The Bow

Hwal (2005) ( The Bow - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0456470/ )
Directed by: Ki-duk Kim ( I've seen everything except Crocodile )
IMDB rating: 7.2/10 (21 votes)

The Bow is Kim still following his new spiritual side and still telling isolated stories. Many of his films are set in places that seem completely insular and shut off from the rest of the world. The motel in Birdcage Inn, the floating temple in Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.. and Spring, the floating motel in The Isle, and now we have the floating house in The Bow. Kim has an apparent love for water and floating abodes. Maybe it has something to do with depicting those outside of a class structure, much like Ozu's Floating Weeds. Kim's characters are rarely a part of society.

The two main characters in The Bow are a 16 year old girl and an old man. The old man found the girl when she was 6 years old and has kept her on the boat for a decade. He plans to marry the girl when she turns the legal age of 17. They make their living by hosting fisherman. The old man goes out each morning on their secondary boat and picks up fisherman; the fisherman stay for a day or two, and then the old man takes them back. The girl seems pleased with her environment, until a young guy near her own age shows up aboard the boat.

As per usual for Kim, his two main characters never say a word. In his other films, it works. The characters say more without saying anything. In The Bow, it seems more like a gimmick. His characters do talk, but for some unknown reason, they only whisper in the other person's ear. It seems sort of silly that they can talk but choose to keep what they have to say a secret. And especially with the changing dynamic of the relationship, you would expect them to do more than glare unhappily.

I'm not really sure what's with the shift in character for the girl. The shift comes when this young guy shows up, but what's so special about him? He does give her a walkman device, but is Kim trying to say the girl is a materialistic whore. The old man buys nice stuff for the girl too, but keeps it locked away for the wedding. Does she like how the young guy is willing to care for her in the moment and not wait for some arbitrary date assigned by society. I'm really not following.

Another usual for Kim is the haunting music. The soundtrack may be better than the actual movie. It's relaxing and really sets the tone of film. I'm not sure what instrument is from, but it's shown as being played from the bow with an added drum. The music being played and what the character is playing don't match up though. There has to be some dual meaning in the bow. Perhaps as an instrument of seduction and destruction. I believe it's a reference to the, uh, reproductive organ of a female. It does fire off phalli. That ending scene probably shouldn't be as funny as it is.

The Bow is haunting and memorable. It'll likely stay with me quite a while, but it's a stumble for Kim, who has been on a roll as of late. It is worth a watch though.

6/10