The Bow (Hwal) 2005

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. The old man crosses days off of a calendar and counts the remaining days to her 17th birthday. She is content with her life, helping the old man serve the fishermen who come to the boat. When a gentle college boy comes aboard to fish, their relationship begins to suffer. As she becomes more and more attracted to the boy, she begins to distance herself from the old man, arousing his jealousy and anger.

Director: Kim Ki-duk

Stars: Jeon Seong-hwan, Han Yeo-reum, Seo Ji-seok

My Rating: C

Another gem by brilliant director Kim Ki-duk. He always manages to get the best from his actors and this is no exception. It's a rather sad and lonely tale of a young girl held captive in a fishing boat adored by an old man who has taken care of her for 10 years. He has kept her virtue intact by not touching her until the proper age to marry at 17. He is the only person she has ever known in her captive situation. But, then a handsome young man comes on board and she realizes there is life beyond the boat. The ending was quite unexpected but all in all, it is a very well acted film. My rating would have been higher if the man wasn't so old. It is really unrealistic to think a young girl of 17 would willing agree to marry a 60 year old man. Still, it's worth the watch.

#SouthKorea #drama #suspense