Spiral (2000) - full transcript
In a small town in Japan, Kirie comes upon her boyfriend's father silently videotaping a snail. He seems unaware of her presence and she thinks no more of it. Later, the mans obsession with spirals becomes more and more bizarre, ending in his suicide in a washing machine which turn his body into a spiral. Soon other inhabitants become possesed with different forms of spirals, one student seems to be mutating into a snail, another's hair becomes strangely medusa-like. The entire town becomes possesed.
Kurouzu Town, my hometown.
What I'm going to tell you
is a strange story which
took place in this town.
Vortex
Lost again.
Oh no!
Jesus!
Yamakuchi.
Did I scare the hell out of you?
Looks like you're scared
You can't blame me!
Are you mad? I like scaring people.
I see. What a hobby!
What?
Kirie...will you be my girl?
You scared me this time,
I'm in a rush.
Kirie!
I'm not joking, I really like you.
Isn't that Shuichi's father?
How are you?
Oh.
Here you are, I won today.
The bike can only carry one
at a time!
Huh?
How are you?
Welcome back.
It's all tidied up.
I really appreciate that.
The sign is gone.
Right, it's gone.
Why do we have exams?
It must be great to be
as smart as Shuichi.
When I was in junior school,
as long as I attended class,
I managed to do well in the exam
even without studying hard.
That's not quite the case
after I went to high school.
Especially with Maths,
it's an absolute puzzle.
If Really gives me a mind block.
Hey.
Yeah...oh.
Just now I saw your father
in the alley.
He was filming snail shells
with a video cam.
But it was kinda dark,
it might have been someone else.
That's my father,
he's been acting a bit funny lately.
No, it's all right.
Shuichi, you're not quite yourself
lately.
Overworked because of
the admission exam?
Relax.
You've always done well, you can
enter any university you like.
Kirie,
Do you want to run away with me?
Run away?
You shouldn't do things like that.
There's priorities for everything ...
Never mind, let's go home, okay?
Shuichi.
480 yen, thank you.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
20 yen, thank you.
Right.
I heard that your dad won
a special prize.
Yes, isn't it great?
We should now address your dad as
Master Gosima.
Please don't say that.
I've prepared a gift for you.
Really?
Yes, just as a celebration.
Thank you very much.
(its) Full of vigour.
Mr. Gosima, didn't you
win a prize?
It's just coinicidental.
Pottery isn't really art.
It would better be called
the art of vortex.
Art of vortex?
Like a vortex!
I always feel dizzy doing it!
Impressive!
Could you draw a pattern on that plate
and give it to me?
A plate with a vortex pattren?
Yes, a vortex,
round and round and round.
Round and round and round?
Yes.
Okay, I'll try doing that.
There's something mysterious
in the vortex.
Something mysterious?
Mr. Gosima should be able to understand
a vortex is the highest form of art.
And you're the artist of
this highest form of art.
Your dessert.
We're being luxurious today.
It's from the fruit shop,
as a token to celebrate with.
Really?
It's all because of the lucky charm
that you gave me.
It's all because of your work.
Shuichi's father
was praising you too.
Keep on with the good work.
Right.
Enjoy it.
So you saw everything.
This melon is really lovely.
Yes? It's really good.
Wonderful.
Marvellous.
You're my guardian angel.
When Mom died ...
Kirie, stop crying.
Don't cry.
I will be your mother.
I don't want a boy to be my mother.
Kirie, do you want to run away with me?
Run away.
Shuichi, I'm waiting.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Does Shuichi want to sit the
exam for the University of Tokyo?
Why?
I guess so.
Haven't you discussed it with him?
That's important.
No.
That's not right.
Are you two dating now?
Not really dating.
If you go on with
this wouldn't-care-less manner...
Did I scare the hell out of you?
You're hopeless with Kirie,
she already has a boyfriend.
I know, Shuichi Saitou.
I really want you to be
my girlfirend...
to be envied by the others.
Idiot, you're really pathetic.
Wait.
Stop bugging us.
Kirie.
Kirie, that nerd is staring at us.
I was "ambushed" by him yesterday.
"Ambushed"?
You must be careful.
A girl from another class
was stalked by him.
Really?
Because that guy is ...
What?
Love crazed.
X rate contact?
Are you all right? Kirie.
I'm fine, thanks.
But it's awful to see
that kind of thing.
Was he trying to perform ...
stunts on the staircase?
He's lucky.
Sekino.
Isn't it lucky to be
the centre of focus?
Life is meaningless if
no one pays attention to you.
It's such pleasure to be watched.
Don't you think so?
I don't like attention.
Besides, he's dead already.
He can't draw attention
without being dead.
I love drawing others' attention,
especially lately.
To be honest,
I want to be the focus.
That's a spiral staircase.
How do you know?
A vortex.
Vortex?
What about the vortex?
Vortex patterns have a puzzling power.
Those attracted want to
attract others as well.
That guy must have been attracted
by the vortex.
No, I think it's just coincidental.
I have a bad feeling about this town.
Going through that tunnel
always makes me dizzy.
