Hwal (2005)

Director:

Ki-duk Kim

Writer:

Ki-duk Kim (writer)

Release Date:

12 May 2005 (South Korea)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

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...

Plot Keywords:

Boat | Fishing | Sea | Old Man | Bow And Arrow

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

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

Also Known As:

The Bow (USA) (festival title)

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

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Netherlands:12 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Hungary:14 | Argentina:16 | South Korea:15 | UK:15 | Mexico:B15

Company:

Happinet Pictures

Engagingly Claustrophobic

This story is about a fisherman who lives on a somewhat dilapidated fishing boat with his beautiful "grandaughter". The film pretty much takes place solely on the boat, they are never on dry land. The old man and the girl (they are never named and utter sounds but don't speak) have a special relationship, which you learn more about as the movie chugs along. The girl, who in the film is 16, is played by Yeo-reum Han who, when she smiles, is extremely beautiful. Its no wonder the few other characters, all men who pay to fish on the boat, are drawn to her. The film is good as a minimalist piece. That also means, of course, its also a little slow. I was somewhat intrigued, and the film is brave for being so focused in one place. As you see from the 7 rating, its not a great film. If you don't like minimalist films, do not watch this. I have never seen Yeo-reum Han in a film before, so I'll need to see her to see whether she is a very good actress. She is good here, as is the old man, played by Seong-hwang Jeon. You won't love it, but it will keep your interest.