Time (2006) User Reviews

To Love is to Lose, and to Lose is to Love back ; if a Relationship depends on Personal Reasons

[CihanVercan · 8/10 · 23 January 2010]

A poet said that there are 3 types of love: First for a REASON... You love someone for a reason(because she's beautiful,because she's special etc.) Second is to love AS... You love someone as good as she loves you,as much as you love your mum, etc. Third is to love DESPITE... Despite she's ugly, despite she's moody, despite she's lighthearted, etc. Then he added, to truly love someone is to accept her/his nature with pros and cons altogether.

In Kim Ki-duk's "Shi gan(Time)" the whole plot is based on a Korean couple who are at their mid-20s. Even though, they're getting prepared to marry, they don't realize that their relation is still relying on reasons. Like every fresh couple, since they don't express their needs and wishes to each other, their harmony goes downhill by time. Seh-Hee surprisingly leaves her lover without any warning or explanation due to her jealousy on him. She decides to have a plastic surgery to get a more beautiful face than she has. That way, when she comes back, she'll feel more comfortable for securing her love through her beauty. In other words, she leaves him for the shortfall of trust in their relationship. Right here at the character intro scenes(the first half-an-hour) there's a drastic message: You love someone for a reason, you'll lose her/him for another.

Kim Ki-duk has set his screenplay out for reflecting the social affinity of South Korean women to plastic surgery. Social statistics mark that South Korea is among the world's top 3 countries regarding this subject. Kim Ki-duk's cinema language carries a great focus on the main plot and he enriches this focus with use of Symbolism. Just like in a poet, each word and each act represents a deeper meaning more than itself. This creates a few memorable scenes: First in the public ferry-boat scene, second the scene with sculptures and figurines at the beach park, third the change of the tide on the beach when lovers are parted, finally before the closure most of the Seh-Hee's parts carry Symbolism in words:

1/"If we turn around and make eye contact, then we should meet again. One, two, three..."(means my eyes were at you when you were with other women, if you've ever been aware of that I'd never have left you)

2/"You should realize how happy you are, just do well on your part"(means you must be happy for being loved by me)

3/"Things happening suddenly, when something lost, it never comes back"(means love happens all of a sudden, when you're loved you're not aware of it; the moment you start to aware of someone's love, it vanishes away)

Instead of trying to express the feelings with words, Kim Ki-duk hides the true meanings away; which may also mean that he kept a secret between him and his characters against us. It's truly to see how deep a love can get with keeping it as a secret. This concept was very rare to come across. On the other hand, even though the main plot is unique, its sub-plot(plastic surgery) is not.

In cinema history, there are notable films within various genres featuring plastic surgery. Starting to count, let's look at the drama/romance genre first: In Elizabeth Taylor's popular drama movie "Ash Wednesday(1973)", Taylor's character tends to have plastic surgery for the same reason as Seh-Hee herein, to retain her lover's attention on her. From the recent years, Alejandro Amenabar's "Abre Los Ojos" and its Hollywood copycat "Vanilla Sky" tell the off-base story of a playboy's lose of his handsome face due to a traffic accident, and his captious dreams of regaining his face with plastic surgery. From the TV, 2005's Golden Globe winner TV-drama "Nip/Tuck" was taking its departure with two plastic surgeons of opposite personalities.

Plastic surgery was also memorable in Robert Zemeckis's "Death Becomes Her(1992)" where Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn were making up a fun out of this subject. Addictive to look younger, these aged ladies were competing with each other via having plastic surgeries until they explore a youth elixir. Another funny example of a plastic surgery comedy had been featuring in a scene in Terry Gilliam's "Brazil(1985)" where the leading character's mother wants to have plastic surgery without anaesthesia while she's wide-awake. Whereas in the horror genre, the plastic surgery has used very seriously. The cult filmmaker Jesus Franco's "Faceless(1987)" was a psychopathic crime story, in which a plastic surgeon kidnaps a beautiful model to stitch up her face into his sister's. Dated 1960 the British horror "Circus of Horrors" told another crime story of a plastic surgeon who takes his patients prisoner to work as models at a circus of horrors. Maybe the earliest example to a plastic surgery concept on the silverscreen was Humphrey Bogart's "Dark Passage(1947)". This was an unique crime/thriller movie, having Humphrey Bogart as a criminal's new face after the plastic surgery which made it easier for him to hide away from the police. In the other crime/thriller movies that used plastic surgery in its content, Michael Caine's "The Jigsaw Man" displayed a KGB agent who sent to Britain for misleading targets. John Travolta and Nicolas Cage's "Face Off" on the other hand, brought a fresh idea of shifting agents with each other by means of plastic surgery. Looking at a Turkish TV epic of crime genre "Kurtlar Vadisi" displayed a MIT spy becoming a Mafia boss after a successful plastic surgery altering into a new identity.

