Watch The Isle For Free

The Worst Film Ever

Sick Product of a Sick System

Admirable film.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

"The Isle" (aka "Seom") is somewhat of an acquired taste of movie, and it does stand out in the South Korean cinema as being very original and bold in its own way. And with that said, then this is the type of movie that doesn't appeal to just everyone in the audience.The story is about a mute woman named Hee-Jin who works at a fishing resort, where she sell bait, food and even herself to the visiting fishermen. She falls in love with the reclusive Hyun-Shik, whom is running from the police.There isn't a lot of dialogue in the entire movie, which could be odd for some people. But what the movie doesn't have in dialogue, it more than makes up for in visual presentation. Director Ki-Duk Kim really managed to tell a beautiful story in "The Isle".The acting talents in "The Isle" were also doing great work with their individual roles, especially since there were not all that much dialogue, so there was a higher pressure in terms of acting through gestures, body language and mood. And especially Jung Suh (playing Hee-Jin) was impressive in "The Isle", as she performed phenomenally.It is the visuals in "The Isle" that makes it a formidable movie. It is so well-filmed and the acting talents all contributed to make this a memorable movie. Some scenes are quite graphic and brutal to watch, but they are presented in a great way and they are essential to the movie."The Isle" is a unique moment in the South Korean cinema, and it is a movie that you should sit down to watch if you enjoy Asian movies.

The Isle is one of the few movies I've seen in a long time where silence is used to its full extent. It's a movie of very little music, very few lines of dialogue and even the ambient sound is that hollow echo of a lake where everything is muted and misty. And yet it works so well for the purposes of this particular story.Hee-jin (Jung Suh) is a mute young woman who runs and maintains a removed lake fishing resort where a fleet of floating cabins are rented for those wanting peace and quiet. Most of her usual customers are middle-aged men who are mostly interested in fishing, drinking and occasionally her body. Our story starts when a disquieted man (Yoosuk Kim) arrives at her resort, looking to hide from the world.The Isle is a movie of reflection. It's that lazy hour sitting on the porch, drinking coffee, staring at nothing, thinking nothing in particular. And thus, when things start to build up, it takes you a moment to shake off the cobwebs, allowing the movie to deliver some real gut punches. At its heart of hearts it's a thriller, but honestly I have rarely been as nauseated or scared by a horror movie than I was by this one.The Isle is a fantastic movie for someone looking for a quiet thriller that takes its time and trusts itself enough to allow for the suspense to build as slowly as it needs to build. The pacing is just perfect, the story ends just when it needs to and as a whole it's an experience. Highly recommended.

You won't believe what people get up to with fishing hooks in this movie... it's safe to say, you'll never look at cod the same way again. Mind you, the entire premise, based around little floating huts which double as miniature brothels in the middle of a lake is pretty weird too... who would hire one of these potential death traps would be my first question. Particularly as the only staff on duty in the event of an emergency is a mute young woman prone to violent mood swings and popping up where you least expect her. Nope, a hotel room sounds like a much safer and comfortable option for a quickie. And if you MUST have that nautical experience... make sure it has a water bed.Aside from scratching my head every few minutes, I didn't know quite what to make of this curiosity from South Korea. It has a few scenes which will make you wince, but it's not really a horror. As a romance, it showcases a relationship so whacked-out and off the curve that it's impossible to relate to either party. I suppose you could classify it as a sort-of drama, but what transpires is far removed from any interpretation of life I know, I have a hard time doing even that. For me, the best explanation is it's an experimental work, with plenty of neat ideas which fail to mesh into a cohesive whole. The ending especially is all kinds of WTF?Still, the talent is there... even if the storytelling aspect is lacking. I look forward to perusing the rest of this director's filmography... 5/10

Kim Ki-duk's The Isle is definitely a great film that has an unlikely appeal and it is definitely not for the weak at heart. It stars Suh Jung and Kim Yoosuk as the mute Hee-Jin and a man running from the law,Hyun- Shik respectively.Both are an unlikely couple who develop a love for each other despite the unusual circumstances. The story is about Hee-jin, who operates a fishing resort, where she rents out small floating cottages and ferries her customers back and forth between land and the floats, controlling the only means of transport around. She also dispassionately takes care of her customers' needs by selling supplies, providing prostitutes or occasionally acting as one herself. However, when a man running from the law,Hyun-shik,comes to the resort, a bond starts to form between them.He arrives at the resort and is ferried to his float by Hee-jin. There is nothing unusual about their business relationship from the onset, but eventually Hee-jin is intrigued by Hyun-shik's feelings of depression and desolation. When visiting his float one time, Hee-jin still resists Hyun-shik's forceful advances but does call in a prostitute to service him. Hyun-shik, however,only wants companionship from the prostitute and a relationship starts to form between them.However,an unlikely bond and relationship developed between them.Hee-jin looks after Hyun-shik, even saving him from two suicide attempts,the second one accomplished gruesomely by swallowing a string of fish hooks. A prostitute continues to take more and more time off her schedule to visit Hyun-shik, oblivious to his troubles and eventually Hee-jin becomes jealous. During one visit, Hee-jin ferries the prostitute to an empty float instead of Hyun-shik's, ties her up and duct tapes her mouth shut, which eventually leads to her death as she falls into the sea.The prostitute's pimp, who comes to find out what's happening, is also killed by Hee-jin.After the murders, Hyun-shik's and Hee-jin's relationship stalls.He wants to leave the resort,but she won't let him. When he attempts to swim out,she has to save him and take him back to his float.Then he takes the boat and is set to leave. Hee-jin apparently attempts suicide in an effort to stop him by stuffing fish hooks into her vagina and falling into the water. This time it's his turn to save her, by reeling her in with the still attached hooks.Both continue their troubled relationship. A prostitute accidentally kicks a man's rolex into the water, infuriating him. He calls divers to have them retrieve the watch. The divers discover the bodies of the prostitute and the pimp while Hee-jin and Hyun-shik wordlessly take off on his float. The film concludes in enigmatic fashion when it shows Hee- jin's dead body floating in the boat.The movie tries to explore about two people who are affected by depression and desolation as well as the primal behavior and brutalities men are inherently capable of.Aside from that,it also tries to examine the complexity of the relationship between Hee-jin and Hyun- shik especially the emotion of loneliness and one's need of companionship.The movie is not without controversy as some elements of the film like the use of fish hooks during attempted suicide scenes can present horror to the viewers. Finally,this film will definitely leave a big imprint into one's thoughts especially the final scene wherein it seems that Hyun-shik apparently killed Hee-jin in the end.It will encourage discussions in terms of the sense of brutality a human being is capable of.The film was well-acted.Sexy Korean actress,Suh Jung,whom I have previously seen in Green Chair and Yellow Flower,shines in this movie as her capability to show emotion without uttering a single word is a feat indeed.She truly captured the emotion of unhappiness and need for love that Hee-jin wants.I find a lot of honesty in her performance as she managed they get the viewer's sympathy for her character.This is the best film I have seen her to date.No question that she is not only a good looking actress with a sexy body but a talented one as well.She also shared a great chemistry with Kim Yoosuk,who was credible as Hyun- shik. Added to that,Kim Ki-duk's direction was masterful as the viewer is completely engaged in the story from beginning to end.Aside from that,he also managed to get us interested and make us care about Hee-jin and Hyun-shik and the development of their complex relationship.Overall,this is one film that would definitely not into everyone's liking but nevertheless,it also would once more prove that movies can be used to examine even the most awkward of themes which is that of the primal behavior of human beings and as well as the fact that Koreans are once more one of the most creative when it comes to making movies.