IMDb > Hwal (2005)
Photos (see all 2 | slideshow) Videos (see all 2)
Hwal (2005) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   3,782 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Up 14% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Ki-duk Kim

Writer:

Ki-duk Kim (writer)

Contact:

View company contact information for Hwal on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

12 May 2005 (South Korea) more

Genre:

Drama | Romance more

Tagline:

A girl who thought the sea was the whole world became the whole world to one old man.

Plot:

On a fishing boat at sea, a 60-year old man has been raising a girl since she was a baby. It is agreed that they will get married on her 17th birthday, and she is 16 now. They live a quiet and secluded life, renting the boat to day fishermen and practicing strange divination rites. Their life changes when a teenage student comes aboard... full summary | add synopsis

Plot Keywords:

more

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations more

User Comments:

love boat more (24 total)


Cast

  (Credited cast)
Yeo-reum Han ... The young girl (as Han Yeo-reum)
Si-jeok Seo ... The student
Gook-hwan Jeon ... The student's father
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Seong-hwang Jeon ... Old Man (no name)
Seok-hyeon Jo ... Third Man
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:

The Bow (USA) (festival title)
more

Runtime:

France:90 min | Canada:88 min (Montréal Film Festival) | Argentina:90 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

South Korea | Japan

Language:

Korean

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
20 out of 47 people found the following comment useful.
love boat, 12 April 2006
5/10
Author: fnorful from United States

Having seen (and absolutely loved) Kim Ki-Duk's Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring this was a must-see at the Cleveland Int'l Film Festival this year.

Alas, it's just not magical enough.

I liked that the Old Man and the Young Girl never had dialog; it was the juxtaposition of the paying, fishing clientèle that was at odds with their relationship. As well, the use of the bow as a weapon was certainly effective, but the use of the bow as a badly-dubbed musical instrument was cheesy at best.

The plot was contrived, an ancient tale sent in contemporary times, uselessly introducing an anachronistic element into the plot line. The use of magical realism was spare and poorly timed, not being acceptable as a shift from the mostly concrete concerns and sensibilities of the rest of the movie.

This was a movie that got more and more disappointing as I watched it. The advice of more broadly-schooled Kim Ki-Duk fans would be good to follow: look for his "masterpieces", not this or other "more mainstream works".

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (24 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Hwal (2005)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
why blood in the end? fake-addy1
Shamans! imdb78
sexism galore hpatel303
How did they film the scenes with flying arrows? risingsun96815
Loved every second of it... including the end! moneenerd
Symbolism? zhaosuke
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Kaidan Heavenly Creatures The Notebook Tôkyô monogatari Ridicule
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Drama section IMDb South Korea section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.