For now, the last sample of this plot is Shi gan, which is among the top ten most important movies of the decade through its unique cinema language. Shi gan develops a story from separation of lovers and connects it with plastic surgery, then climbs up the relationship ladder to become a cure for parted couples. It's a must-see for everyone who is seeking a good drama to watch.

Enjoyable

[solstice-6 · 8/10 · 21 October 2007]

I enjoyed this film. I think that reviewers who claim it had nothing more to say than "plastic surgery is bad" are really refusing to dig critically into the themes of the film. It is about identity; it is about jealousy and fear; it is about vanity. These aren't exactly "easy" themes, and while I do think that the insanity of the heroine do make it difficult to relate to at times, the film had a lot to say that is applicable to all of us.. not just jealous nuts. That being said, I definitely viewed the film as a fable (especially because of the last scene). In some ways it reminded me of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with this weird sense of starting with a clean slate.

The idea of not being able to recognize a past lover is extremely disturbing to me personally, and so I might have allowed myself to get taken in by this film more than some people would. Even so, I think that the film was executed very well and deserves high marks.

A Nutshell Review: Time (Shi Gan)

[DICK STEEL · 8/10 · 18 November 2006]

The most widely read review of mine is The Intimate (Aien), starring Sung Hyun-Ah. So I think fans of her from the show will not want to miss this movie by Kim Ki-Duk, also starring the same actress. While The Intimate was more, erm, intimate (I labelled it as Serendipity with loads of sex), fans of hers shouldn't be put off by this Kim Ki-Duk movie. I must admit I haven't hunted down the other movies that he's done - this marks his 13th feature film, and my other exposure to his works were 3-Iron and The Bow. While I enjoyed the two I mentioned, this one takes the cake.

Korea is perhaps also famously known for its number of female population going under the knife to look good. I've been to a number of Korean cities, and yes, they are gorgeous. But there's always that skeptical doubt hanging over their heads, whether they had undergone plastic surgery to enhance their various assets. That, is the subject of which Time touches upon.

Seh Hee (Park Ji-Yeon) and Ji Woo (Ha Jung-Woo) are a couple, and coupledom is always disastrous when one party is paranoid with suspicion over the other being unfaithful. A longer than usual glance at another pretty face, or a kind gesture to help a gorgeous person, will bring on alarm bells, violent exchange of words, and an inexplicable bad attitude and demeanour towards others. That's how Seh Hee behaves, and I suppose those who suffer from low self-esteem and confidence, would probably exhibit one or many of the traits put forth.

SPOILERS AHEAD

And it is indeed these traits that will put any relationship under strain, with unreasonableness being the number one reaction felt by the other party. Unconfident about her looks, Suh Hee goes under the plastic surgeon's knife and in certain aspects, starts to tease her ex boyfriend Ji Woo, whom she left abruptly 6 months back in a huff and without explanation, with her new physical self (in the form of Sung Hyun-Ah).

While Ji Woo is being confronted with the shock of being left all alone, and his inability to forget Seh Hee, what do you expect from a man who loves someone so deeply, yet she suddenly disappears from your life with nary a word? And how will you react when faced with the "truth"?

END SPOILERS

SPOILER THOUGHTS

Perhaps the message in the movie is about the importance of looks, or the perceived emphasis placed on physical attractiveness. It isn't enough to just look good (when different), and the psychological change, that you now have the opportunity to be someone different, is just as, if not more important and this aspect of well being has to be looked after as well. Watching this movie brings about some comparison of story lines and the differing techniques used to carve out a new life, with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. In Eternal, one becomes somebody new by undergoing a science fictional transformation with the wiping of memories from the mind. It's psychological, and the technology not here yet. With Time, it involves the transformation of the physical, with technology already ready and very sophisticated in technique. And that's what makes it quite scary, barring the gory introductory scene.

