Rashomon in horror. 9-9-81 is a nice little attempt by a new generation of filmmakers to bridge the gap between the experimental world and the cinema industry. It is an omnibus compilation of nine shorts by twelve directors and nine cinematographers exploring the suicide of a young woman in an apartment. Each short lasts less than nine minutes and is told from a different point of view – the suicide victim (a bride-to-be), a waiter, the new tenant of the dead bride’s flat, the bride’s friend, the bride’s lover, a maid, the bride’s mother, the groom, her father, and an inspector investigating the death. It is certainly the best among the flood of omnibus films made in 2012.
The story starts in an apartment room where a young woman is putting on her wedding gown. She is pretty, happy and hopeful. Silently and slowly, she walks up to the top floor of the building and then, unexpectedly, jumps off, landing in front of a boy. He is a waiter at a food stall near the apartment who often delivers her favorite order, and secretly steals her underwear. Nightmares wake him up and one night he decides to return the underwear.
The second story is told through the eyes of a new tenant – a poor cartoonist who encounters between his own professional imagination, dream or superstition. Next is one of the bride’s friends who reveals the cause of her suicide, before we turn to the lover’s point of view. It seems that he and the bride were mutual victims. Then comes the maid’s story, which is funny and full of Thai beliefs and superstitions. Parental love then moves us to tears when the story is told through the eyes of the bride’s mother and father. Romance is also seen through the eyes of a neighbour who secretly loves her and volunteers to perform as the groom in a fake wedding ceremony carried out in order to appease the ghost of the bride who always wished to be married before her suicide. These are very Thai beliefs and superstitions. Last but not least is the investigation of the disappearance of her lover. At the end, none of the characters are innocent or perfect.
Each of them becomes a victim of their own sins and guilt. 9-9-81 is also full of experimental energy. All of the performers are first-timers, except the inspector. Their performances are natural, if a bit inexperienced. But the filmmaking style is interesting. All of the directors have a long experience of making shorts. Though some parts of the film are a bit drawn-out, many scenes are nicely composed. The rhythmic, bluesy score also stands out. At the end, the film becomes an anthology of the subconscious, superstition, envy, parental love, belief, romance, revenge, murder and suspense.
Anchalee Chaiworaporn