The Isle

Many characters in the films of Kim Ki-Duk are people who do not fit into society; they are social outcasts who are often violent. They do not cling to the conventions of society, but to life. Two such outsiders have withdrawn to the island from the title. Hee-Jin is a woman who sells tools during the day and her body at night to fisherman visiting the island. Hyun-Shik is a suicidal man who has lost his interest in life after killing his ex-wife. When, after Hyun-Shik attempts suicide, Hee-Jin is tending his wounds, an obsessive and violent relationship ensues; one that allows no interference from without. As far as he is concerned, it is a kind of drug to kill the pain; for her, sexuality is the only form of communication she knows.With this overwhelming film, Kim Ki-Duk contributes to the reputation of South Korea in sexual openness, although in this case this applies less to the sexual than the sado-masochistic aspects of the relationship (for instance the film includes gruesome scenes involving fish hooks). The idyllic, isolated island forms the unreal setting for a love story of a very destructive but also vital power. Kim Ki-Duk: ‘The Isle is destructive and vulgar, but I also wanted to give it intensity and beauty. Even when the love turns to obsession and fury, it can still be a force to give us life.’