Sanzaru is an Asian name for the three wise monkeys depicting the saying, "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. And, while taking care of an elderly woman, Dena, who is being consumed by medical problems, including dementia, her hired caretaker, Evelyn, must decide if she is going adhere to that maxim.
I was given the opportunity to view Sanzaru by Xia Magnus in conjunction with the 2020 Fantasia Film Festival (website).
Movie Synopsis as Presented
Evelyn, a young Filipina nurse, is living on an isolated estate while taking care of Dena, the aging matriarch of a Texas family. As Dena slips deeper into dementia, Evelyn begins to sense something ominous lurking behind the walls. Is the house a conduit for supernatural forces? Or is she just hearing things? As Evelyn's paranoia pushes her to uncover her employer's awful past, she may not be prepared for the havoc her curiosity will unlock.
Sanzaru is a Gothic tale, a journey to the heart of a haunted house. A house haunted, as much by death, as by secrets.
Storytelling and Pacing
Sanzaru is a slow burn movie that delves into a psychological journey of Evelyn as she confronts what is happening. There are questions raised on whether there are supernatural forces at play while she is dealing with the issues of the family that has employed her, both present and past. But those are not the only troubles she is having to contend with—there is also her own past that come back to haunt her.
The slower pace of Sanzaru allows for the development of the symbols and metaphors used throughout the movie. Not only are we seeing the story of Evelyn, but how her story intertwines with Dena and her family. Though the stories may be different, there is a similarity that requires decisions to be made by everyone involved.
We see how everyone is trapped by what is happening, and what has happened before. From each character there is the reflection of being caged, being freed, having parts walled off and off limits. The impact of the walls coming down affects each person differently. Of course, as one person's walls collapse they fall into others.
This pace of the slow burn is carried on through the end. This isn't a story of powerful conflicts and dramatic fights being played out on the screen. The turmoil is internal for the characters. It all comes down to the actions each takes.
Craft
This is Xia Magnus's (IMDb page) debut feature film as writer and director. There shows a lot of strength in the development of the internal struggles being faced by the characters. I look forward to see how they develop in future features.
Evelyn is played by Aina Dumlao (IMDb page) who is acting in her first lead of a feature film. Her portrayal of the caretaker is well done in showing the claustrophobic lifestyle she is enduring, both in her surroundings and in herself.
Overall
Sanzaru is not an action packed horror movie where people are running from the maniac killer. It is the steady bite on your own spirit and soul to draw you in to look at the secrets that may be hidden deep within, waiting to be released. Yet, they are those dark points that are clung to because of the pain, fear, and guilt that is wrapped up in and around them.
I recommend Sanzaru to those who like their horror with that slice of psychological fear we create within ourselves. As those who must decide on what they hear, see, and say.
Sanzaru is currently on the film festival circuit.
You can find more about Sanzaru on IMDb (link).
I'm working at keeping my material free of subscription charges by supplementing costs by being an Amazon Associate and having advertising appear. I earn a fee when people make purchases of qualified products from Amazon when they enter the site from a link on Guild Master Gaming and when people click on an ad. If you do either, thank you.
If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.
I have articles being published by others and you can find most of them on Guild Master Gaming on Facebook and Twitter(@GuildMstrGmng).
No comments:
Post a Comment