Memento Mori – Gedenke des Todes (1999)

Memento Mori – Gedenke des Todes: Directed by Tae-yong Kim, Kyu-dong Min. With Gyu-ri Kim, Park Yejin, Yeong-jin Lee, Jong-hak Baek. In this second installment of the Whispering Corridors series, a young girl finds a strange diary, capable of arousing hallucinations, kept by two of her senior fellow-students who seem to have an unusually close bond.

“Although the Korean name for Memento Mori would lead you to believe it is a sequel to Whispering Corridors, other than the setting, the two films have very little in common. Having seen the first film is not a requirement to see and enjoy this film. The story in Memento Mori involves a love affair between two students at an all-girlu0026#39;s school. One of the girlu0026#39;s, for various reasons, canu0026#39;t take it when the other girl u0026quot;outsu0026quot; their relationship and decides to break things off with tragic consequences. A third girl finds the diary the two girls wrote together and, through its pages, begins a horrifying journey to understand what happened to her classmates and how one of them could end up dead.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRegardless of how Memento Mori has been marketed to American audiences, itu0026#39;s not a horror movie. Instead, itu0026#39;s a poignant look at young love and the consequences taken to the extreme of a relationship that doesnu0026#39;t work out. Sure, there are moments of terror to be found in the movie, but even in what should be the final chilling moments of the movie, the horror is never as front and center as the drama. Itu0026#39;s not a movie for those who demand a new adrenaline rush every five minutes. Memento Mori moves slow and allows you to get to know the characters, their fears, their problems, and to really develop a sense of caring for them.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI havenu0026#39;t rated the movie any higher because this type of film and this subject matter donu0026#39;t appeal to me on an entertainment level regardless of how well made the film is. As with the majority of the other Asian films Iu0026#39;ve seen recently, Memento Mori is technically very sound. The direction and cinematography are solid. The movie presents numerous uniquely filmed scenes that really standout. Although the special effects are used sparingly, they are very realistic when employed. The music is fitting for a movie like this. And the acting is rock solid.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOne question that has bothered me after having recently watched both Whispering Corridors and Memento Mori is: Do teachers in Korea really treat their students in the manner presented here, with physical and emotional abuse? Iu0026#39;m not saying itu0026#39;s right or wrong, itu0026#39;s just now what Iu0026#39;m accustomed to seeing in teacher/student relationships.”