J-horror, a different mindset.

Triptych of Takiyasha the With and the Skeleton Spectre, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797 - 1861)

This week we focused on Japanese horror as opposed to Western horror. We were assigned to read a collection of short stories based on Japanese folklore, called Kwaidan, and in class we watched a movie where sections of the book had been translated onto the screen.

I highly enjoyed reading these stories, and was both surprised and delighted to find that they diverged so much from most of the horror I've previously been exposed to. When thinking about J-horror, my mind inadvertently goes to movies such as The grudge, or The ring, where the horror element is high and there is jump scares and if not gore, then human distortion. Reading the Kwaidan however was a completely different experience.

Though there is a distinct difference between western and Asian horror, I still find they carry certain similarities that sometimes makes it difficult to discern between the two. They both use ghosts and ghouls as tools to convey a message, though I find stories as the ones in the Kwaidan to refer more to folklore and principals of tradition and culture than western horror does.

What appeals to me the most about the Kwaidan, as apposed to western horror, is the tone in which the stories are presented. At first I didn't find the stories scary at all, but rather mellow, even sad. As I kept reading, more disturbing elements crept into the stories. There where ducks turning themselves inside out to display their sorrow of loosing a loved one; there were maidens without faces, creatures with the ability to remove their heads from their bodies without dying, and monks cursed to devour the corpses of the dead.

In our class we discussed how Asian vs Western horror handle the factor of good versus evil. Though we can defiantly argue that it is more prominent in western horror, it is not completely absent in J-horror. In Kwaidan there are creatures that seek to deceive and harm humans, merely because it is part of their nature. I think that might hit the core difference. While in western horror, the things that are scary has been dislodged from their natural state to become something twisted and ill natured, in J-horror the frightening elements are a natural part, and sometimes even a direct embodiment of the spiritual or physical world. Instead of fighting against them with elements of opposing powers or believes, the characters in the story need to play by the rules of the spirits in order to overcome or avoid them with the spirit's own means.

With the stories of the Kwaidan, everything from the cultural setting to the oral tone suggests something more connectable to the world than many of the Western horror stories I've taken part of. Western horror seems to retaliate more to the individual person as acting through or against beastial behaviour and sin, while J-horror goes deeper and further, raging beyond our own believes and brief comprehensions. It gives J-horror an air of something constantly present and rudimentary intriguing in it's suggestion that everything is connected rather than separate. That the things that scare us the most are not simply hiding in the shadows. They are repercussions of the actions of us humans rather than something demonic. It is part of the mountains and stones, rivers and wildlife. It is life just as much as it is death. It is everywhere and all the time. Our fears are generated by something very real integrated in the essence of our world.

Intimacy as symbolised by vampires.

For week 2 of our Literature of Horror, Fantasy & Sci-fi class we got the opportunity to read Interview with a vampire as well as watch the intriguing, but quiet movie Only lovers left alive.

My view on vampires as a base for storytelling has always been rather neutral. Their nature is intriguing, but seemingly stale in their timelessness. No matter the take on vampires, their nature stays the same and when faced with one, in any given context, their easily recognized. With their constantly pale skinn, the unmistakable fangs and relentless mixture of imposing entrancement and dread, they just haven't offered enough character development to gain and keep my interest. Although admittedly, this may well be the very thing that gives their character their certain strong hold in our collective mind. As the rest of the world move on, they stay in the shadows, eternal and timeless all at once.

Looking into mythology however, and discussing the subject with other people, I've come to realize just how many different versions of Vampires actually exists. Although their not necessarily referred to as vampires. And though they take on many different forms and shapes, what connects these creatures is that they all feed on the life force of people in some way. What's even more interesting is that a lot of the cultures where you can find them, have no apparent relation to each other.

A couple of these examples can be found here, just to give you an idea:
wikipedia.org List of vampires in folklore and mythology
vampirefacts.net

In class we specifically discussed relationships and sexuality as presented through the idea of vampirism. Though other aspects are associated with these creatures as well, it's not surprising that vampires in particular has come to represent intimacy. Not only are vampires driven by their basic instincts, which as we come to understand are highly amplified, but their contact with their pray can be seen as nearly seductive. They lure their pray with their charmsand they generally feed either from the wrist or the throat, which both are considered sensual parts of the body. In Interview with a vampire when Lestat turns Louise, the author specifically describes the sensuous feeling of Lester's lips as they curl around Louise's throat.

A lot of emphasis is also put on Louise's emotional transformation. A lot of the book is spent describing Louise fighting against his own nature as a vampire whereas Lestat is doing his best to have him submit to it. Louise is appalled by the killing, yet entranced by his own senses as he in a sense is re-descovering life, and what it means to be truly living. He gains a new intimacy with life itself.

Only lovers left alive has a similar and very interesting take on what it means to be a vampire. Set solely in a baren night-scape, the main Characters Adam and Eve, live secluded and quiet lives. Though lovers, they live separately, in different parts of the world. Adam spends most of his nights creating music and attaining most of what he needs from the outside world through his closest acquaintance, Ian. Eve wanders the nights in Bombay, reads books, and listens to the music recorded by Adam.

One of the most interesting aspects in this movie was the relationships; that between Eve and Adam, the relationship between them and Eve's sister Ava, between them and other vampires, but mostly between vampires and humans. Throughout the movie Adam and Eve kept referring casually to humans as Zombies, and not one single time during the film was they word vampire used. I find this very interesting, especially considering I didn't find either Adam nor Eve particularly joyous of life. Eve had a sort of quiet appreciation for life and the simple act of living, while Adam was verging towards suicidal.

Over all this weeks discussion has raised my appreciation for vampires as a platform for describing our own human nature, and for raising our appreciation for the life that is happening to us every day. I would also recommend both reading Interview with a vampire and watch Only lovers left alive if you haven't yet done so.