Leofwine_draca I'm fast becoming a fan of Korean director Kim Ki-duk; this is the second film of his I've watched after SPRING, SUMMER, AUTUMN, WINTER...AND SPRING. The two films have much in common in terms of style and setting, but THE ISLE is something else entirely. While SPRING was a heartwarming story that championed the Buddhist lifestyle, THE ISLE is an extraordinarily dark tale of obsession and broken psychology.One again, Kim Ki-duk has crafted an expertly visual film; THE ISLE looks fantastic and the setting of those floating holiday lettings is an exceptional one. The characters are painted in broad strokes but this makes them thoroughly interesting and it goes without saying that the subdued acting is fantastic. This is a slow burner of a film, yes, but a thoroughly satisfying one all the same, in which the atmosphere is interspersed with some eye-popping set-pieces; if this doesn't put you off fishing then I don't know what will.Although the infliction of pain is upsetting in the extreme, there are always good reasons for what occurs here, making this as far from "torture porn" as you'll get. The only issue I have with it really is the real-life animal cruelty, something I'm dead set against, but the UK DVD thankfully excises much of this material. In any case, I can't wait to check out more from the director.

Desertman84 Kim Ki-duk's The Isle is definitely a great film that has an unlikely appeal and it is definitely not for the weak at heart. It stars Suh Jung and Kim Yoosuk as the mute Hee-Jin and a man running from the law,Hyun- Shik respectively.Both are an unlikely couple who develop a love for each other despite the unusual circumstances. The story is about Hee-jin, who operates a fishing resort, where she rents out small floating cottages and ferries her customers back and forth between land and the floats, controlling the only means of transport around. She also dispassionately takes care of her customers' needs by selling supplies, providing prostitutes or occasionally acting as one herself. However, when a man running from the law,Hyun-shik,comes to the resort, a bond starts to form between them.He arrives at the resort and is ferried to his float by Hee-jin. There is nothing unusual about their business relationship from the onset, but eventually Hee-jin is intrigued by Hyun-shik's feelings of depression and desolation. When visiting his float one time, Hee-jin still resists Hyun-shik's forceful advances but does call in a prostitute to service him. Hyun-shik, however,only wants companionship from the prostitute and a relationship starts to form between them.However,an unlikely bond and relationship developed between them.Hee-jin looks after Hyun-shik, even saving him from two suicide attempts,the second one accomplished gruesomely by swallowing a string of fish hooks. A prostitute continues to take more and more time off her schedule to visit Hyun-shik, oblivious to his troubles and eventually Hee-jin becomes jealous. During one visit, Hee-jin ferries the prostitute to an empty float instead of Hyun-shik's, ties her up and duct tapes her mouth shut, which eventually leads to her death as she falls into the sea.The prostitute's pimp, who comes to find out what's happening, is also killed by Hee-jin.After the murders, Hyun-shik's and Hee-jin's relationship stalls.He wants to leave the resort,but she won't let him. When he attempts to swim out,she has to save him and take him back to his float.Then he takes the boat and is set to leave. Hee-jin apparently attempts suicide in an effort to stop him by stuffing fish hooks into her vagina and falling into the water. This time it's his turn to save her, by reeling her in with the still attached hooks.Both continue their troubled relationship. A prostitute accidentally kicks a man's rolex into the water, infuriating him. He calls divers to have them retrieve the watch. The divers discover the bodies of the prostitute and the pimp while Hee-jin and Hyun-shik wordlessly take off on his float. The film concludes in enigmatic fashion when it shows Hee- jin's dead body floating in the boat.The movie tries to explore about two people who are affected by depression and desolation as well as the primal behavior and brutalities men are inherently capable of.Aside from that,it also tries to examine the complexity of the relationship between Hee-jin and Hyun- shik especially the emotion of loneliness and one's need of companionship.The movie is not without controversy as some elements of the film like the use of fish hooks during attempted suicide scenes can present horror to the viewers. Finally,this film will definitely leave a big imprint into one's thoughts especially the final scene wherein it seems that Hyun-shik apparently killed Hee-jin in the end.It will encourage discussions in terms of the sense of brutality a human being is capable of.The film was well-acted.Sexy Korean actress,Suh Jung,whom I have previously seen in Green Chair and Yellow Flower,shines in this movie as her capability to show emotion without uttering a single word is a feat indeed.She truly captured the emotion of unhappiness and need for love that Hee-jin wants.I find a lot of honesty in her performance as she managed they get the viewer's sympathy for her character.This is the best film I have seen her to date.No question that she is not only a good looking actress with a sexy body but a talented one as well.She also shared a great chemistry with Kim Yoosuk,who was credible as Hyun- shik. Added to that,Kim Ki-duk's direction was masterful as the viewer is completely engaged in the story from beginning to end.Aside from that,he also managed to get us interested and make us care about Hee-jin and Hyun-shik and the development of their complex relationship.Overall,this is one film that would definitely not into everyone's liking but nevertheless,it also would once more prove that movies can be used to examine even the most awkward of themes which is that of the primal behavior of human beings and as well as the fact that Koreans are once more one of the most creative when it comes to making movies.

modmax "Seom" is definitely not a film for everybody but surely is a film that will not leave anyone untouched. It's calm and cruel at the same time. The movie is mostly known for its disturbing scenes: you can see, among the others, fishing hooks stuck into a man's throat or in a woman's vagina, or a fish partially eaten alive, but you can also admire some of the most poetic images ever filmed. The film is photographed in a beautiful way (Kim Ki-duk was a painter before being a director), some shots of the lake are stunning and anticipate the ones of "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring". The plot is about an apparently mute girl who works in a fishing resorts, she rents floating houses to fishermen, sell food and provides prostitutes for them, occasionally she sells her body too. A man arrives at the resort, he is a fugitive running from police. A strange bond starts between the man and the girl. After some suicide attempts and some murders the couple will leave the resort on a floating cabin. The narration is slow, but are the images and symbolism to be eloquent The film is superbly acted, especially by Jung Suh who carries on his role credibly without speaking a word. "Seom" is the movie that made me know Kim Ki-duk and I consider it a masterpiece.

lastliberal I do not know how I stumbled upon this film by writer/director Ki-duk Kim, but I am sure glad that I did. The cinematography was absolutely incredible as the story takes place on a lake, where cabins are rented for fishermen.Jung Suh plays the woman who travels from fishing cabin to fishing cabin selling coffee, bait, and sometimes more. She never says one word the entire film.She forms an attraction for a man (Yoosuk Kim) who is troubled to the point that he is contemplating suicide.The film is sometimes very grotesque, or brutal, and sometimes very funny, as a man interrupts sex to land a fish and then goes back to finishing his sexual act.A strange ending and we really never know the whole stories, but it was fascinating to watch.