After the arrest of a killer, their neighbors and friends give testimonials that they never would have thought this person was capable of committing such crimes. They paid their taxes, went to PTA meetings, and held regular jobs. This is the premise behind the 1997 Japanese crime horrorCure.It exists in the same family of crime movies asDavidFincher’sSe7en,using elements of horror to position its antagonist as evil itself. The Tokyo ofCureis like the nameless city inSe7en,its grimy and gritty environmenthides a murderer who could strike again at any time.Gaining popularity a few years after its initial release, the film has perhaps one of the most controversial and argued endings out there — and that’s on purpose.
Directed byKiyoshi Kurosawa, not to be confused with the legendaryAkira Kurosawaso often referenced byMartinScorsese, the film follows the same structure as a classic detective story. There’s a detective named Kenichi Takabe (Koji Yakusho) who is in pursuit of the cause of seemingly random murders committed by ordinary people, all bearing similar details, most notably an “X” carved into each victim, and the perpetrator trying to commit suicide after. Takabe eventually captures the culprit, Kunio Mamiya (Masato Hagiwara), who has no recollection of who he is and can induce a strong hypnotic influence over anyone he talks to. The film quickly devolves into a psychological game of cat and mouse, leaving the nature of the ending in question until the very last second. There are two main schools of thought when it comes to making sense of the dread-soaked ending in the diner.
‘Cure’ Is a Detective Movie That Borrows From Other Films
As discussed above,Cureis essentiallya detective movie, albeit with various horror elements sprinkled in. The main character and lead detective on the case, Takabe, faces similar struggles that are seen with detectives in some of the more popular American films, such asSe7en. In fact, Kurosawa said inan interview with IGN; " I’d say maybe 1-out-of-100 of the elements you see in the film might be from what I studied in the university as a sociology student, but I’d say 99 is from other films that I have seen." Takabe is worn down, and pessimistic about the nature of those who commit crimes and, to make matters worse, has a stressful home life with his wife, Fumie (Anna Nakagawa), who is experiencingsymptoms of amnesia, schizophrenia, and confusion. When Takabe finally does apprehend Mamiya, the man connecting these seemingly random murders, the story really takes a turn as Takabe must confront not only the reason behind the murders but also the reason for evil inherent in humanity itself.
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With Mamiya in custody, Takabe begins to investigate his past and try to come up with a rational explanation for how someone could possibly get random citizens to commit brutal acts of violence. The only tangible pieces of evidence that are discovered come from Mamiya’s apartment, which is littered with books about hypnotism or “Mesmerism” as it is referred to in the film. As Takabe delves deeper into an understanding of what Mamiya is capable of, he simultaneously confronts his own dark urges. Even with Mamiya in custody, every person he interacts with is at his mercy. He eventually escapes only to be confronted towards the end by Takabe who is beyond his breaking point.The ending takes place in a diner, with Takabe seemingly free of the stresses that affected him before saying something to a waitress that we don’t hear, only for that same waitress to grab a kitchen knife and the film tocut to the credits before seeing what happens next.
‘Cure’ Has a Perfect Example of True Evil
Perhaps the more popular of all interpretations ofCure’s ending is the idea that by the time we reach the final scene in the diner, Takabe has fully fallen to the malaise and evil nature he first encountered in Mamiya and is in possession of the same hypnotic ability that Mamiya possesses. When the waitress at the end of the film grabs a kitchen knife in the final few frames, is it to murder someone in the diner? Maybe it’s her manager or a customer. Much like the murders that take place throughout the film, it happens off-screen. For this theory to work, we must accept that Takabe had some part in killing his wife Fumie, who is shown murdered just like the other victims towards the end of the film.
Earlier in the film, Fumie was taken by Takabe to a mental hospital after he had a vision of her suicide. Only he knew where she was at this point and by the time the audience is shown that she’s been killed, her body has already been decomposing for some time. We also must accept that Fumie was under Mamiya’s influence to plant the seeds for Takabe’s eventual downfall. This is in line with what we understand to be Mamiya’s true purpose. According to the teachings he was obsessed with on hypnosis, it is to find a suitable host for the abilities Mamiya uses throughout the movie. That host is Takabe.
