A gang of pirates, led by a man with a disfigured face, take over a ship called the Dragon King. They chain most of the passengers together and mercilessly slaughter them, including a young woman named Yoriko and her husband, despite her pathetic pleas for their lives. Three years later, Yoriko's twin sister Sakeo lives in a coastal village as assistant to a priest who basically raised her after she was orphaned. Though she was told that the boat her sister was on was lost in a typhoon, she suspects there is more to the story of Yoriko's disappearance. One day while she and her boyfriend Mochizuki are diving, they see a vision underwater of skeletons in chains. Sakeo feels her sister's ghostly presence, and one stormy night, she and Mochizuki see a freighter in the distance. When they investigate, it turns out to be the Dragon King. They find the log book and discover that the pirates were after a load of gold bullion on the ship. Then, we catch up with the pirates in their everyday lives (one is an alcoholic, one runs a titty bar, etc. though we don't see the pirate leader). Soon, they are all being visited by what appears to be the ghost of Yoriko, seeking revenge. This Japanese ghost/horror film is moody and serious and well shot, though there are some plot points that I'm fuzzy on (mostly spoilers so I won't discuss them). A couple of twists near the end come out of nowhere but are welcome and help the movie stand out a bit from the run-of-the-mill ghost story. The black and white widescreen image is nice, and there's a theme that sounds like it belongs in a James Bond movie. Nicely creepy. The picture at right is of Yoriko (Kikko Matsuoka) reflected in the glasses of the chief pirate. [DVD]
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