On the surface, the story is about people dying or disappearing, apparently related to the appearance of spirits or ghosts. But I see the film's main theme as being the alienation and loneliness felt by many people in the early 21st century. As one character puts it, "People don't really connect, you know… We all live totally separately."
"Pulse" is set in Tokyo, and all the main characters appear to be in their 20's. One group of them works at a rooftop nursery called Sunny Plant Sales, while a second group consists of university students. These young adults get caught up in events that involve strange suicides, ghostly images and doors sealed with red tape.
But again let me emphasize that "Pulse" is not much like recent popular American horror movies. The Japanese film contains no gore and doesn't really try to shock the viewer. Instead, it is slow-paced and gradually builds a feeling of existential dread.
Actually, "Pulse," which in Japanese is titled "Kairo," is an example of the relatively new genre known as J-horror. Some of the J-horror films have been remade into mainstream American movies. For example, "Ringu" inspired "The Ring," and "Ju-on" gave rise to "The Grudge." There have also been J-horror and American versions of "Dark Water." Following that tradition, there is an American remake of "Pulse" that is scheduled to be released soon.
I haven't yet mentioned any of the actors in "Pulse" because in general I don't expect English-speaking audiences will be familiar with their names or faces. However, there is one exception, namely Koyuki, the actress playing the woman who works in the university computer lab. Koyuki also appeared in "The Last Samurai" as the widow Tom Cruise's character was attracted to.
The only bonus material of any consequence on the "Pulse" DVD is 41 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage. What I liked best about this extra was the opportunity to watch writer-director Kiyoshi Kurosawa (no relation to the legendary Akira Kurosawa) work and listen to him talk. At one point he muses, "I don't believe that ghosts are full of hatred or resentment or anger. They're commonly portrayed to be filled with emotion, but I think … they're human-like, but the emotional elements of a normal person are missing. They're empty shells. That's what scares me when it comes to ghosts."
In the press release I received for "Pulse" from Magnolia Pictures, there's a Director Statement by Kurosawa. In it, I found the following particularly interesting: "I began to wonder what the closest feeling to experiencing death would be as a still living human. I couldn't help concluding that it would be like enduring eternity utterly alone… This process gradually led me to incorporate the rampant loneliness of contemporary Japanese society as an integral element of the film." I believe that the loneliness he talks about here is also widely felt outside of Japan, and that's what gives his movie an emotional appeal to receptive viewers throughout the world.
Below I've given all the details for the "Pulse" DVD.
DVD Details:
Release Date: February 21, 2006
Widescreen (1.78:1), Color
Feature Film Run Time: 1 Hour 59 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R for Some Violent Images
Japanese 2.0 Stereo
English Subtitles
Spanish Subtitles
The Making of "Pulse": Behind-the-Scenes Footage (41 min.)
Theatrical Trailer
