Forbidden Siren (film)

Infobox_Film
name = Forbidden Siren


caption =
writer = Naoya Takayama
starring = Yui Ichikawa
Hiroshi Abe
Naomi Nishida
director = Yukihiko Tsutsumi
producer =
cinematography =
editing =
distributor =
released = February 9 2006
runtime = 87 min.
rating = Restricted
country = Japan
language = Japanese
budget = | music =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0494815
followed_by =

"Forbidden Siren" (the actual Japanese title, "『サイレン Forbidden Siren", meaning "Siren: Forbidden Siren", becomes redundant when translated) is a movie adaptation of the videogame series "Siren". It was released in Japan on February 9 2006 to coincide with the Japanese release of the sequel game, "Forbidden Siren 2", on which the movie is primarily (albeit loosely) based.

"Forbidden Siren" was directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi and stars a host of actors such as Yui Ichikawa, Leo Morimoto, Naoki Tanaka, Hiroshi Abe, Naomi Nishida, Suzuki Matsuo, Kyûsaku Shimada, Mai Takahashi, and Jun Nishiyama.

tory

The story follows a young lady named Yuki, and her father, who is a writer, as they move to Yamajima Island with her younger brother Hideo. The island has a stranger history (like the fact that it was an American burial ground before the war), and a large metal tower can be seen standing on its highest peak.

On arrival, she finds the residents of the quiet rural setting to be slightly bizarre. She is even more perplexed when a neighbour offers her advice about the rules of the island. One warning that all the locals rigidly obey is: NEVER go outside when the air-raid sirens are sounding!

The villagers seem to be hiding something, and Yuki begins to suspect it. One day, Hideo runs away from her, and she chases after him. She stumbles upon Hideo with a mysterious girl wrapped in red shrouds that talks to him and tells him strange stories. Unfortunately, this girl disappears whenever Yuki tries to speak with her.

After some more strange encounters and intensive research, Yuki discovers a piece of folklore from long ago, stating that victims of a terrible disease were once isolated on Yamajima. The story goes that the flesh of a mermaid could bring ever-lasting life, a cure to the disease. They reportedly captured a mermaid and ate it. Before the mermaid died, it let out a terrible scream (the Siren), and cursed the island.

Yuki's father unfortunately turns into a hideous monster called a "Shibito", So Yuki and Hideo try their best to get off the island. But there is no way to escape. Their only choice is to climb the forbidden metal tower at the center of the island. Once there, the plot takes a full twist and we discover that the siren has been in Yuki's head the whole time. The Shibito are really just the ordinary islanders and Hideo has been dead for many years.

When she finally realizes this, she jumps off the tower and tries to commit suicide. Somehow she survives and becomes hospitalized. Outside her room, we hear the doctor speaking with her father. He explains to him that she has imagined the whole experience, such as the previous man did. Yuki awakens to the sound of the fourth siren and she kills her doctor. As the movie ends, the skies turn black and seas become blood red once again.

Many things are left unclear throughout the film due to the complex nature of the plot, the fact that what Yuki is seeing may or may not be real. It may be that Yuki's already unstable mind is merely influenced by the fairy tales and the diary that she comes across. Also, the role of the hidden room in Yuki's home is also left undecided, as it is unknown whether any of the images inside (those dating the islanders back to 1976) are actually factual. Likewise, the role of the woman in red is not made explicit but it is assumed that she is the spirit of the mermaid that died long ago due to her likeness to the girl in the painting. It is suggested by the doctor in the final scene that the siren is only heard by those "conditioned" to hear it and that there may indeed be some supernatural force behind the events.

Trivia

* Although the sightjacking ability from the videogames plays no part in the film, there are several moments where the camera takes the perspective of a prowling Shibito. This is clear reference to the game where, seeing oneself briefly through the Shibito's eyes will alert the player to danger.
* Another nod towards the games is the use of music that plays during the scene where Yuki enters the isolated market and wonders where all the islanders have gone. The music could be collected as informative documentation that the player can view in the Archives.

* The folktale of the mermaid is very similar to the Legend of Yaobikuni found in the first game.

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.siren-movie.com/index.html Official Japanese website]
* [http://www.yamijima.com/yamijima/start.html Interactive movie website]