Welcome to GORIED TREASURES, a Bearded Gentlemen Music column devoted to fright flicks of yesteryears! Specifically, retrospectives of cult favorites, lesser-knowns, and other horror films that have flown under the radar. Sometimes I’ll gush over my pick, and other times I’ll sound like I’m being way harsh, Tai. Either way, let’s talk about scary movies!
It’s surprising what a new pair of shoes can do for your confidence. Even lift your spirits. Whether it be sneakers, boots, or stilettos, treating the 7,000 nerves in your feet to some new footwear is always a treat. Most people buy their new kicks in stores — retail or thrift — but sometimes the perfect shoes appear where you least expect them to. This is most definitely the case for Sun-jae (Hye-soo Kim) in Yong-gyun Kim’s 2005 movie The Red Shoes. What she thinks is a fortuitous find is really a cursed object waiting for its next victim.
THE RED SHOES (2005)
“One size kills all.”
A housewife named Sun-jae is leading a miserable existence when she’s suddenly given a way out. She comes home early one day to find her husband cheating on her. Following their separation, she moves into a run-down apartment with her young daughter Tae-soo (Yeon-ah Park). As expected, the transition isn’t easy for either of them.
In the meantime, Sun-jae stumbles upon a pair of stray pink pumps in the subway. Wearing them makes her feel something she hasn’t felt in a very long time. Tae-soo becomes obsessed with the pumps, too, and a strange, emotional wedge is driven between the mother and daughter. Eventually, Sun-jae learns the dark history behind the shoes and what happens to anyone who makes the mistake of wearing them.
Like it’s going out of fashion
Hideo Nakata’s classic ghost story Ring was not only a breakthrough in contemporary East Asian horror, it provided inspiration to filmmakers for years to come. The success of Sadako Yamamura’s celluloid terror launched a wave of domestic copycats. The 2000s was definitely the heyday for other black-haired, female ghosts seeking retribution for past injustices. However, the formula not only lost steam quickly, it was met with aggressive derision. Eventually, it was time for studios to put those spirits to rest.
As Japan was making full use of onryō (ghosts bound by a desire for vengeance), other parts of Asia were looking elsewhere for inspiration. South Korea — already notable for its diverse, growing film industry — was ahead of the game simply because it experimented with horror. That’s not to say there weren’t standard “scary girl” flicks to appease the masses. Nevertheless, South Korean horror was more and more resembling films from the west. There was a discernible boost in bodily and psychological horror, and Korean directors were not hesitant about blood and viscera.
Something also worth noting was a growing detachment from native folklore. Japanese horror is heavily influenced by the country’s intrinsic mythology, whereas South Korea isn’t limited by theirs. In fact, they were more likely to reference European fables and lore than other Asian regions. Case in point — The Red Shoes, a film loosely based on the Danish fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Anderson.
In someone else’s shoes
By no means is The Red Shoes a faithful adaptation of Anderson’s fairy tale. The pumps here are in fact pink. But director Yong-gyun Kim wisely picks and chooses from the source material. His goal here isn’t to be veracious so much as it is supplementary. He relates Anderson’s story to Korean history without being irreverent, too. Not an easy feat when we’re talking about a haunted pair of heels that kills women.
Kim employs a stark, darkly theatrical style that’s a feast for eyes in many scenes. His use of saturated colors to convey emotions already out on full display makes the bizarre story more digestible. It’s clear Kim has an eye for visuals; he also pays close attention to ambience. The Red Shoes performs like a mainstream horror film yet it has the sensibilities of an arthouse thriller. Not to mention a psychosexual quality that echoes Andrzej Żuławski’s chimeric masterpiece Possession.
She’s got style, she’s got grace
The Red Shoes is another demonstration of how horror underlines maltreated women. Here, we have a despondent mother and wife working to reclaim her dignity and her voice. She’s humiliated several times throughout the film, and often her response is to simply bear it with no resistance. As frustrating as it is to witness, audiences can’t help but commiserate with Sun-jae on some level.
East Asian horror especially has a reputation of spotlighting the inequalities women suffer in life. Like Hideo Nakata‘s other ghoster Dark Water, The Red Shoes showcases the trials of single mothers against a supernatural backdrop. It’s not easy to actually like Sun-jae as a character given the film’s eventual outcome, but she’s engrossing to watch. Enough to where we feel conflicted in our final assessment of her and her situation. In addition, her actress Hye-soo Kim is mesmerizing through and through.
TL;DR
South Korea’s horror market was so active in the 2000s that The Red Shoes was glossed over at home and overseas. Which is a shame seeing as how beautiful and arresting the film is. While it never completely rejects the genre’s tropes, the movie recoups in part to solid direction and performances.
In a time when forgotten or disregarded movies are being constantly reevaluated, this film is in sore need of a revisit. At the very least, try it on for size. You may end up finding The Red Shoes to be a perfect fit.
Stay tuned for more GORIED TREASURES.