I've only had a slight introduction to the world of Korean director Kim Ki-duk. However, based on two of his films I've seen, the acclaimed 3-Iron and now The Bow, I think he has the ability to get away with things many filmmakers can't. There's a fine line between a story using very little dialogue to achieve  dramatic effect and a similar but lazier one trying to make itself seem more artsy than it really is. I suspect Ki-duk may be the real deal, with The Bow serving as a masterful example of his talent for spinning intriguing stories without hardly ever saying a word.

Our lead character is a 60-year-old fisherman (Jeon Sung-hwan), a rather crusty fellow who allows paying customers to fish off of his own vessel. Completely and utterly off-limits is the 16-year-old girl (Han Yeo-reum) who lives on the boat with him. Having cared for her since she was six, the old fisherman continues to be fiercely protective of her, warding off any creeps who dare to touch her with arrows he fires with great accuracy. Clearly, this salty sea dog's intentions aren't altogether honorable, as he counts down the days until his charge turns 17 so he can marry her. The girl complies, having known no other life than the one she's led on the sea, but when a young man (Seo Ji-seok) arrives, he ends up giving her a taste of what things are like on the mainland, throwing a massive monkey wrench into the middle of the fisherman's plans.

None of the characters in The Bow have actual names, and not a word is spoken by the fisherman or the girl. Scant dialogue is provided by those who rent a seat on the fisherman's boat. Such traits aren't the result of Ki-duk finding himself short of things to say but rather signs of his ability to tell a powerful story without any extra hang-ups getting in the way. The Bow is teeming  with the sort of drama and conflict that no dialogue can do justice to; forlorn stares and embittered expressions fill every frame of the film, and it's actually all the better for it. The way the story is set up, with the fisherman and the young woman being the two primary characters and having lived alone with one another for over ten years, it only makes sense  they've become so familiar with one another's emotions and feelings that they have absolutely no need to pour out their hearts in sappy monologues.

The Bow isn't without its occasional awkward moments. I can understand why the fisherman whips out his bow at the first chance of trouble, partially out of fatherly protection for the girl and partially due to a "Hands off my goods" mindset, but he unleashes so many arrows upon his patrons so often, it's a wonder  his business is still afloat. Plus, the story gets flat-out strange as its winds down to a very dramatic conclusion, culminating in a bizarre scene I can only describe in three words: phantom arrow sex. Still, Ki-duk isn't one to lose himself in pretentiousness for too long, as The Bow remains mostly right on the thematic track, delicately playing all the right notes of an increasingly tragic story of love and desire. It's a tale enhanced greatly by simple yet pitch-perfect performances, each one lifting the characters beyond  one-note caricatures; the fisherman is more than the one-dimensional grump he appears to be, and the girl is far from being a helpless damsel waiting to be rescued.

As much as I admire The Bow, it's not something the average viewer can pick up and watch on the fly. It takes a little more time and effort to watch this lush and absorbing movie, but the time is well spent. 

MY RATING: *** 1/2 (out of ****)

(Released by Tartan Video; not rated by MPAA.)