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1. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003, Korea)
This is without a doubt the finest film I’ve ever seen, in any genre. Drawing from horror, drama, and mystery genres, director Ji-woon Kim showcases an intricate plotline that engages the viewer to reinterpret the movie subsequent to the introduction of plot twists. (It is essential to watch this film more than once.) The storyline is tightly constructed, with something vitally important occurring every other minute. Quite literally, the director seems to have made a movie that practically taunts the viewer to dissect it on the most detailed of levels. A seemingly insignificant object may be shown – a rack of dresses, some diaries, a drop of blood emanating from a floor crack, a bottle of pills, etc. – but upon meticulous inspection turns out to be so much more – a clue that helps to make sense of that particular scene (or perhaps the movie in total), which almost always contributes a stirring reflection upon the psychological concepts that lurk in the background until the viewer’s intelligence prompts them to spring to the forefront. Such an event might occur a handful of times during any other movie, but in A Tale of Two Sisters such events occur in such a rapid-fire, relentless fashion that the viewer must watch the film in a perpetual state of alertness, lest they miss something important. In other words, the content level of this film is enough to easily fill a dozen other films. How can anyone in their right mind ask for anything more from a movie than this? It’s quite simply the highest, most superlative form of cinema imaginable. The movie boasts impressive acting and a soundtrack of classical music recorded specifically for the film. Post-production is nearly flawless, with over a dozen scenes properly deleted from the storyline so as to carefully and slowly reveal secrets. The mood that results is an eerie, yet beautifully artistic atmosphere that is a joy to watch. This is a true masterpiece in a sea of faux “masterpieces.”
*****
