MovieChat Forums > Uzumaki (2000) Discussion > Does anyone understand the nature of the...

Does anyone understand the nature of the vortex?

posted 21 years ago by Akira-36
11 replies | jump to latest

I'm hoping someone who has watched Uzumaki and understood Japanese, could explain it to me about the nature of the vortex/spiral. I know that in the middle of the movie, the male reporter found some articles that link the vortex, religious snake cult and the Dragonfly Pond. But that information was presented in a jumbled up montage with kanji words.

As I do not speak/read Japanese, I couldn't understand that part of the movie.

Can anyone help me?

Cheers,
Akira-36

[–] staryub 21 years ago

Essentially the spiral is the simple shape that can be found nearly anywhere in life, from a snake's coil to the water flowing down a toilet or even the inner ear. I haven't watched the movie in a while so I'm not going to try to explain something I can't but it's probably going along the lines of what I said first.

[–] stregeria 21 years ago

The nature of the vortex is unexplainable, because it is utterly unexplicable. It is very Lovecraftian in this, and I think this is the best movie's greatest strenght. The vortex is unexplicable because it is impossible for man to understand it in any way, therefore it is impossible to attack or resist in anyway. This makes it a lot more frightening doesn't it?

[–] goldapple57 20 years ago

Lovecraft? Is that the guy who created Cthul or however it's spelt?

[–] trejodunesea 17 years ago

The author of the manga cites H.P. Lovecraft as one of his influences. Yes, he's the 'guy who created Cthul.'

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Beard Power Limiter RELEASE!!!

[–] Mons666 20 years ago

Don't try to understand it.
Junji Ito's manga usually have no explaination or solution. It's just being plain reality scary and accept its story.

[–] trip_taylor2001 20 years ago

I love Jap Horror because it usually follow a character to their Demise. Jap Horror is the most scary because no matter hard hard they try they knew in the back of their minds it was going to end in tears. With is what Uzumaki is a Sprial into Horror.

[–] mchgranadino 20 years ago

There are things that are not supposed to be understood... just happen...

You didn't miss translation, it's just like that, and that's why many guys are complaining about it in their reviews... haven't seen them saying the same about Hitchcock's "the birds", film I also like. A vortex creating destruction on a village... birds attacking people... that's their plot, and the cool thing is that you need no more than that to totally love the story.

They plot and the way the story is told is what makes this film so enjoyable to watch.

[–] Tilian 20 years ago

No, you're right Akira-36: the reporter scene is important: read my post.
Tilian.

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] tora-chan 17 years ago

It is quite simple: Once upon a time there had been a temple/shrine of a snake-god, which later had been destroyed by a storm. But instead of re-building the temple/shrine, the people living in this town simply forgot about the snakegod and because of that the god punishes the townfolk. The temple used to be, where now the dragonfly pond is... And the explaination for the vortex: because when they snake curls up itself, it looks like a vortex...