I could literally transform my face into something else, and thereafter, with the severing of current ties with friends and family, lead a completely different life. The objective of Seh Hee in the movie, can indeed drive someone nuts, and even drive yourself nuts as you discover you're living a lie, and you can do nothing about it to reverse the process. But if your life is in a rut, would you be tempted to do it? For the reasons of Suh Hee, of being someone else to test the fidelity of your other half, is just plain crazy and you'll easily come to see why it's a lose-lose situation from the start - he loves you now, so that says a lot about his affection for you in the past; He doesn't love the present you as he still can't forget and is still holding onto hopes of seeking the old you out, which will leave the current you miserable because you've already physically transformed. Ooh, it's one heck of a mind exercise.

END SPOILER THOUGHTS

I would deem this movie very accessible, paced very well, and has enough moments to keep you riveted and guessing the outcome at each step of the way. But it's not plain sailing and he does keep you guessing time and again, deliberately leaving some questions unanswered, providing you with plenty of room for discussion. For those who liked to be tease and dislike being spoonfed with the movie's narrative.

cerebral sci-fi/fantasy film

[Buddy-51 · 7/10 · 6 February 2009]

In combining elements of sci-fi and fantasy with a thoughtful, contemplative study of human relationships, the Korean film, "Time," brings the adage "Beauty is only skin deep" to a whole new level.

When she begins to sense that her boyfriend, Ji-woo, may be losing interest in her, Seh-hee decides to undergo plastic surgery so radical that even he will not be able to recognize her. Her plan is to then insinuate herself back into Ji-woo's life under the guise of her new identity, hoping to stave off his growing indifference and, in so doing, give them what amounts to a second chance as a couple. Needless, to say, Seh-hee 's scheme does not work out quite as planned and she learns some pretty powerful lessons about the way true love actually works.

Although Seh-hee clearly believes that by altering her appearance she will be able to change her inner makeup as well, the truth is that she remains every bit as grasping, jealous, melodramatic and paranoid after the surgery as she was before. No amount of change in her looks can raise her self-esteem or make her any less difficult to deal with. Her boyfriend, meanwhile, becomes a pawn in her twisted game, as he is tricked into inadvertently rekindling a romance with a woman who carries with her all the same baggage he had so much trouble putting up with in the previous relationship (despite the fact that he genuinely loves her).

An attack on the looks-obsessed nature of modern culture, "Time" is not a "thriller" in the conventional sense of the term. It demands patience as it goes about the business of laying out its storyline and doesn't go in for a whole lot of fancy horror movie pyrotechnics to raise the audience's hackles. Instead, it relies mainly on subtle psychological insights to generate a feeling of imbalance and unease. Seh-hee is clearly mentally and emotionally unstable, and writer/director Ki-duk Kim's subtle, almost Pirandellian way of dealing with that madness makes it all the more disturbing.

Strong performances, steady direction, sharp cinematography and an unnerving view of human nature all combine to make "Time" an offbeat, memorable experience. Don't expect to jump out of your seat or bury your face in your hands during the course of this film - for in the case of "Time," the chills all take place in the mind.

A Modern Times poetry

[konrad-daniel · 10/10 · 9 July 2006]

Kim Ki-Duk's latest movie deals with a story set in metropolitan environment. The main characters are fully aware of the speed with which the city breathes and the crowds of people that pass; they attempt to fight time, develop recognizable identities, yet still feel lost in the big place. These thoughts lead the woman character (played by Seong Hyeon-a) to a conclusion that the only way to keep her lover is to not tire the relationship; and for such it is necessary that she undergoes plastic surgery. Her lover doesn't know that; he's forced to live six months without any idea where she's gone to, if she's alive, whether she's dumped him or not and most importantly, if he should keep his heart open to her love and possibly hope for her comeback.

These are heartbreaking moments, but surprisingly the Czech audience took them rather easily; most repeatedly laughed at scenes which are funny, but at the same time raise important question and, for my taste, require much attention paid.

During the six months in which the woman's face is fixing up, the movie centers around her lover and the life he's attempting to live; at that time the movie is floating endlessly, introducing new characters (if I'm not mistaken, all played by the same great actress). It is entertaining but at the same time includes thoughts revolving around existence, recognition, individuality and similar. Eventually both ends meet, with funny yet consequent twist at the end.

Similarly to one of the author's previous movie, 3-Iron, the movie feels like a soft ballad; shots composed with a beautiful sense for color, reflections and composition, but also shaky-cam feeling whenever necessary. Although "Time" is set in a huge city, places are revisited again and memorized on photos, as are the characters. Unusually for Kim Ki-Duk, there is also lots of dialogue included; fortunately enough not only does that not wear out but it's often pretty entertaining.

