my interpretations about cure 1997
detective kenichi takabe watching the original hypnosis
Cure, once named Evangelist, is a 1997 psychological thriller, familarly starting with the main character who enters a cr-me scene for assessment and detection, with occupied scientists who keep rummaging for evidences positioned in the background. assiduous team work, the ordinary examination of the limp half-n.ked c.rpse with bl--died mess, camera angles focus on the dialogues and the noisy people who theorize. Takame was in the hallways, listening to his colleague who gave orders in the phone, raised his hand, the background light noise decreased and he found the visibly distressed k-ller curled up in a narrow place. the guy's n.ked, probably because of intimacy with the prostitute before sl.ughtering her and etching a X mark into her thr.at and was hidden, utterly perplexed. admitted intent and then was stunned is the brief conclusion by the psychiatrict Sakuma after watching the interrogation on TV as if not really astonished by all this. it's obviously a total unawareness after m.rder, this demands a psychiatrict's help to dissect and understand this oddity. the k.ller's a bit tense, sharing his own version of the story with hands joined on the lap to anchor himself.
goals are to identify the meaning of k.lling and the strategical approachs. it could be r.vengeful scheme or uncontrollable impulse, or for thrills. books and movies can inspire, and digging into the relationship between the old m.rderer and the unfortunate acquaintance briskly sh-t was important. he was someone i didn't like was the explaination but the fel.ny was done with calmness, not with an overwhelming urge to r-p the infuriating man ap-rt. the steady quietness through the film is often uns.ttling, roadway noises, quotidian tasks, light banters or important discussions linked to cr.minal minds and explainations exhibit a normalcy before impromptu tw-sts arrive.
Mamiya’s lonesome and mysterious, acting weird in the eye of the ordinary and having this kind of “noctambulism” vibes, not hesitating to ask about others without invading directly their privacy or v.olating their boundaries. he had an excellent memory palace. with the female nurse, he spoke about the long inescapable emptiness, then let water falls on the ground as hypnotic tactic, knew his victim's job and guessed her different interests, used accurate memories like examination of a c.rpse since the girl intended to become a surgeon before twisting this educational practice by rambling about the natural urge to go beyond the scientifical examination of human anatomy. diss.cting is like openning the inner self and letting it express without abstinence and v.olating morality by replacing it with natural boundless inclinations. his favorite instruments are water or his lighter's flame, one's relaxing and one's enlightening, it's linked to wondrous symbolic qualities of the hydro and the pyro. this reveals Mamiya's tw.sted cure, hypnotizing to guide his targets and encouraging them to unleash what's locked inside or hidden since everyone follows righteous morals in society and Mamiya aimed high. it's about truth, revelation. his targets aren't puppets.
k.lling is liberating. the ordinary who greets the neighbors, focuses on daily tasks, walks in the streets and builds a life in the process can hide burgeoning m.nstruosities, accumulating tr.bulations that emerged in the childhood and upbringing before expl.ding and jumping on random thr.ats or specific wrongdoers. a blend of uneasiness and a tendency of keeping everything inside to not disrupt this society's ongoing flow may lead to hebetude or repression of emotions and w.rse. after the incident, Mamiya was caught and arrested because of his fingerprints on the wall, this hollowness disguised as nonchalance lingers in his expression, uttering remarks and avoiding questions. the detective almost went nuts since Mamiya was provoking and asked for a cigarette. Takabe kept investiguating, finding books of Mesmer and notes with scribbles. it's an unclean abandoned zone with dusts and leftovers.
the next scene was him hurrying up in corridors to pay a visit to Mamiya, and discussing matters that hinder Takabe from enjoying life while identifying himself as a professional detective and a flawed husband, never emotionally opening up and admitting it's his fault there's a lack of understanding in his marriage. he was quick to irritate, throwing objects and not willing to forgive Mamiya since everything’s complicated and Takabe was not prepared for this kind of case. the apathy is well-portrayed with Mamiya, leading to solitude and obsc.re beliefs, and hypnosis is to w.eaken mental fortitude and either guide or expose targets, using them as puppets before their quick awakenings then stupefactions follow because everything logically occured without self-control or true awareness. it was once studied as medical treatement but unfortunately, by adding a plethora of outl.ndish knowledge, it was dismissed and recognized as witchy. Sakuma d-ed, killing h-mself after the clean elimination of this mal-cious walking thr.at who announced that Takabe was finally bound to know his true personhood, he returns to his ordinary life with a hospitalized wife and drinking coffee, smoking to relax as usual when facing wearsome adversity. but, few instants are ambiguous, like Fumie’s tragic end with the X mark because the first passing was a hallucination, the waitress grabbing a kn-fe, this signifies that Takabe who listened to a recording device’s cryptic messages on loop “fearsome… heart of… his… healing hand… road of healing… not a long… take sword… a man… but dew… heal, o water-grass… o, winter… falls, snow… that… heal… snow… take… in hand… heal…” Mamiya knew how special was the detective, raised his finger to do the X mark, and this recording is not gibberish, but hypnotic and purposefully vague conversation to erode identity. Takabe was infected, next in the line and triggered another series of murd.rs.
Kiyoshi Kurosawa said “often when a m.rder incident occurs and you see a friend or a neighbor get interviewed on the TV news, and so on after the culprit is arrested. they generally say, “i never imagined he or she would…” they’re so polite. and what is generally reported in those instances is that it was actually a horr.ble k.ller pretending to be, or wearing a mask of a good father, a polite person, a courteous person. but i wondered if that really was the case. couldn’t a good father, a courteous person, a polite person, suddenly k.ll someone without having a secret hom.cidal side ?” he’s the writer and director of this masterpiece. the protagonist Takabe have this praiseworthy mental fortitude but also a d.rk side Mamiya temporarily exploited to open the cracks, acknowledging his resentment towards Fumie since her mental decl.ne weighs on Takabe. he might be professional and unable to off an innocent, but like the v.ctims in the film, Kiyoshi never hesitated to guide the viewers into understanding that people are products of their environments, harbor secrets and refrain from n.utralizing because of moral uprightness in societies. it’s also primordial to recall the movie’s original title Evangelist because it’s a messenger who spreads an idea, and Mamiya’s not promoting but spreading an idea with hypnosis, but the title Cure is even more al.rming because he was obssessed with unveiling and firmly believed it’s a remedy/cure - returning to the authentic self.
