“Legend Has It … ”: Imag(in)ing the Ethnographic Encounter in The Grudge and The Maid

Abstract

This article considers how Asian horror cinema evidences rhetorical devices that are typically found in the classic ethnographic text. That is, the protagonist learns and abides by the rules of the host society. The supporting characters in the two horror movies, The Grudge and The Maid, initially make the host society appear warm and welcoming. However, by unknowingly breaking the rules or taboos, the protagonists experience the unhappy consequences of encountering the ugly underbelly of each host society. Ultimately, then, the movies utilize these devices to re-territorialize the boundaries of the nation-state against further immigration.