Dark Water (2002)

Dark Water (2002)

Dir. Hideo Nakata

Often unfairly placed behind Ring (1998) and Ju-on (2002) in importance, I feel that Hideo Nakata's Dark Water, based on a story from Ring author Koji Suzuki, is fully deserving of sharing space with either of the other two.

The argument that it's not as good because it's not as scary is, frankly, nonsense. The story has less opportunity for in-your-face scares, so adding more would be forcing an aspect that isn't wholly organic. Instead, it has chills and atmosphere in abundance, and some fantastic performances from its two female leads; i.e. Hitomi Kuroki as a 'single mother' and Rio Kanno as her six-year-old daughter.

It uses the horror elements in a more subtle manner than either of the two previously mentioned works, making it supportive of a structure that's more traditional in nature, while upfront is a story about a mother who's struggling to keep custody of her daughter.

- Mother and daughter, Yoshimi and Ikuko. -

She's a good parent at heart, but in order to afford a home for them both she must sometimes leave the child alone to fend for herself. In their small apartment is a water stain with thematic connections to an event that neither of the two protagonists had any part in, but something malevolent in the building chooses to direct its haunting attentions their way, regardless.

Making a smudgy stain on a bedroom ceiling appear to be cinematically menacing is a tall order, but Nakata manages it, in part because the water motif resurfaces often throughout the film - it's almost inescapable, operating as a multi-functional device that holds a number of subtexts, both complementary and opposing; e.g. it's cleansing, harmful, isolating, etc.

It should be remembered that Japan is surrounded by water, the Pacific, from which many make their livelihood but into which some go and never return. Water provides but can also engulf. The relationship that islanders have with the depths that surround them is itself deeper than people who live far from the shores may be aware of. Much of Dark Water is reliant on context.

- I'm avoiding spoilery pics, so here's one of an elevator-cam with a suspicious wet patch on the floor. I know what some folks may be thinking, but no, it isn't piss.-