Hwal (The Bow) (2005)

83% of critics liked it
(6 reviews)
78% of users liked it
(5,032 ratings)

A crusty old man and his teenage bride-to-be find their secluded life at sea turned upside down with the arrival of a mysterious teenage boy in The Isle director Kim Ki-duk's quiet and contemplative drama. They've been together for ten years, and as the girl's seventeenth birthday draws near so does… More A crusty old man and his teenage bride-to-be find their secluded life at sea turned upside down with the arrival of a mysterious teenage boy in The Isle director Kim Ki-duk's quiet and contemplative drama. They've been together for ten years, and as the girl's seventeenth birthday draws near so does the union of this unlikely May-December couple. Aside from his young companion, the thing in life that the old man holds dearest to his heart is his bow. Not only is the bow an effective means of warding off would-be suitors who would seek to spirit away his young shipmate, but a shamanistic fortune-telling device and a musical instrument capable of producing enchanting melodies as well. After drifting on the ocean waves together for an entire decade, this couple suddenly finds the waters becoming treacherous not by the wrath of mother nature, but the introduction of a teenage boy whose presence quickly upsets the pending wedding plans. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 28 min.
Directed By: Ki-duk Kim
Genres: Drama, Romance, Art House & International

In Theaters: Jun 1, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Jun 26, 2007
Studio: Tartan Films

Critic Reviews

Derek Elley, Variety
An elegiac portrait of elemental love complicated by the outside world.
Rudy Joggerst, Reel.com
...The Bow explores a relationship that subsists somewhere between the odd and the troubling...
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Brushes close to offensive material, but it has an unexpected sweetness and skill that keeps it from toppling over the edge.
Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com
How does the guy come up with this stuff?
Jean-François Vandeuren, Panorama
Une oeuvre de synthèse consacrant les derniers efforts de Kim Ki-duk comme certains des plus importants du cinéma sud-coréen des années 2000.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
A minor work from a major talent.
Derek Smith, Cinematic Reflections
A painful experience that no amount of eye candy can make up for.

Read all 7 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Luke B

Another piece of sublime Ki-Duk. Here he takes many of his previous themes (a strange and complex relationship) and joins it with his recurring motifs such as the surrounding environment being entirely water. This keeps are characters shut off and pure. The lack of dialogue is of… More
Another piece of sublime Ki-Duk. Here he takes many of his previous themes (a strange and complex relationship) and joins it with his recurring motifs such as the surrounding environment being entirely water. This keeps are characters shut off and pure. The lack of dialogue is of course present (or not) as is the mistreatment of animals as symbolism. Ki-Duk has perfected his craft and the strangest thing here is despite the obvious darkness to the plot the film is very tame. Again it is the subtleties and slow unveiling of events that really help enhance the beauty of the film, even if it has been done better before.
Wu C

Strange and moody character study about a old man and girl on a boat. Nothing much happens, but it's still weirdly intriguing. Not the best work from Ki-duk Kim.

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