Isle, The

 

 

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This is my third film from director Ki-duk Kim (II). The first one being "3-Iron" and the second "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring" both being great but close to silent films. The Isle (Seom), a deeply troubling and equally beautiful film that will shake the hardiest of souls despite a minimal body count and bloodletting. The poetic setting propels much of the storyline, which follows lost souls Hee-Jin (Suh Jung), an errand girl and occasional prostitute who services a neighborhood of floating lake homes, and new resident Hyun-Shik (Yoosuk Kim), a quiet, suicidal cop on the run from the law after shooting his girlfriend. When the despondent Hyun-Shik tries to kill himself, the young girl stops him with a well-applied knife poke. She continues to spy on him, and the two silently develop a twisted relationship that escalates when he engages in some self-mutilation involving fish hooks. Add to the mix an accidental death, corpse disposal, more fish hook mayhem, and a lyrical finale, and you have one of the more memorable art-house/shock cinema

Though filled with images of sexual mutilation, excretion, and much-discussed animal violence (mainly to fish), "The Isle" is a far cry from an exploitation film; this is deeply felt, melancholy material, a harsh love story between two people beaten down by life and unable to express themselves except through pain.

The film also leavens the somber tone with a few nicely placed sick laughs, often at the expense of the characters' outrageous behavior, and director Ki-duk Kim displays an impeccable eye for simple, beautifully composed images. The floating single-room homes over foggy, rippling water are a marvelous, otherworldly visual conceit, though the feeling that the film itself might just float away is indeed fulfilled in the puzzling finale, which unfortunately goes about half a minute too long and closes with a non sequitor image that undoes much of the climax's power.

"The Isle (Seom)" a small blip in an otherwise immaculately constructed film that refuses to play by anyone's rules and stands as another proud example of horror filmmaking as a matter of tone rather than content.

A film likely not for everyone, but a pretty good one regardless. There's little dialogue and lots of imagery. The film moves at a very steady pace, but at a very subtle one at that. Both lead characters are a bit disturbed and in perturbing situations in their lives: one suicidal, and the other just meandering mundanely through her job(s) on the isle. The setting and struggles are more of what this film focuses on, as we never really learn a whole lot about the characters (not even their names), except maybe for the fact that they have a thing for painful suicide attempts. Nonetheless, it's a good film: you'll likely either love it (like I did), or despise it:).

A film likely not for everyone, but a pretty good one regardless. There's little dialogue and lots of imagery. The film moves at a very steady pace, but at a very subtle one at that. Both lead characters are a bit disturbed and in perturbing situations in their lives: one suicidal, and the other just meandering mundanely through her job(s) on the isle. The setting and struggles are more of what this film focuses on, as we never really learn a whole lot about the characters (not even their names), except maybe for the fact that they have a thing for painful suicide attempts. Nonetheless, it's a good film: you'll likely either love it (like I did), or despise it:).

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4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting to say the least...
This was a very interesting film. I first saw it on the Sundance channel and decided to get it. First off its important to clarify that this film is NOT a porn. Read more

Published on May 2 2004 by dustin

1.0 out of 5 stars Very very slooooooow!
Yes there are a few scenes of violence (with humor) and sex (not explicit), but for the most part this movie is scene after scene of this woman rowing her boat across the lake --... Read more

Published on Mar 9 2004 by Idoru69

2.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and greusome at the same time
If you only see one existentialist art house horror porn film this year, then you must see The Isle. Read more

Published on Feb 13 2004 by Jesse Hilsenrad

3.0 out of 5 stars Proceed with caution...
SOME SPOILERS

This beautifully shot film centers on a small fishing facility, it's owner and a fisherman--both characters are very disturbed and by the conclusion have bonded in... Read more

Published on Nov 19 2003 by The Magician

4.0 out of 5 stars noteworthy art or pretentious trash?
Critics seem to be divided on this film, either praising it to the skies or denouncing it as arty garbage. Read more

Published on Aug 31 2003 by David Group

2.0 out of 5 stars HOOKED
THE ISLE (First Run Features) is beautiful and bizarre. A man with a past seeks sanctuary on a lake where a woman rents fishermen small, floating rooms. Read more

Published on July 29 2003 by Robin Simmons

5.0 out of 5 stars Surreal Korean Film
Gruesome, surreal, and gorgeous. All of these words perfectly describe the Korean film "The Isle." This film features amazingly beautiful scenery and imagery which is painful to... Read more

Published on May 26 2003 by mjcampagna

5.0 out of 5 stars close your eyes
subtitled...contains imagery from like crouching tiger...beautiful film..though be warned of the part when the guy swallows the fishing hooks...

Published on April 11 2003 by sodoff

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