The Isle

The Isle is a 2000 South Korean film written and directed by Kim Ki-duk, his fourth film, and the first to receive wide international acclaim for his now recognizable style. The film has gained notoriety for gruesome scenes that caused some viewers to vomit or faint when the film premiered at the Venice Film Festival. The Isle stars Suh Jung and Kim Yu-seok as an unlikely couple who develop a love for each other despite their unusual circumstances. Plot Suh Jung plays the mute Hee-jin, who operates a fishing resort, where she rents out small floating cottages and ferries her customers back and forth between land and the floats, controlling the only means of transport around. She also dispassionately takes care of her customers' needs by selling supplies, providing prostitutes from a local dabang or occasionally acting as one herself. However, when a man running from the law, Hyun-shik (Kim Yu-seok), comes to the resort, a bond starts to form between them. At the start of the film, Hyun-shik arrives at the resort and is ferried to his float by Hee-jin. There is nothing unusual about their business relationship from the onset, but eventually Hee-jin is intrigued by Hyun-shik's obviously troubled past. When visiting his float one time, Hee-jin still resists Hyun-shik's forceful advances but does call in a prostitute to service him. Hyun-shik, however, only wants companionship from the prostitute and a relationship starts to form between them.