A Public Cemetery for Wol-Ha (1967) by Kwon Cheol-hwi

Director: Kwon Cheol-hwi

Year: 1967

Country: South Korea

Alternate Titles: Wolhaui Gongdongmyoji; A Public Cemetery Under the Moon

Genre: Ghosts

Plot:

Attempting to get a better life, a geisha takes a job working for a rich businessman after he’s let out of prison, but when her actions and eventually just her presence aggravates his mother and her servant they eventually plot to kill her but soon face her vengeful ghost on a torrented path of revenge.

Review:

Generally, this one has quite a lot to like about it. One of the strongest elements here is the story that weaves together a slew of impressive strands which all comes to form the reason for her ghostly rampage. Being built as a down-on-her-luck person with a genuinely earnest streak about her, she is simply a person of bad circumstance forced into a position against her will. Becoming a geisha as a last resort until her lover is freed so they can start their relationship, that there's a ton of unwarranted animosity present in the household brings about a great deal of sympathy for her. With the life she thought she wanted but getting it ruined by others upset over her profession, the eventual poisoning and murder of both her and her infant son at their hands become a major focal point of the film that makes the ghostly revenge come off genuinely earned and cathartic.

The other enjoyable factor in this one is the eventual catharsis found in the final half when her ghostly form arrives and sets out on a path of cruel and vicious revenge on those who wronged her. As their plan takes shape and they successfully poison her, the brief bits here focusing on how they get away with it by keeping the brother hostage and torturing him provide a brutal sequence in the middle of everything to be quite effective overall. When that eventually gives way to the ghost showing up and setting about tormenting each of them individually, this has all the hallmarks of grand Gothic horror showcase pieces utilizing eerie lighting, quick cuts, and zooms to perfect effect. The courtyard encounter and the scene out in the woods where she takes revenge on those in the household provide some chilling moments here, and with the finale setting up a fine resolution that brings everything together gives this a lot to like.

There are some big issues with the film that bring this one down considerably. The main drawback is the near-total lack of any kind of ghost action that's presented here with the main focus of the first hour building up the motivation for her to become the ghost. As a result, this whole section of the film is rife with bland melodrama rather than genre elements that would spark more interest. Filled with back-stabbing, double-crosses, illicit affairs being brought to light, and conspirators making plans in the cover of the night all become rather common occurrences in this section of the film which doesn't have the best track record of retaining interest. Viewers expecting more of a straightforward ghost movie might be turned off at the reveal of the ghost not even dying until over an hour in so this dramatic approach might be a turn-off just as much as an intriguing aspect. As well, the film is bookended with unnecessary narration that doesn’t need to be there and offers no new insight, leaving its inclusion pointless while also dragging this one down.

Overview: **.5/5

A highly effective if somewhat dull genre effort, this one has quite a lot to like while the melodrama-infused setup can be a source of frustration for some who don’t appreciate those factors. Viewers who do enjoy the drama-heavy style or simply appreciate the old-school Asian horror style will be the ones who enjoy this one the most while those who don’t enjoy either of those factors or are turned off by the flaws should heed caution here.

This review was originally published on Asian Movie Pulse and is gratefully reprinted with their cooperation.