12 Storeys

Watching 12 Storeys by Eric Khoo (1997) was very much “Singaporean-identifiable” to me, with stereotypes of the characters in our society that I can easily relate to.

The movie starts with an unexplained suicide of a young man, even though it is clear that the plump and withdrawn lady San-San contemplates suicide, yet, the plot begins with the young man ending his life; and slowly unfolds the stories in the movie with the ghost of the young man occasionally being the silent narrator (we see him appearing in random scenes – especially those when sorrow is felt).


As mentioned above, since the movie portrays many stereotypes existing in Singapore society, I shall pen on how I feel about each character!

1. San-San

Alike to the fat security guard who holds a torch for the pretty executive in another movie of Eric Khoo’s, Be With Me (2005), San-San posits the loser-ish qualities – inhibited, obese, unhygienic, passive and seeks comfort in food (the sequences of her preparing food are similar to the fat security guard gorging down food). The stereotype of obese people are common, they are often picked upon, called nasty names, attributed negative qualities, just so because of their larger size, their positive traits are not the first things people pay attention to. San-San is mercilessly nagged by her mother, the effect lingers on even if her mother passed away, San-San’s soul is very much damaged. I was a little touched at the ending scene when the ghost of the young man gave her a hug to comfort her. I would too, if I were the ghost.

2. San-San’s deceased Mother

Old, wrinkly, skinny, a mouthful of crooked teeth, naggy and harsh with her words, San-San’s mother is indeed not a woman you would hold a liking to. Her ability to go on and on and on with her displease of San-San, was scary. My mother who happened to walk past me as I watched the sequences of San-San’s mother’s naggings, commented this “oh, old Cantonese ladies aren’t fun to be trifled with.” Needless to say, I was amused.

3. Ah Gu and China Wife

The typical henpecked husband – clumsy, nerdy, unable to hold his stand, very much obedient to wife, and also respectful towards the country’s government, it was hilarious to see Ah Gu being defeated in every single attempt to reason with his gold-digging wife. The China Wife was the typical china woman depicted in Singapore’s media – loud, self-righteous, and materialistic. But it was entertaining to see how the China Wife pick about Singapore’s and Ah Gu’s ugly sides, we take certain things for granted and there are bound to be moments of ethnocentrism, her comments provide some thoughts for us to reflect on.

4. Trixie

Rebellious, uncouthly, wild, partying, living-in-the-moment, Trixie is the stereotypical template for teenagers whose main concern is to “have fun”. Her dismay and dread of her brother’s concern over her is relatable, for a teenager who desires freedom and play, her brother’s tight watch on her stifles her, and is indeed an irony since at the start she was still singing praises of her brother.

5. Meng

Meng to me, is representative of the typical parents in Singapore – always uptight, concerned about a person’s academic achievements, mouthful of morals, and to a certain extent, self-conceited. Every time he lectures Trixie, it is always about his sacrifices for the family, his concerns about her routines, the putting down of others, to be honest, I felt quite annoyed by him. If one notices, he speaks prefect English – which I suppose, adds on to his sense of self pride. His outburst at the end was a little scary too, as he looked like he could do something crazy any moment. His love towards the family turns haywire and it results in the strain of kinship ties, isn’t that what that happens to parents who cannot understand how to exercise the right amount of control and autonomy over their children?


References:
Zhaowei Films – 12 Storeys
[Screen Singapore] 12 Storeys
Jump Cut - A Review Of Contemporary Media