Other Titles • The Eye • Jian gui • Khon hen phi • Seeing Ghosts • Gin gwai (2002)
Synopses for The Eye (2002)
1.
THE EYE, directed by twin brothers Danny and Oxide Pang, is a Chinese/Thai horror film that focuses on Mun (Sin-je Lee), a cornea-transplant recipient who has been blind most of her life. As Mun adjusts to her newfound sight, she begins to see haunting visions of dead people. As these terrifying visions become more frequent, Mun turns to a young psychiatrist, Dr. Wah (Lawrence Chou), for help. Eventually the two track the identity of the deceased eye donor to Thailand, and there the mystery is finally brought to light.
With THE EYE, the Pang brothers enter the increasingly populated subgenre of contemporary Asian horror. Drawing on the visual language of recent Japanese films such as RING and PULSE, as well as Hollywood films THE SIXTH SENSE and STIR OF ECHOES, this chilling tale implies more than it reveals, building a deep sense of dread, even from the opening credits. Although the "I-see-dead-people" plotline has been investigated numerous times, THE EYE manages to put a different lens on the idea through subtleties in the story and the charismatic performance of the radiant Sin-je Lee. Featuring scenes that will make all viewers wary of elevators, hospital recovery wards, and calligraphy, this film offers truly startling moments that will linger in the mind's eye for a long time.
(54 votes)
2.
At the age of two Mann went blind. Eighteen years later, a new and risky corneal transplant operation restores her vision; but a series of inexplicable events lead her to believe there is more than meets the eye to her new-found gift of sight. Mysterious black-clad figures seem to foreshadow sudden deaths, and horribly disfigured denizens haunt her everyday existence. Unable to define her own identity, she comes to understand that whenever she looks into a mirror she doesn't see herself but instead she sees another woman; Ling, the original owner of the corneas.
These nightmarish visions are driving Mann insane. Desperate to uncover the truth, Mann visits Ling's old village in Northern Thailand. There she discovers that Ling was clairvoyant, but Ling's inability to save the villagers from a fire that she predicted sent her into a deep depression. Overcome with sorrow and regret, she ultimately committed suicide. Now it seems that Mann has inherited Ling's fate and the misery that comes with the ability to see more than one wants to see.
Just as she is about to leave Thailand, the black-clad harbingers of death return, only this time there are hundreds of them. Tragedy is about to strike again and only Mann can stop it. Is her fate predetermined or does she have the courage and the strength to change the future?
(53 votes)
3.
All is not as it appears in this chilling psychological thriller. After 18 years of blindness, 20 year-old Min's eyesight is restored following a corneal transplant. Immediately, mysterious black-clad figures in Mun's field of vision seem to foreshadow sudden deaths, and disfigured denizens haunt her daily. Mun slowly learns that she has inherited her donor's particular fate - the ability to see into the future and the terror that comes with it.
(45 votes)
4.
The Eye ("Jian gui") incorporates a very old suspicion that has prevented many people from ticking the "cornea" section on their Donor card. From the age of two, Mun (Angelica Lee) has been blind and has learnt to live her life through her other four senses, but after a cornea operation she discovers she has a "sixth sense". As her sight slowly returns she notices shadowy figures prowling around her that are definitely not normal human beings. So begins a quest for the eye donor, during which Mun discovers that people's superstitions still remain as strong as ever.
Hong Kong directors Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang have not made another generic horror in the wake of Ring, nor an ultra-violent picture in the style of Battle Royale. A clearer comparison is with The Sixth Sense, but unlike M Night Shyamalan's film The Eye uses stunning visual effects to evoke a deeper sense of the unknown and a deeper understanding of death without the trappings of Christianity (here suicide does not lead to eternal damnation). Ultimately, The Eye is a supernatural suspense story, with Mun turning detective and learning a little more than she bargained for about her own mortality.
On the DVD:The Eye offers a short (eight-minute) "making of" documentary which is extended further in the Pang Brothers documentary. As with all Tartan products the disc is full of trailers, but has some added value with Justin Bowyer's film notes. There is the option to play the film without English subtitles, and the subtitles have been improved in contrast to earlier Tartan releases by the addition of a black rim around the italics. Sound and vision are exceptional and will certainly add to any jumpy reactions. Let's hope this one also gets the two-disc special edition treatment in the future. --Nikki Disney
(43 votes)
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