Attempting to get a better life, geisha Wol-ha (Gang Mi-ae) takes a job working for Kim Han-su (Park Nou-sik), a rich businessman looking to start a family, after he's let out of prison. When her actions and eventually just her presence aggravates his mother Jonanju (Do Kum-bong) and her servant Kang (Jeong Ae-ran) they eventually plot to kill her and her son. When the plot proves successful and they manage to pull off their devious plan, the two are unprepared to face the wrath of the girls' vengeful and malevolent ghost who sets out on a torrented path of revenge on those she feels responsible for her death.
Generally, “A Public Cemetery of Wol-Ha” has quite a lot to like about it. One of the strongest elements here is writer Cheol-hwi's story which weaves together a slew of impressive strands together. These varying strands all come to form the reason for her ghostly rampage. Being built as a down-on-her-luck person with a genuinely earnest streak about her, Wol-ha is simply a person of bad circumstance forced into a position against her will. Becoming a geisha as a last resort until Han-su is freed so they can start their relationship and 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 becomes a major focal point of the film that makes the ghostly revenge come off genuinely earned and cathartic.
The other enjoyable factor in “Wol-ha” is the eventual catharsis found in the final half. This is where her ghostly form arrives and sets out on a path of cruel and vicious revenge on Jonaju and Kang. As their plan takes shape and they successfully poison Wol-ha, the brief bits here focusing on how they get away with it by keeping the brother hostage and torturing him provides 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 “Public Cemetery” that bring this one down considerably. The main drawback is the near-total lack of any kind of ghost action. This is due to the main focus of the first-hour building up the motivation for Wol-ha 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 to retain 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 the movie down.
A highly effective if somewhat dull genre effort, “A Public Cemetery in Wol-ha” has quite a lot to like while the melodrama-infused setup can be a source of frustration for some that don't appreciate those factors. Viewers who do enjoy the drama-heavy approach or simply appreciate the old-school Asian horror style will be the ones who enjoy this one the most.
