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The Isle
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - Australia - Umbrella Entertainment Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (3rd November 2024). |
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The Film
 "The Isle" <섬> (2000) Hee-jin (played by Suh Jung) is a young woman who lives on the edge of an island where she runs a business renting floating cottages for fisherman. She uses her motorboat to bring fisherman to and from each cottage, as well as dealing with supplies and even local prostitutes hired to service the men from time to time. Hyun-shik (played by Kim Yu-seok) comes to the isle looking for a place to stay, though he does not disclose of his background as he is on the run from the law. Both are haunted by their pasts, and their time together psychologically brings out the worst for them... Writer/director Kim Ki-duk's works have focused intensely around emotionally complicated souls, in many cases with very little information given through narrative. "The Isle" is no different, with the main character of Hee-jin even being mute, not uttering a single word which makes her character more mysterious than conventional. This also goes for the character of Hyun-shik who cannot express his past due to the only hints given are that he most likely killed a woman and her lover, but even the flashbacks are without concrete detail for the audience. Kim apparently wrote much more dialogue and even had Hee-jin's character speak, yet they were completely discarded prior to filming, changing the dynamic entirely. It's never stated that Hee-jin is mute or just decides not to speak, and if the latter is the case, there is no information on what struck that trauma in her. Why she lives in a rural location alone surrounded by sketchy and horny fishermen is also unexplained, though she is adept at boating and taking care of herself when necessary. There are scenes in which she offers her body to the local fishermen, though this is also not fully stated if she is doing this for money or for her personal pleasure. As for Hyun-shik, the flashbacks make the case for him reason to be running away, and while he is vocal, things later turn worse following his suicide attempts and losing his ability to talk. With the lack of communication from speaking, there is more communicated through their emotions which makes things far more interesting. "The Isle" is a film that is sparse in dialogue yet is very heavy on an emotional level with the main characters, yet there are additional happenings and characters along the way. The other fisherman and their quirks of being random horny men in the middle of nowhere, the encounter with the prostitutes and their pimp who arranges their visits with Hee-jin's boat, as well as an intense scene in which the police show up, scaring Hyun-shik. But for the most part dialogue is not necessarily what moves the plot along. The quite scenes of Hee-jin alone or playing with her dog, scenes of Hyun-shik contemplating suicide are done without words or thoughts being placed for audiences. Instead, the emotions must come from the audience members themselves to fill in some of the blanks. The two leads do a great job with the limited resources, and has more in common with the works of Michaelangelo Antonioni than contemporary Korean works, and it is an experience that is sometimes frustrating and difficult, yet rewarding. But the more uncomfortable moments are from what is actually on screen rather than implied. There are some uncomfortable moments of animal cruelty shown in the film, with a skinning of a live frog, slicing of the skin of a caught fish and later beating it to death, as well as a drowning of a caged bird. While the pain and the suffering shown are metaphors for what the characters are going through, they are disturbing sights as they are done for real. There are also disturbing scenes of self inflicted violence from the main characters while were obviously not done for real but are shocking nonetheless, and these sequences caused the most controversy when the film was released. Kim stated that the frog and the fish were killed for the film though they were used for food, arguing his point of view of the animals being part of human diet around the world. Nevertheless, the animal sequences had to be removed from the British release with their laws against animal cruelty being forbidden to be shown on film, causing quite a different experience for UK viewers. While it's arguable, the scenes are quite important to showcasing the gradually increasing pain of the characters within. These days it would easily be done with CGI, though there would still be backlash from some with that as well. The controversy did help with the film's awareness, though it was not only about the shocks that set the film apart. In addition to the performances, the cinematography by Hwang Seo-shik showcasing the cold and haunting rural landscape on the waterfront, the set designs with the little floating huts each with individual bright colors in the water, and the haunting score by Jeong Sang-yoon. With the rise of horrors and suspense films from Asia at the time, "The Isle" was lumped into the genre as part of the "Asia Extreme" movement, which coincided with the rise of DVDs. But the film isn't quite in the same vein as the others, as it