Hideo Nakata

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Hideo Nakata Hideo Nakata Japans nye mester i kolde, våde gys “Hvem begyndte historien med? Den be­ for McCarthyismen. Joseph Losey: rLhe Man gynder aldrig rigtigt med nogen bestemt. With Four Names (Joseph Losey: Yottsu no Folk bliver nervøse, og rygterne tager fart.” Na o Motsu Otoko, 1998) var adskillige år Således lyder det i den skelsættende japan­ undervejs, hvor Nakata mere eller mindre ske horrorfilm Ring (Ringu, 1998) og atter pendlede mellem England og Japan, hvor­ en gang i efterfølgeren Ring 2 (Ringu 2, fra han fik finansieret sin portrætfilm ved 1999). Når det gælder nyere asiatisk horror, forskellige instruktør jobs på bl.a. erotiske er der dog ingen tvivl om, hvor succeshi­ film. storien begynder - nemlig med instruk­ Ghost Actress (Joyü-re, 1996) blev lige­ tøren af samme to lavmælte gys, Hideo ledes lavet for at finansiere Losey-filmen, Nakata (f. 1961). I årene op til Rings over­ men dens uventede succes skulle vise sig raskende og anselige succes var bevægelsen skæbnesvanger for instruktøren. Den lavt i ny asiatisk film en mere eller mindre budgetterede Ghost Actress foregår på et velbevaret hemmelighed blandt publikum film-set, hvor et spøgelse begynder at ma­ på filmfestivaler og diverse genrefilm-buffs terialisere sig på de daglige rushes. Både verden over. Siden er der blevet drevet rov­ tematisk og visuelt indeholder den mange drift på regionens genrefilm, med et utal af de detaljer, der blev videreudviklet med af amerikanske genindspilninger som den Ring. sikre indikator for lukrativiteten. Seriøs forbandelse. Det kan hævdes, at Fra porno til spøgelseshistorier. Nakata bevægelsen væk fra 1990 ernes selvbevidste har en længere karriere som instruktøras­ tungen-lige-i-munden-horror begyndte sistent for Nikkatsu-studiets højest profile­ med Hideo Nakatas Ring, der peger lige rede porno- og erotica-instruktør, Masura frem mod Daniel Myrick og Eduardo Sán­ Konuma, bag sig, tilbage i 1980 erne. Det chez’ kæmpehit The Biair Witch Project var dengang, da Japan endnu havde et (USA, 1999), selv om Nakatas film først egentligt studiesystem. I begyndelsen af udkom året efter i Vesten. Men begge ta­ 90erne tog Nakata til London, fortrinsvis ger de udgangspunkt i teenagekulturens for at studere den socialrealistiske Free vandrehistorier og er markeret ved deres Cinema-bevægelses film fra 50erne og fravær af indforstået humor. I Ring drejer 60 erne, men sidenhen også klassisk Hol­ skrønen sig om en række unge, der dør. lywood. Hver gang sker det præcis en uge efter, Med en uvis karriere ventende i hjem­ at de har set fj er nsyn sent om aftenen og landet efter Nikkatsus fallit i 1993 blev Na­ modtaget en opringning om, at netop dét kata lidt i England, hvor han påbegyndte vil ske. Heldigvis for den kvindelige repor­ en dokumentarfilm om den store, landflyg­ ter, der opsnapper historien, er der én, som tige instruktør Joseph Losey, der var offer har været snarrådig nok til at optage det 139 Hideo Nakata Ring{Ringu, 1998) dræbende program på bånd. En kort, kor­ død i rædsel, står ikke helt klart, men som net lille sag, der mest af alt ligner en under- horrorfilm er flest, har Ring sin egen indre grunds-kunstvideo. Efterhånden som hun logik. Som med det afsluttende clou, hvor får afdækket sagen, får vi fragmenter af den det afklares, at forbandelsen kun kan hæves ulykkelige historie om den clairvoyante ved, at man kopierer videoen og viser den Shizuko og hendes ligeledes forbandede til en anden, der således overtager forban­ datter, Sadako, der blev smidt i en brønd delsen. for 30 år siden (i 2eren afsløres det, at hun har været levende gennem alle årene). Sa­ Sort hår og lettere mørkt vand. Det er ikke dako er, forståeligt nok, blevet temmelig svært at se attraktionen ved Ring. Den - og bitter af sin indespærring, og hendes sam­ den efterfølgende sequel, Ring 2 - insisterer mensparede telekinetiske energi har sat stilfærdigt på at blive taget alvorligt og bi­ hende i stand til at dræbe på afstand med bringer publikum en snigende og befriende viljens kraft. rædselsvækkende oplevelse uden på noget Det mest sensationelt effektfulde øje­ tidspunkt at bruge humor som buffer. At blik indtræffer, da Sadako kommer op af den i dag kan virke en anelse tam, vidner brønden i videoen og med mærkværdige kun om det sædvanlige paradoks, der er ryk bevæger sig helt hen til skærmen, for horrorfilmens egen ubrydelige forbandelse: så at kravle ud af tv-apparatet og - med ét at de mange efterligninger effektivt eli­ enkelt sindssygt stirrende øje tittende gen­ minerer de fleste overraskelsesmomenter nem sit lange, mørke, våde hår - skræmme og andre effekter gennem tilvænning og livet af den sagesløse seer. Hvorfor det mest udvanding. 