Review: There’s a fairytale aspect among THE ISLE’s little fishing ‘village’ which is the perfect background for writer and director Kim Ki-Duk, a director who deals with theme and imagery over narrative. The story begins almost like a conventional horror film as Hee-Jin is insulted by some of the fishermen on the lake and she takes her revenge. THE ISLE, for all of its scenes of violence is not a horror film but a drama which tackles its violence head on. With fish-hooks.

THE ISLE is essentially an examination of relationships between men and women and brings many of director Kim Ki-Duk’s fascinations with gender and relationships to the forefront. The men of the film all have typically male roles: fisherman, pimp, criminal and policeman. The women of the film also have typically female roles: carer, whore, lover and cleaner. In the world of THE ISLE men regard themselves as the stronger of the two sexes, but ultimately they rely on the women for comfort, care and sex – and everyone relies on the central woman Hee-Jin – she is the only person with a boat. Without the women the men are rendered fairly incomplete, as are the women without the men.

The two central figures Hee-Jin and Hyun-Shik form a strange relationship throughout the film. Hyun-Shik initially tries to force himself upon the boat-keeper and she responds by providing him with a prostitute – although she feels jealous of this girl. The slightly ‘demonic’ Hee-Jin shown at the beginning of the film segues to the ‘romantic’ Hee-Jin as her feelings towards Hyun-Shik grow naturally and lovingly. Actress Jung Suh is totally convincing as Hee-Jin swings through different moods and reactions. As the relationship between the unlikely couple grows, so do the many attachments between them, emotionally and physically.

Cue fish-hooks.

Visually THE ISLE is stunning. There are several key images which almost become frozen within the film itself as the camera lingers and drives home some of Ki-Duks key themes. When Hee-Jin literally fishes Hyun-Shik out of the water it’s a powerful image that pretty much sums up the film as a whole.

On the downside, THE ISLE is very slow and at times seems to be almost stretching its ideas over the relatively short eighty-six minutes. The films slow pace works well to allow the viewer to stop and dwell on key images, but the plodding narrative means the film feels like it is a lot longer than it actually is.

If you like your films straightforward and fully explained then THE ISLE may leave you hanging. Director Ki-Duk wisely doesn’t conclude the film in any way with a ‘conventional explanation’ - which would seem like a cheap shot - but instead the film concludes with some beautifully surreal imagery. Kim Ki-Duk is a director who often chooses surrealism at moments which I find frustrating, but in THE ISLE he seems to hit just the right balance. THE ISLE is not an immediately likeable film - and occasionally you wish that it would pick up the pace a bit - but with some patience it is fairly rewarding.