Sleep: The Terrifying Aesthetics of Eastern Mysticism

November 6 By ChillJane

CJ Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Director Yoo Jae-sun, a rising South Korean filmmaker who previously served as an assistant director on Bong Joon-ho's "Okja"(2017), brought his debut feature film "Sleep" to this year's Cannes Film Festival. The film was nominated for the Camera d'Or and Critics' Week Grand Prize. "Sleep" tells the story of a young couple whose lives are turned upside down when the husband develops a sleepwalking disorder, leaving the wife sleepless because she worries he will harm their newborn baby.

Initially, I thought it would be a realism-induced horror film based on the concept that "marriage itself is a horror movie" - which would have been interesting, too, as films like "Gone Girl"(2014), "Killing Me Softly"(2002), "The Hidden Face"(2011), and "Blue Valentine"(2010) come to mind. Indeed, I am comparing "Sleep" to those films. However, when the shaman appears and warns the wife that her husband is behaving strangely because he is being possessed by a ghost, I realize that things are taking a different turn, and my expectations shift dramatically! Until the end, it is unclear whether it is simply caused by sleepwalking or if a ghostly revenge is involved. The film does not provide a definite explanation. It is then that I firmly conclude that "Sleep" is actually a film with strong Eastern mysticism and horror elements.

In the past, I might have believed that realism-induced horror must be much superior to mysticism-induced horror because the former does not involve supernatural elements or rely on mysterious and unexplainable things. To me, even if those things are well-executed in a film, they ultimately still come across as mere gimmicks. On the other hand, the latter realistically depicts and explores power dynamics in heterosexual marriages.

However, it is evident that my taste in movies and philosophy of film are gradually changing as I watch more films and gain more life experience. Now, I particularly appreciate diversity, ambiguity, and unique regional, ethnical, and cultural expressions. In short, I really like "Sleep"!

"Sleep" has indeed a very delicate script structure that embodies Eastern-style horror. It has two clever ideas. First, it sets the husband's character as an actor who is not famous but passionate about performing. In the film, the wife starts to suspect supernatural intervention because he is reading strange lines while sleepwalking. And, she finally finds closure because of his "performance" (it is uncertain whether it is truly a performance) as a ghost. Second, it presents a happy ending (where no one gets hurt, and the couple continues to support each other), but it does not provide a clear explanation, leaving room for audience interpretation. A bad ending is always tendentious and lacks the possibility of self-reflection.

One of the characteristics or core elements of Eastern mysticism is that belief creates existence, while disbelief leads to nothingness. Regardless, there is no definitive answer to the interpretation of this world. Therefore, each person has his or her own way of living, and all we can do is be consistent. You can believe in ghosts and spirits throughout your life, just like the wife in the film who believes that the dead must be given proper rituals within ten days after death, or else they will cause harm. You can believe in revenge, an eye for an eye, and repaying injury with revenge if you cannot do so with kindness. The wife's subjective reality would be: "If you possess my husband and try to harm my child, I will kidnap your daughter. So, it is not my fault that I am insane; it is my husband's fault for not believing me." Or you can spend your whole life believing in science, just like the husband in the film who believes that everything has a cause that can be explained by facts. Things are unresolved because there is insufficient evidence, and all diseases can ultimately be cured through advancing medical knowledge. Then, the husband's logic is such: "So, it is not my fault for being sick; it is my wife's fault for not believing me."

The Eastern mysticism element brings a new perspective to horror films - room for ambiguous, elusive, and polysemous interpretations. If you were to ask where the horror in "Sleep" comes from - whether it is the horror of human nature, reality, ghosts, or the supernatural - the aesthetics of Eastern mysticism, in fact, suggest that everything belongs to one single entity that gives birth to many other entities. Its beauty lies in the fact that it encompasses/allows the co-existence of both reality and possibilities.

The horror or allure of "Sleep" lies in this aspect. It does not lean toward either side but positions itself in between. As an audience member, you certainly have the right to choose either one, such as believing that everything is just a farce caused by the wife's feudal superstition, or that ghosts and spirits exist, and the husband betrayed his wife. You also have the right to embrace all possibilities and come to a seemingly ambiguous conclusion - that in the face of supernatural forces, human power is incredibly fragile. It may seem like this dilemma cannot be resolved through human efforts and unity, but at the time same it also seems possible to overcome as long as both parties have greater trust in each other and put in more determination. At the end of all things though, seemingly stable lives are always prone to collapse at any time. In other words, there is no correct answer to this scenario, but it reflects the real world we live in as well as our lives - any modern covenant system related to human nature (including marriage) must achieve a delicate balance and stability. It is the same for this film as it tries to find a balance between high-concept ghosts and referential reality.

However, my only regret for this film is that this balance could have been better managed. As the story progresses, the portrayal of the wife's hysteria in the later stages of the film can easily make her an unlikeable character that the audience may find difficult to empathize with, causing the film to slightly lean toward the husband's perspective. This may lead viewers who are not familiar with Eastern culture and context to be completely influenced by the movie’s interpretation of realism, and miss out on the horror and beauty of Eastern mysticism.