Film: The Isle
No, not the Michael Bay 136 minute product advertisement, that was The Island. No, this is The Isle, aka Seom, in its native Korean.
I've finally figured out Ki-Duk Kim after seeing four of his movies. He's the Lars von Trier of Korea; a misogynistic sadist who enjoys putting almost silent female protagonists into torturous situations and leaving them with little or no hope. He's also a damn good director.
Mute Hee-Jin is working as a clerk in a fishing resort in the Korean wilderness; selling fish bait, food, prostitutes, and occasionally her body to the fishing tourists. One day she falls for Hyun-Shik, who is on the run from the police for murdering his wife and her lover in a moment of passion.
This film has it all \ufffd murder, self mutilation, lust, sex, jealousy, suicide, and animal cruelty. It is a subtle exploration (don't expect Se7en here or anything) of the passions that make our lives a living hell; how blindly following them causes us pain and torture. Every action in this film has meaning; and in some ways it serves as a template for his later films. The lack of dialog for his characters shows the coming silence of 3-iron, the floating boats and the pain of passion pave the way for the excellent Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring.
The only part of the film, in fact, that I did not understand was the last minute of the film, which devolves from a perfectly understandable tale of human frailties to a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot moment of surrealism.
Warnings: Ki-Duk Kim is lucky that Korea doesn't have a PETA branch; he'd probably be dead by now for animal abuse, including a dog, a bird, and a LOT of fish. There are also some really sick scenes involving fishhooks. There is sex (clothed) in the film, and some naked breasts, but if you get turned on by it, you're a real sick bastard. Kids should NOT see this film, unless they're REALLY mature for their age.
I say "see it", but only if you like weird films. If you like traditional Hollywood fare, don't bother.
