Budiey
A young actress, Sara, who lands a leading role in a major play, soon encounters bitter rivalry amongst her fellow cast members which escalates into out-and-out hatred. Strange things start happening at rehearsals and Sara begins to investigate a very real and menacing threat.
Terrifying Theater
Though a familiar and enjoyable place for all of us, theaters are not devoid of creepiness. With their dim lights, echoing halls, and airy, tall ceilings, theaters, opera houses, and playhouses have long been utilized in horror settings. Working within this concept of the theater as a hot spot of fear, “Ghost Theater” delves into a series of disasters that occur during the preparation of a theatrical presentation.
It all started with an idea that popped up during a pre-production meeting for the film: “What if a theater were haunted by something evil?” Building upon this thought, the filmmakers decided to incorporate a life-sized doll – a theatrical prop – and use it as an object of terror. The filmmakers also decided to include the gothic story of Elizabeth Bathory, a Hungarian countess from the 15th century who killed young women and drank their blood in a vain attempt to retain her youth, as the subject of the film’s play. By using these unnerving elements, a sense of detachment from reality is produced in “Ghost Theater” that both enhances and intensifies the thrill and fear within the film.
Meet leading actress Haruka Shimazaki
Haruka Shimazaki plays Sara Mizuki, the main character in “Ghost Theater.” Vying for the part were all the members of AKB 48, Japan’s leading singing group. Although Shimazaki had some prior experience in TV series and films, this marks the first time for her to play the lead in a full-scale motion picture.
“She was somewhat on edge,” director Hideo Nakata says when recalling his initial impression of the actress, adding that he was also “fascinated by her large, expressive eyes.” Director Nakata felt, too, that Shimazaki’s real-life situation mirrored that of Sara’s in the film: a struggling actress picked for the first time in her career to play the lead in a major play. Also key to Nakata’s decision to cast Shimazaki were her photogenic looks and an inner strength he sensed beneath her delicate exterior. Shimazaki lived up to Nakata’s expectations and pulled through a difficult shoot that included many scenes of panicked screaming and heavy rain.
The life-sized doll
The other main character in the film is the life-sized doll that throws the theater into a state of fear. In the story, a craftsman forges a doll in the image of his daughter who had died in a tragic car accident. The doll’s body, facial expression, and texture were produced realistically in order to appear like that of a living human. The creator of the bewitched doll’s head is Ryo Yoshida, one of Japan’s leading doll artists.
Analog Production
Director Nakata was specific about the role darkness would play in the depiction of the theater. To express subtle gradations of black, despite the booming use of digital filming these days, he choose to shoot “Ghost Theater” on film due to its more expressive display of shades. During developing, the technique of bleach bypass was used to reduce saturation levels. This added an artistic taste to the story by way of subtle, withered colors. While possible to reproduce this effect digitally, when seen on a large screen, the delicate differences of the dark textures greatly affect the atmosphere of the film.
It is the close attention to visual detail by its filmmakers that adds to the unsettling power of “Ghost Theater.”