has more similarities to European arthouse works than the Asian horrors of the period. Nevertheless, it helped with being recognized around the world and with cinema fans, crossing into the worlds of both Asian horror fans and the arthouse cinemagoers. The film opened in South Korea on April 22nd, 2000 to little notice, just like Kim's previous works. It seems the distributor saw international potential and it played at the Bucheon International Film Festival in July, L'Étrange Festival in France in August, and at the Venice Film Festival in September, where it received its biggest draw, nominated for the Golden Lion. It won the Golden Raven award at the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film, and Suh Jung won Best Actress at the Cinemanila International Film Festival. The international acclaim led to newfound attention in its native South Korea, where it was nominated for a number of Grand Bell Awards with Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Music, and Best New Actress, though it was shut out from receiving any wins. The film was a landmark in Kim's directing career and he would continue to make works acclaimed around the world, while still being controversial with its content and his disturbing looks at the human psyche. But it was during the #metoo movement that his career came to a standstill, lawsuits filed against him for sexual assault and a number of actresses coming forward. Kim died from COVID-19 on December 11th, 2020 at the age of 59, while shooting the film "Call of God" in Latvia. In light of the allegations, it does make some of his works more disturbing to see, especially from the points of views from the female characters. While "The Isle" has its cruel moments for the female and male leads, the power of the film has not not been tarnished. It's still a worthy film to see, though it is not for the faint of heart as the cruelty shown on screen as well as the heavy emotional depth are not for all audiences. Note this is a region ALL Blu-ray
Video
Umbrella Entertainment presents the film in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio in 1080p AVC MPEG-4. The transfer seems to be from the existing HD master, which was first made available on the South Korean and German Blu-rays both from 2015. The aspect ratio is presented in the slightly altered to the 1.78:1 HD aspect ratio rather than the theatrical 1.85:1 aspect ratio. It may be slightly disappointing that there hasn't been a new transfer for the film, though this HD master does look quite good. The overcast look of greys, the colors of the fishing huts, and the dark sequences at night look quite good. Colors are slightly on the paler side with skin tones and bold colors not having quite the punch it should. There are issues with image stability which is noticeable in the opening credits wobbling a bit, though this is not a major issue for the most part. Damage marks such as speckles can be found from time to time, though there are no major issues such as scratches or major debris. It's a fair transfer, but one that is in need of a newer transfer in the 4K age. The film's runtime is exactly 90:00>.
Audio
Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo The soundtrack is presented in lossless 5.1 and 2.0 stereo options. Dialogue, as minimal as it is, is almost always centered while the surrounding channels are used primarily for the ambiance with the natural sounds of the remote area and the soundtrack cues composed by Jeong Sang-yoon. It is not a particularly heavy soundtrack, but does make use of the surround spectrum, and the 2.0 mix is a folded down mix of the 5.1 track. There are optional English subtitles available for the film, in a white font. They are easy to read and mostly well timed, though there are examples of the subtitles disappearing too quickly.
Extras
Audio Commentary with Pierce Conran and James Marsh (2024) This new and exclusive commentary has critics Conran and Marsh discussing the film. Talked about are their initial responses to the film more than twenty years ago, the controversy the film received, how it was placed in the "Asia Extreme" category though it was quite different from the genre, the background of the production, information on the actors, about Kim and comparisons to some of the director's other films, changes from the original script, the animal cruelty shown, some of the film's flaws, and much more. The two have collaborated on a number of commentaries now, and they are comfortable with banter as well as providing in depth information, and this one is no different. An excellent listen. In English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles 2024 Video Essay by critic and writer Nadine Whitney (16:40) This new and exclusive untitled video essay has Whitney discussing about the nature of the characters without backgrounds, comparisons to Greek mythology, the importance of water, and more. At the start she mistakenly states it is a 1990 film rather than 2000. The visuals are of clips from the film itself, and while the film is presented in 1080p, the extra is strangely in 1080i. