My biggest
concern with Rigor Mortis was the
fact that Takashi Shimizu (best known for the Ju-On/The Grudge
franchises) had his name attached as producer, because I have had quite enough
of the long-black-haired ghost stories. There were additional elements which
worried me, including actor turned director Juno Mak, and the fact that it is a
film which relies heavily on the influences of a group of popular narratives in
China
Heavily stylized
and full of action and horror, this could easily have been a safe and
straightforward piece of cinema, but Rigor
Mortis is also filled with ambiguity and an underlining postmodern
self-referential spirit. I was captivated the entire running time, but rarely
did I feel as though I had a complete grasp on what I was watching. The
storyline itself is rather simple, though layered with many characters and a
unique set of supernatural rules involving ghosts and vampires to be
understood. In a strange self-referential twist to the narrative, Mak dedicates
the film to the ‘Mr Vampire’ series, casting many of the actors from that
franchise in this film. What really adds a bizarre element is the fact that
‘Mr. Vampire’ stars Sui-ho Chin as himself, a burned out actor moving into a dilapidated
apartment building to commit suicide.
When the suicide
is unsuccessful, Chin instead finds himself pulled into a familiar world of
ghosts and hopping vampires. This gives Chin the opportunity to redeem himself
of his past, sacrificing safety in order to protect the innocent tenants of his
new home. Although the film is a slow build, there are no visual embellishments
spared from the final sequences of action and horror. This is a deceivingly
complex film, and if it weren’t for the self-referential implications, Rigor
Mortis might just be a stylized action horror movie with little plot and a
convoluted twist ending. The more you learn about the background of the film
and its stars, however, Rigor Mortis becomes something of an art film hidden in
the glossy shell of a genre picture.
The bonus
features only include a trailer. There are so few extras to offer that even the
English subtitles are listed in the bonus features.
Entertainment Value:
6.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7/10
Historical Significance:
5.5/10
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