurosawa isn't afraid to push boundaries in either direction with character choices or dynamic shots that only continually feeds into the film's connection/disconnect. Its intense and vague atmosphere
along with most of its non-traditional use of ghosts as a scare tactics makes
it one that not all people are going to love, particularly if you enjoy your
horror to be a bit campier or upfront with its approach. This is film meant to
resonate longer than just the watch and requires a few watches to truly
appreciate the craftsmanship on hand. Just one more reason to purchase this
latest release from Arrow Video.
For those who are interested in this release though, I
cannot recommend it enough. Arrow Video pack the Blu Ray and DVD combo with some fantastic
special features and the high definition transfer is much better than I
remember my DVD looking. Highlights include a new interview with the writer and
director and a remarkably fun video appreciation from new age horror masters Adam
Wingard and Simon Barrett. The entire list of what’s included in the new
release is added below for those curious. Pulse
is packed with additional features worthy of the cult fanbase it has
accumulated over the years and the film itself is damn near J-Horror
perfection, so I’m not sure why every cult cinema fan doesn’t already own this
release. If you don’t, then I suggest the purchase immediately.
 |
As I’m sure you can tell by now, Pulse is easily one of my favorite horror films of all time, no
matter the genre, approach, or era it was released in. It’s a film that takes
the usual ghost story, injects it with some serious tech and social commentary,
and then layers it with enough existential dread and thematic tone to make it a
film where I discover something new every time I watch it. It's a film about connection and it certainly connects with its audience. Pulse isn’t just one of the best J-Horror films of the now
semi-forgotten genre, it’s one of the most iconic horror films of its
generation and one that’s hard to beat when it comes to thoughtful and
effective execution. This film and this Arrow Video release only comes with our
highest recommendation.
Written By Matt Reifschneider
Interesting that this is your 2nd review of this film. I just read your first one that you did in 2010. You were a bit more lukewarm in the first one giving it a 3.5/5. It's interesting apparently how your take on the movie has somehow gotten better : ) Maybe it is the Arrow release, IDK... Just thought that was interesting since both reviews are posted as External Reviews on IMDB.
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