140 er tilfældige teenagere, som skal lide en Ring har utallige, åbenlyse referencer Hideo Nakata til vestlige horrorfilm, men indskriver sig være som det umiddelbart synes. Begge også i en lang tradition i japansk film. Den film er fascinerende og gennemførte helt spektakulære gimmick “kvinden med det frem til de uforløste og utilfredsstillende lange, sorte hår ned i øjnene” kan således slutninger, selv om denne anke muligvis spores tilbage til eksempelvis Masaki Ko- kan føres tilbage til beskuerens etnicitet (jf. bayashis antologifilm Kwaidan (Kaidan, Kermode). 1964). Figuren er en tilbagevendende arke­ type i japansk horror, og den stammer helt Ringen sluttes. Trods Nakatas udtalte tilbage fra Noh- og Kabuki-teatret fra hhv. uvilje mod at blive sat i bås som horror­ det 14. og det 17. århundrede (Hand). instruktør, er der ikke meget, der tyder på, Som den britiske horrorfilm-aficionado at han kan undslippe sit stigma. Dette un­ Mark Kermode har påpeget, så er der en derstreges ikke mindst af den relativt pæne markant forskel på den måde, hvorpå vi i succes, de amerikanske remakes har haft, den vestlige verden opfatter spøgelser, og samt af hans egen gryende Hollywood- så den mere ’holistiske asiatiske anskuelse karriere. Indtil videre er det kun blevet til af åndeverdenen. For japanerne er det en alternativ The Ring Two (2005), der har mere almindeligt accepteret end hos et mere at gøre med mor/barn-temaet i Dark vestligt publikum, at ånderne går blandt Water end med den japanske 2’er og end­ de levende, samt at disse gespenster oftest videre er blevet særdeles lunkent modtaget forekommer i forbindelse med vand. af kritikken. Tidligere har Gore Verbinski Og vand bliver der ikke sparet på hos lavet en overforklaret, lidt kedelig The Ring Nakata. Både i Dark Water (Honugurai (2002), Walter Salles har lavet en meget mizu no soko kara, 2002 - direkte oversat poetisk og vellykket vestlig opdatering af “Fra bunden af lettere mørkt vand”) - og Dark Water (2005), og Jonathan Glazer er i puslespil-thrilleren Chaos (Kaosu, 2000) i gang med at genindspille Chaos med bl.a. flyder vandet fra alle mulige og umulige Robert De Niro på rollelisten. Desuden har vinkler. Og så er der selvfølgelig Sadako, Norio Tsuruta lavet den officielle prequel der hjemsøger de uheldige fra bunden af Ring 0; Birthday (Ringu 0: Båsudei, 2002), sin våde grav og altid ledsages af rigelige og der findes flere andre spin-offs. mængder af vand. Hideo Nakata har tillige lavet flere non- Både den første Ring og Dark Water er horrorfilm, både for tv og som spillefilm. i øvrigt filmatiseringer af den populære Mest profilerede er nok det nostalgiske horror-forfatter Koji Suzuki - ofte kaldet metafilm-drama Last Scene (2003) og den japanske Stephen King - og Ring blev manga-filmatiseringen The Sleeping Bride faktisk allerede filmatiseret for tv i 1995. (iGarasu no No, 2000), der som antydet Dark Water er en dyster, regnvåd affære er en moderne, dugøjet Tornerose-fabel. om en nylig skilt mor og hendes lille dat­ Ingen af dem har imidlertid haft nogen ter, der terroriseres af både eksmanden og videre succes. spøgelset af en lille pige, som engang boede For Nakata er der flere projekter på teg­ i lejligheden ovenpå. Chaos er en labyrin­ nebrættet. For tiden er han i gang med en tisk og næsten lige så regnvåd noir-thriller Hollywood-remake af tvillingebrodrene om en kidnapning, der går galt. Den er Oxide og Danny Pangs ’Cassandra-kom- akronologisk uden nogen markering af de plekse’ horrorfilm The Eye (Jian gui, 2002) forskellige tidsspring, og intet viser sig at om clairvoyante nethinder med en hukom- 141 Hideo Nakata melse å la Orlacs hænder. Ak ja, i Asien Litteratur spiser de hunde, men hunden hjælper vist Hand, Richard J. (2005). “Aesthetics of Cruelty: Traditional Japanese Theatre and the Hor­ godt til for tiden, den æder i alt fald øjen­ ror Film”. In: Jay McRoy (red.): Japanese synligt sin egen hale. Horror Cinema. Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press. Kermode, Mark (2005). “Spirit Levels”. In: Sight Kenneth T. de Lorenzi and Sound, august 2005, volume 15, issue 8. Mes, Tom & Jasper Sharp (2004). The Midnight Eye To New Japanese Film. Berkeley, Cali­ fornia, Stone Bridge Press. Filmografi 1995 Joyu-rei/Ghost Actress 1998 Ringu/Ring 1999 Ringu 2/Ring 2 2000 Garasu no No/The Sleeping Bride 2002 Honugurai mizu no soko kara/Dark Water 2003 Last Scene 142 2005 The Ring Two.
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