Kim Ki-duk’s latest offering is another art-house film, geared to find more of its crowd in film festivals than any sort of theatrical run, as it continues his recent set of familiar themes in familiar ways—long takes of introspection, dream-like ambiguity and symbolism abound. The Bow seems to recall Kim’s international breakthrough, The Isle, which, sado-masochism aside, also takes place in a single maritime location with silent characters dealing with conflicts that arise from strange relationships.
Here, the setting is a boat in the middle of the ocean occupied by a sixty-year old man and the sixteen-year-old girl he found ten years ago and raised entirely at sea. They make a living by bringing in fishermen from town who come to relax, drink and make sexual advances on the girl, at least until the old man scares the wits out of them with his bow and arrows.
The fishermen usually assume the two are related, however the man actually has plans to marry the girl when she turns seventeen. These plans, along with the girl’s love for the man, are soon jeopardized though when she falls in love with a teenager who arrives one day and decides that the girl needs to see the world beyond the boat.
With a trim running time just short of ninety minutes, The Bow still runs at a sluggish pace—an attribute not helped by its distant and exceedingly simple lead characters. While Kim succeeds in asking a few fascinating questions of his protagonists, he fails to find a human side of them to involve his audience. The old man’s intentions are an interesting and ambiguous element as we constantly search his face for betrayals of intentions. Is he the girl’s pure-hearted savior, or is he a selfish, lecherous old man? But the answer to that hardly means anything to us. It’s merely a curiosity when we don’t care for them.
It’s a shame because there still is plenty to appreciate in the film, from the perfect, mute acting to the effective bits of magical realism. The Bow is especially remarkable in that its Kim’s most musically dressed film to date, as the old man’s bow weapon doubles as a stringed instrument when a drum is conveniently added. The folky stringed music coupled with the gorgeous ocean cinematography sets a precise mood that is far more affecting than the story itself.
Newcomers may be impressed by the film’s sweet minimalism and Kim’s striking style, but long-time fans may feel a bit conflicted. We want to like it for the many holdover elements from his better works, and for his willingness to make progress with each successive film. But it’s difficult to find an emotional focal point and without one, The Bow is simply a beautiful, empty exercise that never feels as special as it tries to be.
Reviewed by Tarun
