Released Date: 6 October 2005

Synopsis:


The film "The Bow" is Kim Ki-duk's 12th work. The main backdrop of the film is an unmapped island and a boat floating near the island. Living together in this boat are a young girl just showing signs of budding breasts and a hale 60-year old man who is fit and healthy for his age. "The Bow" is a weapon that the old man uses to protect the girl from younger men on the island. The film portrays the love between the old man and the girl.

Movie Review:

There is a very fine line between an artistically symbolic film and a pompously pretentious one. Kim Ki-duk is one director who has treaded this line very well. The Korean auteur has starkly brought out the ugliness in human nature in Bad Guy (2002), tranquilly tackled the notion of religion in Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003), and heartbreakingly told a story of lost innocence, guilt and redemption in Samaritan Girl (2004). In his 12th film, the visionary director once again wows us with his ability to tell so much by showing so little.

Like all of Kim’s previous works, the premise is a simple one. The entire 90 minutes of the film is set in an open sea. An old man lives with a young girl in a fishing boat, which is rented to fishermen in the day. The 60-year-old keeps a bow, which he uses to warn off lecherous men who ogle at the young girl. Other than using it as a weapon, he also uses it brilliantly as a musical instrument and a tool for fortune telling.

All this while, the old man has plans to marry the young girl when she turns 17. Everything seems to go well for him until a young college boy appears on the boat one day, attracting the young girl’s attention. From this point on, the balance on the peaceful seas is dangerously tipped.

To many movie-goers, this plot may not make much sense. But if you are in the mood to challenge your mind with something intelligently symbolical, this film is definitely for you.

It is worth mentioning that the characters in the director’s films do not talk much. In this one, the old man and the young girl do not have lines at all. They do not even have proper names to begin with. It takes a crafted storytelling master like Kim to pull off something like this.

Putting it simply, the film is about the possession of love and the ability to move on. Looking at it from various other levels, it is about mankind’s universal feelings of hope and desire. This notion is further explored in how ugly, beautiful, heartrending, dignified and blissful these human thoughts can be.

Sounds too alienating? Do not worry, because the film has a surreal Zen ability to connect its viewers on a universal sense. You will feel as though you have known yourself better after the credits roll. In fact, you may even spend the next few days thinking about it, or simply reliving the images that remain in your mind.

Because of its setting on the sea, the visuals are naturally a joy to look at. The calm waves of the vast waters, the Buddha painting on the bobbing boat and the colourful pieces of cloth tied around the boat are just some pictures that will have soothing effects on any viewer. The gentle fiddle music composed by Kang Eun-il is also enchanting to listen to. Because of this pleasant-sounding score, some may find this as Kim’s most accessible film to date. All these are coupled with the director’s ingenious method of story-telling through gazes, actions and metaphors

Jeon Seong-hwang and Han Yeo-reum are perfectly cast as the protective old man and the nymph-like young girl. Although they have no dialogue throughout the film, their looks and expressions are powerful enough to make audiences relate to their characters.

At this juncture, you may be wondering: what role the titular bow plays then? Like most art house flicks, something like this is open to interpretations. The creative director simply objectifies its different uses to represent larger issues at hand. This is where the film invites you to feel and think along with it.

As with the amazing director’s previous films, the open ending will leave you in complete awe. Long after you step out of the theatre, you will still be thoughtfully reflecting on your own values.

Movie Rating:

(An intelligent film that offers a tranquil and surreal cinematic experience you will never forget)

Review by John Li