Ghost Bride (2013)

While every culture has its own unique spin on ghosts, Asia in particular seems to have the market cornered when it comes to having the most interesting twists on the concepts of ghosts which naturally translates well to film. Obviously Japan is a prime example, with the classic tale Yotsuya Kaidan having been adapted to film over 30 times since 1912, including a version by Takashi Miike in the form of Over Your Dead Body (2014). Of course there was also the J-horror craze from the late 90's into the early 2000's with films like the Ringu (Ring) and Ju-on (The Grudge) series as well as One Missed Call (2003) from the aforementioned Miike. South Korea's A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) also found a big international fanbase solidifying Asian ghost films as the biggest trend of the time. Curiously, one of the finest horror films, 2013's Ghost Bride, centered around specters rooted in Asian lore was in fact not an Asian, but rather a New Zealand based film from the master of Kiwi horror David Blyth. Much like his fetish documentary Transfigured Nights (2007), the inspiration for Ghost Bride came from the internet after Blyth discovered photos and audio recordings from a “ghost bride ceremony” and the resulting film, though much less confrontational than Blyth' previous horror film Wound (2010), is nevertheless a wonderful example of Blyth's signature take on the fantastic.

Despite being in a loving relationship with his girlfriend Syke, Jason Chen, the son of Chinese immigrants raised in New Zealand is under constant pressure from his ailing mother Alice to respect his late, strictly traditionalist fathers wishes to marry a Chinese girl. Keeping his relationship with Skye a secret from his mother and in an attempt to humor her, Jason visits matchmaker Madame Yin who selects for him the silent and subservient May-Ling, though Jason is loyal to Skye and the two are soon engaged, though Jason soon learns the truth about Madame Yin's intentions when May-Ling unleashes her otherworldly jealousy on Jason and Skye.

Setting aside the horror elements for a moment, Ghost Bride is a fascinating film just based on the cultural clash that eventually leads to the horror with the idea of the child of immigrants at odds with his heritage having been raised in a culture wildly different than that of his parents possibly making an interesting drama in its own right. Given the differences between China and New Zealand, it actually makes the eventual supernatural happenings all the more original when considering the various differences in lore when it comes to ghost stories. Ghost Bride is of course a horror film first and foremost and at times a quite beautiful and moving one. While the title already implicates May-Ling's true nature, it's not so much Jason's discovery of her ghostly nature but rather Madame Yin's nefarious plans for choosing May-Ling to be his bride, ultimately making May-Ling the films most tragic and most sympathetic character. Although the film is vastly different from Wound, a good chunk of the film does occupy the same state of esoteric unconsciousness with everything including May-Ling and Jason's initial meeting, the actual “ghost bride” wedding ceremony and onwards playing out like a waking dream. The films final third stands out in particular with the brilliant editing making scenes seamlessly blend into each other, the narcotic haze becoming stronger with each moment. Blyth also sidesteps whatever issues the films limited funds might have caused with some stunning photography and even some moments of gore that give a surprising jolt.

Talking to the Never Repeats podcast, Blyth expressed some reservations when it came to the film, contrasting the shooting of the film with the production of Wound saying “Of course we were working long hours and it was a pretty intense film you know, Wound, but I loved it. It was liberating and it was energizing and I had the bestest time whereas Ghost Bride it was tough, it was hard, I felt I was comprising everyday, I was ripping out pages. It was a whole different experience, a very frustrating experience. It had to enter a kind of a zen level because I had to reduce everything.” Blyth described the shoot of Ghost Bride as “much more structured, much more old-fashioned” and claimed “Suddenly I got sort of lassoed back into a more traditional style of filmaking whereas Wound was liberating 'cause I was able to work with a smaller crew and just get a lot more done.” Blyth also discussed the differences in distribution between the two films with the extremities of Wound limiting is release save for the festival circus whereas Ghost Bride found itself on multiple streaming platforms and even on some TV stations giving it a much wider audience. Of course the film wound up going over many peoples heads though the horrible reviews are best ignored as Ghost Bride offers an intriguing antidote to unimaginative contemporary horror.