Headscratchers / The Wailing

• If the Shaman and the Japanese stranger are in league with each other, why was the Shaman casting a hex that was injuring the Japanese man? What would have happened if Jong-goo hadn't interrupted him?
  • The Shaman’s hex was hurting Moo-Myung’s ability to protect the girl. For the man, there are two main possibilities: the man was still fighting the demon and with spirit weakening so was the man was the one suffering, or the demon was trying to leave completely and possess the girl but was interrupted.
• Why did the Shaman confirm that the Japanese man was a demon in the first place if he was working with him? Why would he tell the truth about the demon at all, and not make up some more convenient story?
  • To build trust, as that was what they already believed somewhat. Then he could later switch it around on Moo-Myung.
• Why was the Shaman terrified of a crow crashing into his home? The Japanese man is associated with black crows repeatedly throughout the film, but is revealed to be on the same side as the Shaman.
  • The Shaman seems to be servant to the demon. The locusts when he tried to flee were to let him know he wasn’t allowed to leave, and the crows were demanding he hurry it up and were warnings to him.
• Why was Moo-myung wearing articles of clothing of the demon's victims?
  • Seemingly, for either her or the demon to do anything, they have to have an object. That’s why she had the victims stuff and why he also had his own stuff.
• Moo-myung puts "traps" at the homes of Jong-goo's family, but he dispels the magic by returning home before the cock crows three times. We saw these traps at the home of the first victim, and they apparently didn't work then either. Has this same scenario played out in the previous times she's placed these traps? No one listens to her?
  • The big theme is doubt and people not having faith, so likely yes.
• What happened to Moo-myung after Jong-goo dispels her magic trap? Is she weakened? Paralyzed? Wracked with sorrow? The Shaman suddenly has no fear of going back to Jong-goo's house. Did he know he would be safe from her this time? She seemed pretty upbeat after the death in the opening scenes, in spite of the fact that she put traps in that house. Did she freak out over them as well but cheer up within the intervening time?
• The Shaman is fleeing town in terror after being attacked by Moo-myung and pursued by magical forces. Then he turns around and tries to warn Jong-goo that he shouldn't trust Moo-myung. The audience is supposed to think that he's making a heroic effort to help Jong-goo save his family regardless of the risk to himself. But if the Shaman is on the same side as the actual demon, why does stopping and giving Jong-goo misinformation help the Shaman? He rushes back to Jong-goo's house, apparently confident that he's now safe from Moo-myung, and collects another picture before going back to leaving town. In the midst of fleeing in terror, did he just decide to risk it all to get that one extra photo?
  • Likely whatever magic Jong-goo broke made it safe for both Shaman and the Demon. The photos seem to be representative of the victims souls, so he couldn’t leave them.