When the film begins, Fumie is at a psychiatric center with her doctor. His notes point to recurring seizures, memory loss, and visions. Fumie’s leg shakes a table uncontrollably, all part of the side effects of hypnosis according to a psychiatrist helping Takabe with the case. These symptoms are also seen in the surviving perpetrators of the various murders, such as a police officer who had killed his partner. The idea is that she is planting suggestions in Takabe even before the film begins, and throughout it, using the same techniques Mamiya uses. The constant sound of the dryer running empty in the home as a hypnotic tool goes well with Mamiya’s use of fire, water, and sound to induce his other victims. Combine this with the stress of taking care of Fumie and the case itself, and Takabe is slowly edging toward a breakdown. This is exactly where Mamiya wants him to be to allow the malevolent force or power that is inside him to be transferred successfully.
By the time Takabe is approaching the dilapidated mental hospital before the climax, whether you believe this is happening or in a mental dreamscape, he is worn down. Mamiya makes an ’X’ in the airright before being killed by Takabe, who then listens to an old phonograph of a hypnosis session that Mamiya had presumably come across as well. These join to finish the transfer of the evil force that had been inside Mamiya. The phonograph and hand motion, which Mamiya had done to victims on-screen previously, were also shown in an old research video that Takabe watched in trying to understand the practice of Mesmerism that Mamiya is obsessed with. Now that Takabe is in possession of the power, and Fumie is now dead, he sits in his diner booth, finishing his meal unlike earlier in the film, and waiting in peace for his car. His mental anguish is now “cured’” as a waitress, with a conspicuous ‘X’ shaped apron, shockingly reaches for a kitchen knife.
‘Cure’ Is About Everyday People Acting on Their Impulses
Rather than believe that Mamiya is in possession of a god-like level of control over someone, the second prominent theory aboutCureis that the people who are committing the murders are really only influenced to act out the murders they have already been fantasizing about to some degree. The rest of what Mamiya does to influence his victims is more so ceremony or ritual. This theory only holds water as much as the viewer is able to rationalize what happens.Shock and traumawould help to explain the memory loss and suicidal tendencies each person has after they kill another. Takabe really did confront Mamiya in the end and Fumie was actually suffering from a form of amnesia and schizophrenia. Mamiya, under this school of thought, would merely be probing people’s lives with questions to find out their innermost anxieties and dark urges and preying on them.
This theory changes the ending as well to one that would see the diner waitress simply moving the kitchen knife she grabs to a different location or perhaps bringing it to someone who needs it. Takabe still sits at the table content, possibly only because he has finally come to terms with accepting how much he hated the strain his wife was putting on his life. Fumie in this instance doesn’t have to be dead as there were plenty of inserts inCurethat didn’t actually happen, including Takabe envisioning his wife’s suicide. Takabe also understands that the everyday person is capable of heinous fantasies and, if pushed just enough, may even act on them. Everyone can have some dark thoughts just as he has in regard to his wife. As for Mamiya, his powers are more like strong suggestions in this theory. Still, perhaps a genius on some level, Mamiya would be more of a master manipulator in this case, albeit with a flair for theatrics. Takabe never inherited anything other than a new outlook on his own life and his job as a detective.
Cureis a movie that may require more than one viewing to form a complete opinion on what you think is going on. The best part about the film is that knowing the ending does not detract from the enjoyment of watching it. Kiyoshi Kurasawa leaves breadcrumbs throughoutCurethat support an open interpretation. The more rational and realistic theory seems to come with more mental gymnastics in order to make it fit.The supernatural theoryrequires the suspension of disbelief. Both are valid and still others not included in this article are floating around out there. The next time you are itching to feel dread and despair, tryCureon for size and see what kind of interpretation you end up leaning towards.
Cureis available to stream in the U.S. on The Criterion Channel.
