What lurks beneath the HORROR
What lurks beneath the HORROR
http://www.bangkokpost.com/en/Outlook/24Aug2005_out01.php
While some people have written off Thai ghost films as cheap silly fun, one academic says that many reflect the changing social structures in Thai society
Story by ALONGKORN PARIVUDHIPHONGS, Graphic by JULARAT NAKAVIROAT
Revenge is a lazy form of anger, or so they say. But Thai ghosts are anything but lazy when it comes to expressing their anger, especially in the world of celluloid. The legendary Mae Nak of Thai folklore, a woman who died while pregnant and refused to leave her husband behind, still furiously chases after male mediums and monks who want to get rid of her spirit.
Krasue, a female ghost with only her head and intestines intact, a Thai version of an ignis fatuus, or Jack-o’-lantern, continues to hover around remote villages, proudly displaying her blood-soaked teeth.
The Northeast of Thailand is home to Pop, a female ogre that feeds on human intestines and/or animal’s blood at night, giving villagers many hair-raising moments.
For several decades, the tales of these ghosts, or phi in Thai, have inspired many spooky TV series and movies. Since the beginning of the Thai movie industry in 1923, the story of Mae Nak has been made and remade 15 times over. Pop’s tale in Ban Phi Pop (The House of Pop’s Ghost) has made Thai cinematic history as the movie with the most sequels ever: 13 consecutive films from 1989 to 1994 to be precise.
Following their devilish footsteps (if they ever make ones!) is a new generation of Thai ghosts, who no longer limit their haunting to cemeteries or rice fields at night time. Today, a ghost can emerge in the elevator during daytime, as seen in Buppah Rahtree (2003); another can pop up in a bathtub or toilet, as seen in Hien (The Mother, 2003) and Shutter Kod Tid Vinyarn (The Shutter, 2004). They lurk in air-conditioning units, not coffins, or house their spine-chilling presence in monasteries as seen in Phi Chong Air (The Sisters, 2004).
“These changes are significant in that they reflect a new function and meaning of ghosts for today’s audiences,” said media expert Kamjohn Louiyapong from Sukhothai Thammathiraj Open University’s Faculty of Communication Arts.
His study, “The Changing Faces of Ghosts in Thai Films from 2527 to 2540 BE” shows that the advancement in film technology and influences from foreign-ghost films, especially those from Japan and Korea, have allowed directors to narrate the ghost story in a more chillingly fun way and have also opened the films up to some broader social and cultural discourses from academics.
“For me, [modern] ghost movies reflect the change from a Thai belief system based on spirituality to one based on capitalism as ghost stories have become commodified. And the ghosts themselves have also changed from non-scientific to scientific as they can now be seen and are more tangible, due to modern technology,” he said.
During the past two decades, ghost movies have constantly enjoyed their popularity among the Thai movie-going public. Out of 107 movies released in 1991, there were 35 ghost movies. And during the Thai film industry’s slump in 1995 when only 42 films were locally produced, four ghost movies still managed to hit the theatres.
The handsome box office returns of Nang Nak (1999) paved the way for more similarly frightening fare to appear on the silver screen. In 2003, Hien earned 48 million baht. Last year, Shutter Kod Tid Vinyarn earned 110 million baht. According to Entertainment magazine, six movies out of 20 top Thai hits of all time are ghost movies.
“This indicates that ghost movies have found a place in the hearts of the general Thai audience. Unfortunately only few academics take this genre seriously because they regard these films as B-grade movies, made only for pure entertainment,” he said.
As part of the World’s View and Aesthetics in Literature project (1977-2004), funded by Thai Research Foundation, Kamjohn’s research aims to offer a new interpretation on Thai ghosts through cultural and critical studies.
First, he wondered why wicked spirits in early and modern ghost movies seem to emerge mostly as females or possess other women? The first Thai ghost ever to haunt local movie houses was Poo Som Fao Sap (1933), a grandpa who refused to leave his worldly possessions and wealth behind. Another famously vicious evil spirit is the old ghost from Rong-ram Phi (Haunted Hotel, 1970s and 2002). After that, there were also Jom-ma-kin (1973 and 1982), the Thai version of Dracula, Phi Hua Kad (Beheaded Ghost, 1980, 1994, 2002 and 2004) and Phi Ta Bo (Hollow-eyed Ghost, 1981). All the ghosts in these movies were portrayed by famous male actors.
“Many male ghosts, except Poo Som Fao Sap, were created from pure imagination, while most female ghosts are rooted in folk tales dating many generations back.
“The existence of these female ghosts reminds us that we were once living in a matriarchal society where women were the key players in the social structure. This remained until the adoption of Buddhism and Brahmin doctrines, which shifted power from female to male,” Kamjohn explained.
Such changes in the social structure were also reflected in ghost movies, he adds. Like Eve perhaps, women became a symbol of malignity and repugnance, another tainted meaning of women’s status.
“In Thai tradition, a ghost can be a protector and an antagonist. But women are generally chosen to be vengeful female ghosts to represent bad deeds and misconduct against social norms,” he said.
