When a young Mongolian photographer discovers what he believes to be a female corpse wrapped in a cocoon in the mountain jungle, his impulse is to get the hell out of the place and call the police, not even checking if she was fine, in distress or simply asleep, as he takes it to be a crime scene. Fairly soon the viewers will find out that the ‘cocoon' is something very earthly although not to the best taste, and the ‘victim' very much alive. Nonetheless, the photographer will be punished by what is initially perceived as an unknown power for his brief encounter with the mysterious woman, when his motorcycle goes up in flames.
Silent Ghosts is screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam
This is the first of many odd occurances related to anyone who comes in contact with the anonymous woman who is moving through the area looking forlorn, making strange connections with the men from the village along the way. Women don't seem to populate this place marked with a great tragedy that permanently changed its name from Heaven's Village to Speechless Town, and men observe the stranger with nostalgia and lust. To each of them, she appears in a different way, her character shaped according to their memories of intimacy.
From the very first scene to the very last, Yang Heng's “Silent Ghosts” makes effective use of the narrative's strong acoustical elements. The sound of swirling creeks, rustling leaves, and buzzing insects fills the forest, occasionally being broken up by the loud music emanating from the parked motorcycles. One scene features an elderly man playing a high-pitched solo on a leaf that uncannily resembles human screams.
The film is constructed on the strength of the imagery and the impressive sound design that more than anything else builds the eerie atmosphere. Heng frequently divides the screen between the characters to give them their own private place to ponder and express themselves, whether it is a beam, a partition wall, or an open door. Reflections on water surfaces and broken glass perform a similar function as an extended stage for performance.
The dynamics of the entire movie are impacted by a few moments that drag on for much too long. The sluggish pacing cadence makes sense in the first half of the film, but less so after the reason for the woman's arrival and hints about her identity are revealed. Wide-angle images allow us to fully experience the breathtakingly green scenery encircled by mist-covered mountains that conceal ghosts from the past.
The loss of friends and family members whose lives were taken in an accident in the neighboring mine is being handled differently by each of the four local men, while the photographer grieves the loss of his own identity through heavy drinking. What they seek to find in the wandering woman is their connection to the lost feelings. While an old man who offers her shelter has a relatively harmless proposal for which he even offers money, a rough youth attempts to violate her. A police officer confides to her, telling about his wife's suicide committed with his service weapon, while the other meets a bitter end, and the photographer finds forgiveness for the sins from the past.
“Silent Ghosts” had its world premiere in the Harbour program of Rotterdam International Film Festival.