This town is already cursed.
But I don't have
any strange feeling.
Didn't my father visit
your place yesterday?
He wanted my dad to make a plate
with vortex pattern.
Praised by your father,
Dad was vigorous and high-spirited.
So it's the vortex.
You're being imaginative.
A vortex pattern
is nothing extraordinary.
You're saying that because
you don't understand.
sorry.
My father is so obsessed that
you could call it sick.
He doesn't go to work anymore,
he spends his time collecting things
in the shape of vortexes.
He just stares at
all these vortexes.
He won't answer you no matter
how hard you call him,
he just looks at the vortexes.
Last night,
Father was ill.
Mom, you can't go on like this.
He'd better go to the hospital.
You must have had a long day today.
Let me have some more Narumon Roll,
please?
That's all we have.
What? That's all?
I'm sorry.
You don't have to apologize.
How can you have miso soup without
Narumon Roll?
Father seemed to be satisfied
by that.
It's not funny.
But ...
Want to come to my place now?
When you see it, you'll understand.
Idiot.
What are you doing?
How dare you!
Please don't!
Father, what happened?
She threw away all my
favourite collections.
I threw them away.
They should be.
What do you mean? What do you know?
Please go back to the old you.
Please wake up.
Too bad, they're all thrown away!
A vortex is not only about
a material being.
I finally came to realize
this philospohy.
A vortex can be created.
Remember,
a vortex can be expressed by our bodies.
Like this.
What happened? You look terrible.
Haven't you seen Shuichi lately?
You guys been fighting?
He has someone else?
You're dumped?
Come on, tell me what happened.
Ishikawa.
Yes ...
You don't care if you fail again?
Mr. Katayama,
which class do you think
you're having?
Sorry, I did leave home on time.
Sir,
that guy walks terribly slowly.
Worse than a snail.
Tsumura.
Snail...
Sir, you are fat...
Stop singing.
Why do you come to school
only when it rains?
Come to the teachers' room
after school.
It'll take him two years to go to
the teachers' room.
Wouldn't we all have graduated
by then?
Anyway, sit down.
I'm not siding with Tsumura,
but Katayama is really slow.
Ishikawa.
Yes ...
I didn't ask you to sit down.
Disgusting.
It makes me sick to see you, fatso!
Go to hell, you make me mad.
I'm upset.
Stop it.
Oyama, Tsumura,
go back to your seats.
It's all right.
Did I scare the hell out of you?
Excuse me.
Would you open it?
I can't accept.
Just open it, would you?
Happy?
Don't do this again.
Why do you hate me so much?
I don't like your so-called hobby.
Kirie, I won't give up.
You will change your feelings
towards me.
Dad, I'm home.
Welcome back.
I'll prepare dinner now.
Kirie.
Could you take this plate to
Shuichi's father?
Any problem?
If he doesn't like it,
I can do it again.
Hello?
Shuichi?
Shuichi, are you there? Shuichi.
Shuichi?
Where are you? Shuichi ...
It's Kirie.
Kirie.
What happened? Kirie.
Kirie, what happened?
Vortex.
Do we know the cause of death?
Wasn't it a heart attack?
I heard it was suicide.
Even the families don't know why.
No autopsy?
So what exactly caused him to die?
Thank you.
Are you all right?
You don't look well.
Neither do you.
It doesn't come as a surprise to me.
I worry more about Mom.
Although she said nothing,
we've plan to leave this town
after the week of mourning.
Madam, what happened?
What's that?
Won't you please stop?
Don't go so far.
Mom, what is it?
Shuichi!
Mom, calm down, what happened?
Shuichi, that! It's Father!
Mom!
Hey...call an ambulance.
Mom.
Dragonfly Pond.
Cheer up!
Kirie.
Leave this town as soon as you can.
It's under the curse of the vortex.
What about your mother?
She needs a few days to get over it.
Are you Shuichi Saitou?
Ichirou Tamura, Local News Section,
Midoriyama Newspaper.
What happened is really ...
Do you know about my father?
A few weeks ago,
your father went to our office.
Said he'd like to know about
the history of this town.
I showed him some articles.
Anything peculiar
in the way he acted?
You don't mind?
It's all about the vortex.
I've asked the police
about the cause of death.
What I really want to find out is
why did he kill himself in that way?
I feel that your father's death
has a profound meaning.
Together with the smoke
in the crematorium,
there seems to be
some special association.
I hope you can trust me.
Back then ...
A tape that my father made.
It was rewound when he died.
Wait a minute, play it again.
Mirror?
That's my mom's pocket mirror.
Why did he take out the mirror?
Besides ...
Let me keep the tape.
I'll let you know as soon as
I get anything.
You're always with Shuichi?
Yes, we've been friends all our life.
Wonderful, life-long friendship.
He helps me all the time.
He brightens up my days.
However,
I can't do anything for Shuichi.
He has to deal with the situation
himself ...
You're a great support to him.
Support ...
Have confidence, don't give up.
Yes.
Let me know when it gets near
where you live.
Take the next right turn.
Right turn.
