The Bow (Hwal) had a story line that initially appealed to me. I was not sure what to expect, but found the concept intriguing. A captivating (literally) story that takes place entirely at sea on a small rickety fishing boat. I have read good stuff about Korean Director Ki-duk Kim and wanted to see one of his films. I think I might have been able to choose better as this film was worthwhile, but far from exceptional.
An elderly fisherman (Seong-hwang Jeon) makes ends meet by hosting fishermen on his time weathered fishing boat which remains anchored at sea. A sixteen-year old girl (Yeo-reum Han) resides on the boat with him, sharing a bunk bed in the small cabin. We learn that the old man found (abducted) the girl when she was small and has been keeping her captive on his boat until her seventeenth birthday, upon which he intends to marry her. The young girl is not so keen with the plan.
The old man spends has a bow and arrow that doubles as a musical instrument. He plays the musical instrument for enjoyment and uses the bow and arrow to ward off guests who might decide to act inappropriately toward the young girl. He also uses the bow and arrow to divine the future. In a bizarre ritual, the young girl sits on a swing suspended over the side of the vessel, vacillating in front of a Buddhist painting. The old man sits in a small boat and shoots arrows past the girl. The girl then interprets the meaning of the locations that are hit. Between fishing and fortune-telling, the flow of income remains minimal.
The arrival of a young man (Si-jeok Seo) on the vessel upsets the balance of events. The young man connects with the girl and comes to realize her plight. The old man begins to understand that the girl does not want to get married and begins advancing through his calendar to speed up the date of their nuptials. When the young man returns to rescue the girl, the events get tense leading to a shocking ending that was almost as disturbing as it was unexpected.
The Bow has a subtle quality that is infused with symbolism. The musical elements of the film add a hauntingly pleasant atmosphere to the story. The dialogue is strong and the characters immensely well developed. The subtlety gives the film a sluggishness that reached the point of tedium at times. It was almost like watching a train wreck. Interesting enough to keep you watching but irritating at the same time. Ki-duk Kim wrote the story as well as acting as director. His cinematography was exceptional, but the story was missing something.
The version of The Bow that I viewed was unrated. The story contains some adult themes with a disturbing ending that was a bit graphic in a way that is hard to explain without giving away the best part of the story. There were some tense moments as arrows whiz past the young girl while she rocks on her swing and one death depicted in the film without any gore. The film was fairly tame but might be better suited for audiences closing in on their teens or older. Run time is one hour, thirty minutes.
I thought The Bow presented some interesting ideas and had great cinematic elements. The characters were great and the dialogue fresh. Even the concept was original. Beyond the creeping pace there was something about the story that just didn't connect with me. It felt like elements were missing but I was never quite able to put my finger on it. The story just never grabbed me. It was decent enough for me to finish watching but not exceptional. Mildly recommended...good fare for a rainy day. 6.5/10.
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