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "The Making of The Isle" featurette (8:57) This vintage featurette includes behind the scenes footage of the production from October and November 1999 in chronological order. It’s fairly basic B-roll footage, without any interviews or in-depth explanations provided. This was originally available on the 2004 South Korean DVD release. It should also be noted that this, as well as all of the following vintage Korean language featurettes mistakenly default to English subtitles being OFF. The subtitle button must be pressed after starting each featurette for the non-Korean speakers out there watching. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles "Making the Soundtrack" featurette (4:31) This vintage featurette has composer Jeong Sang-yoon discussing the creation of the soundtrack for the film, with emphasis on the first and last cues of the film. This was originally available on the 2004 South Korean DVD release. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles "Kim Ki-duk, His Films and The Isle" featurette (11:40) This vintage featurette has a number of critics and collaborators discussing the works of Kim, from his from “Crocodile” (1996) to “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring” (2003) and others in between including ”The Isle”. From his trademark styles, the various themes, it does have a good amount of information though it feels far too short to be very in-depth. There are some issues with the English translations of the film titles not matching the official English titles. This was originally available on the 2004 South Korean DVD release. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles "Lee Seung-jae on Kim Ki-duk" interview (8:50) Producer Lee Seung-jae discusses his relationship with Kim over the years, Kim’s repeated themes in his works, and more. This was originally available on the 2004 South Korean DVD release. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles Interviews with Cast and Crew (15:50) Presented here are vintage interviews with actors Seo Jeong and Kim Yoo-seok, producer Lee Eun, cinematographer Hwang Seo-shik, and composer Jeong Sang-yoon on the film’s production. They discuss about the characters and the performances, difficult scenes to shoot, working with Kim, the filming of underwater scenes, challenges with the score, and more. Jeong’s interview session is the same from the above featurette, though it is not the same interview. Also note that the interviewees also mention “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring” (2003), so this featurette was produced a few years after ”The Isle” was completed for the official DVD release. This was originally available on the 2004 South Korean DVD release. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles This new Blu-ray release ports over most of the South Korean 2004 DVD / 2015 Blu-ray extras but a few are missing, with the audio commentary by film critics Kim Yeong-jin and Hwang Jin-mi, the music video 'Insect' by Cocore, and the original trailer. The German Blu-ray from Rapid Eye Movies doesn't have any exclusive extras, though the French Blu-ray from Spectrum from 2021 has some exclusive extras on their release, while porting a few of the vintage extras. Also note it only has a 2.0 stereo track rather than 5.1. Notable clips: "Insect" music video by Cocore News report on accusations against Kim through the #metoo movement. Interview with Kim Ki-duk from Turkish TRT TV, conducted in English with English voiceover for Kim. News report of Kim's death in 2020 from TRT TV.
Packaging
The disc is packaged in a clear keep case with reversible artwork featuring the original poster art with the Australian MA 15+ rating logos on one side and without them on the other. The inlay mistakenly states the disc is region B only while it is in fact region ALL. It is also available with a limited slipcover with new artwork by Colin Murdoch, exclusively at the Umbrella Web Shop. It is also available in a Collector's Edition exclusively at the Umbrella Web Shop limited to 500 copies which includes a 48 page book with behind-the-scenes, experiences and art, a custom artwork rigid slipcase by Colin Murdoch, the above slipcover, 8 replica lobby cards, and an A3 reversible poster. The book starts with they essay "Love, Obsession, and Transgression: The Isle and Kim Ki-duk" by Richard Kuipers on the director, the film and its themes. There are some quick contemporary critics quotes on the film, followed by the essay titled "Egon Scheile in The Isle and Kim Ki-duk's Screenwriting" by Irman Firdaus. Then there are notes by artist Colin Murdoch on the creation of the new artwork along with sketches and conceptual designs. There are also numerous stills from the film included. The artcards feature stills from the film on high quality thick cards. The double sided poster has the original South Korean poster on one side and the newly created artwork on the other. The poster is housed in the keep case, which along with the artcards and the book are housed in a rigid slipcase which has the same design as the slipcover. 
Overall
"The Isle" was a breakthrough for director Kim Ki-duk, with the look into traumatized characters at a disturbing level in a unique setting and limited dialogue. It was disturbing back when it was released in 2000 and twenty-four years later it is still a harrowing experience. The Umbrella Entertainment release is very good, with vintage extras plus some new ones included, and while the transfer is not from a new master, it still comes as highly recommended.
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