Watch out!
Dad!
Are you all right?
I'm fine.
What happened? You're all muddy.
I've brought back some mud
from the pond.
Dad.
Dad.
You'll catch cold!
Don't come over, go to bed now!
But ...
Don't worry, I'm okay, go to bed.
Yes.
Yes, okay.
Kirie ...
Have you studied for
the Biology Test tomorrow?
You haven't forgotten, have you?
Okay, next.
Kirie, you seem to be
quite distracted lately.
Hey, look.
Sekino's hair is all set and curly
even in the morning.
Yes.
Impressive.
Good for you, Sekino.
You'll get tired easily,
if you drink so much water.
Oyama.
Yes.
Mirror, body of a snake ... snake.
These are all for your mother ...
She likes sweets.
Thank you.
My mom can't eat this.
Sorry.
My mom ...
will think of Father when she sees
things shaped like vortexes.
I'm sorry.
The hair or the fingerprints
is also in the shape of a vortex.
So don't let Mom see it.
You want it?
Sorry to have you dressed like this.
I've told the hospital to pay
attention to vortex-shaped things.
Mom is paying attention to
vortex-shaped things on her body.
She's afriad of vortexes?
By getting rid of the vortex,
I hope she can be cured
of her vortex phobia.
Mom.
Kirie.
Mr. Saitou, please go to the reception
if you're in the hospital premises.
Excuse me.
Yes.
I'm Shuichi Saitou.
Mr. Tamura called, said that
he'd like to contact you.
Thank you.
This is Shuichi.
I've found some important points.
I'm going to Dragonfly Pond now.
Mind if I join you?
I'm on my way.
Another one here ...
Shuichi, what are you doing?
If Mom sees this vortex,
the result will be disastrous.
Mr. Tamura might have
discovered something.
So it's because of this guy ...
you treat me like dirt.
Kirie, who is he?
If you've already chosen him,
I can give up.
We're leaving, get lost.
Damn it, Kirie,
to make you remember me always ...
Yamakuchi!
Kirie!
Kirie.
We used to play here all the time.
Kirie was very timid.
I told you there's a gigantic snake
in the pond ...
girls who came here were eaten.
You were scared to tears.
Shuichi, you didn't know what to do.
You said you'd protect me,
as if things would turn out
the way you wanted them.
If this is not a dream,
people are really dying.
This town is cursed by a vortex.
Kirie.
Shuichi, I'm ... I'm so scared.
I'll protect you.
Shuichi.
Yukie...Yukie.
In fact, there's still a vortex
in your body.
In the deepest part of your ear.
It wants to turn into vortex
and be asleep in your ear.
Don't.
There's still a vortex in
the deepest part of your ear.
There's still a vortex in your ear.
Vortex.
Don't.
Vortex again.
People in this town become
black vortexes when they die.
Can you see the face?
Oh God, yes you can.
That's it, look.
Mom.
This is the latest update
on the typhoon.
Due to unknown reasons, this
year's climate has been abnormal.
There has been no typhoon.
Until now.
We finally have our first typhoon.
Typhoon No. 1 has landed in Japan,
With an hourly speed of 6 to 9 km...
"Bizarre, the Horror of Kurouzu Town"
Hello, I'm Chie Maruyama.
I'm in Kurouzu Town which is now
being approached by the typhoon.
Recently, many bizarre incidents
have occurred here.
First of all,
a gigantic snail the size
of a person was found.
"Bizarre! Gigantic snails"
Wait a minute!
What's that? How cute!
It was shot by a student.
It seems to be Katayama
who's in the same grade as me.
A vortex pattern has appeared
on his back.
He only goes to school
on rainy days.
That must be Tsumura,
they're both photogenic.
Just the thought of him
makes one happy.
It must be Tsumura,
gobbling water like this.
He's getting slower and slower,
just like Katayama.
Although my father runs
a fruit and vegetable shop,
he saw "Hitomaimai"
on the trail to the hill.
The gigantic snails are actually
human beings.
The two so-called "Hitomaimai"s
are going in the direction
of the hill.
Teenagers in this town are trying
their best to search for them,
but the bizarre stories of
Kurouzu Town do not end here.
Beautiful.
All the incidents have
one thing in common : vortexes.
This town is finished.
Let me get Dad.
Kirie!
I'll go with you.
How much longer will it take?
We're almost there,
the tunnel is just up ahead.
Great, next time let's get
a better car.
That's weird, I can't find the exit.
A vortex.
Just now he was here.
Is he at Tsuyomi's place?
Dad?
Where is he?
Dad.
What happened? Shuichi.
Kirie...l'm also surrounded
by a vortex.
Don't come over.
Run, I'm done.
No, we said we'd run together.
Kirie ...
Sorry, I can't protect you anymore.
Don't say that, hold on.
Kirie, I like you very much.
Shuichi?
Don't, didn't we have a deal?
Didn't you say you'd protect me?
Don't die.
Be a vortex too.
Be a vortex too.
Kirie.
Kurouzu Town, my hometown.
What I'm going to tell you ...