As the world evolves, the meaning becomes more fluid. In today’s patriarchal society, the female image is often portrayed as the reflection of male desire. Male characters, especially comedians, could verbally tease female ghosts or even touch their boobs or booties.
“In many movies today, we still see female ghosts in see-through pajamas and postures that suggest sexual rapture. This somehow devalues women’s status [in society] as well as perpetuates chauvinism.”
Some contemporary ghost movies however try to steer clear of the female “ghost” image as a mere sex object. Mae Nak Prakanong (1959) starred sexy actress Preeya Rungruang, while the more recent Nang Nak (1998) featured the homely actress Sai Chareonpura, thus shifting the image of female ghosts to a more realistic and, ironically, humanistic one.
“While the image of [woman ghosts as] sex objects is still there in different degrees, there has been some attempt to focus more on the plot and the storyline. Therefore, female ghosts today have more than just a sexy body and a drop-dead beauty in disguise to offer. They become the voices of the many suffering women in society,” he said.
Many film critics agree that many ghost movies have begun to highlight social problems and women’s rights. Both Hien, a story of a pregnant teen who becomes the key to unlock the mysterious death of another pregnant teen, and Buppah Rahtree, a comical horror about a female spirit trapped in an apartment, raised questions about whether the decision to abort an unborn foetus should involve male input. Meanwhile, Shutter, a horror film about an abused woman whose spirit came back to avenge male pranksters, addressed issues about rape and violence against women, and Phi Chong Air talked about prostitution and murder.
“While they could not get justice in life when they were human beings, they could do so with the supernatural power granted by life after death. It’s how art criticises social injustice in a patriarchal society, especially in country like Thailand where people are reluctant to express their opinions,” he said.
Ghost films have also become a discreet channel to softly criticise the crisis in Buddhism. Previously, only a few monks were able to control and get rid of the evil spirits; now that ghosts have become smarter and, in most cases well-educated, religion does not always pose the answer for survival and spiritual shelter. Through comic relief, several ghost films feature exorcists, necromancers and religious men from other cults, mostly portrayed by comedians, and most of whom end up running for their lives and failing to get rid of the spirits.
“While the films show that these doctrines are just frauds, they somehow reflect the weakness in Buddhism. Through the use of humour, it’s a mild, satirical form of criticism,” he said.
Ghost movies have also reflected the changes to the world’s social structure and human relationships through capitalism . For instance, Pop and Krasue are both female ogres/ghosts possessed by wicked female spirits because of their very own bad deeds. Originally, the ghosts represented human malevolence and acrimony, so the spirits are a symbol of punishment to encourage people not to commit bad deeds.
“But now they are just a name for fright effects, and the sense of otherness. Many movies reflect these ghosts as something weird that does not belong to the mainstream. Pop can represent the migrants from Isan and other neighbouring countries who have to struggle to be accepted in the modern world,” Kamjohn said.
While ghost movies used to exact their powers within provincial audiences, many of today’s ghost films have their eyes firmly fixed on the younger audiences in the city. Therefore, many ghost movies have switched their settings from faraway villages to city environments.
“Rural spaces are becoming more modernised, therefore people in the rural areas must strive to become modernised too. But amidst the adjustment, many are unable to keep up with this fast-changing pace, therefore, they still hold on to traditional belief in ghosts and spirits,” he explained.
The methods of killing have become as complicated as the movie-making industry itself. Unlike Western ghosts that usually kill at will, Thai ghosts previously tended to deal with those they were acquainted with in their former lives, be they lovers, relatives, friends or enemies. But now that has changed, as today’s Thai ghosts kill anyone that crosses their otherworldly path.
“Again, it projects the sense of ‘otherness’ and reflects the decline of Thai sympathy in today’s competitive society. As shown in the movies, city dwellers are individualistic and estranged [from each other],” he said.
Some teen films also use ghosts to show changes in the modern family structure. Since the late 1980s, stories about friendly spirits and kind ghosts such as Pi Neung Puen Kan Kub Wan Assajan Kong Pom (One-year Friendship and My Magical Day, 1993) and Tan Khun Noi (The Little Noble Boy, 1993) showed how the family structure has changed from a broad, extended one to a more nuclear one. Later some movies highlighted family and identity problems among teenagers. In Hok Tai Ta Tai (Six, 2004), for example, all six teen characters lost their identities and souls in the chaotic capitalistic world.
“Many ghost movies tend to move as fast as today’s swift world. Some question the role of love in today’s society, be it unrequitted romance or a painful marriage. So ghost movies nowadays are very dynamic and somehow related to our daily lifestyles.”
He said that when art imitates life, it’s worth having a closer look as to whether it’s a reliable reflection of reality, or an attempt to challenge the powers that be, as well as ask questions about our existence in the world.
“The magic of movies allows viewers to see the invisible. Hopefully, they can also see through the skin of social and human issues. We need more than a ghost’s power to solve these problems,” he said.