Summed up, "Time" was a beautiful experience, a movie that completely carried me away. If you're planning on seeing it, do not underestimate the somewhat light appearance; it deals with very important issues, and it deals with them thoroughly. Pay attention and you'll be rewarded big time.

Korean remake of "The Face of Another"

[fertilecelluloid · 7/10 · 24 December 2006]

Kim ki-Duk's latest is a Korean spin on the Japanese classic "The Face of Another" (recently reviewed). A nutty, jealous woman (is there any other?) undergoes plastic surgery in order to revive what she perceives to be a lackluster relationship. Her old boyfriend falls for her once again and causes her her green-eyed monster to resurface, proving once and all that you can't surgically remove the dysfunctional stuff beneath the skin. This is an intermittently fascinating but flawed movie. When it's focusing on the man-woman dynamics, it is authentic and raw and funny in a sick, familiar way. When it's trying to be more clever than its inspiration, it becomes long-winded and aimless. Like ki-Duk's "The Bow", the film has an unsatisfactory resolution that fails to address the issues it has raised. Technical credits are fine and performances are all of a high caliber. This definitely falls into ki-Duk Lite territory, joining "3-Iron", "The Bow" and "Spring, Summer..." I liked it more than "3-Iron" and "The Bow", but I was still disappointed that the director dropped the ball in the final act.

An incredible exploration into the oblivion of contemporary identity.

[mxrcxdxs · 10/10 · 5 February 2007]

There is something startlingly relevant to this film. The ever increasing lack of identity in the modern world, and the rise of all sorts of abstract selves, from Internet IDs to Social Security numbers, has left our age with nothing but ever changing faces and dubious selves. The most corporeal and brutal example of this is cosmetic surgery. And, Kim Ki-Duk's haunting masterpiece speaks to both the obsession with a physical ideal, as well as the very ambiguous ideology of identity.

As a cynical and often apathetic moviegoer, this film entranced, bewildered and truly disconcerted me. Kim Ki-Duk is developing into an incredible filmmaker. The cinematography is delicately crisp, in a way that is very new and only really found in a handful of Asian movies from about the last 5 years. The dramatic elements are utterly profound, and the plot functions on many levels, (though not specifically allegorical) invoking and evoking issues ranging from history, the failure and ultimate relativism of communication, the absurd necessity for beauty, as well as a plethora of other parallels.

Anyhow, I find myself being verbose, but I just watched this movie and am terribly excited about it. Instead, the film itself is anything but convoluted, and though not exceedingly complex, is incredibly deep. Be patient, because it starts a little slowly, but erupts into something so strange and meaningful that I would recommend this film to anyone that enjoys Asian cinema or that likes to think.

A Nice Try

[wanbaclone · 6/10 · 15 January 2009]

Kim Ki-duk isn't interested in telling a straight forward story. He repeats scenes (more than once) though the last time normal space-time is fractured. Time (the movie) is more of a metaphor rather than a straightforward story.

At first I was wondering why the movie wasn't titled Face (since one of the main characters early on decides to have her face changed through plastic surgery); however, it becomes clear that this movie is not interested so much in appearance as it first seems. It is firstly a movie about time.

When we first meet the couple the movie revolves around, Seh-hee (the girlfriend) is suspicious of her boyfriend's commitment to faithfulness. She wonders if he is growing tired of her because they've been together too long. She ultimately decides to try and take their relationship back to the beginning. She wants it to be new in the hope that the newness will hold the relationship together. What she neglects (however trite it sounds) is the invaluability of time spent together. The characters spend much of the movie apart, and the viewer knows that a sad prophecy of loneliness is unfolding.

While the movie can function as a cautionary tale, it isn't really that engaging. Seh-hee is obsessive, insecure, selfish (since she's more interested in being loved than loving), and completely jealous. Ji-woo seems to be inattentive, and unresponsive to her concerns. Clearly there's a back story of dysfunction that we never see. Throughout the movie, Seh-hee spends so much of the time not listening (and not believing) her boyfriend as well as throwing tantrums that I couldn't sympathize with her. When you can't sympathize with the main character of a story in nearly any way, the story has a problem. I'm not saying a character has to likable to be sympathetic, but I am saying that for tragedy to work correctly (and this is clearly a tragedy) there has to be enough in a character that we wish to see redeemed so that when the character is damned, we feel the appropriate emotional response of catharsis. I didn't feel it after watching Time.

Twice during the movie a character tells Ji-woo that Seh-hee must really love him. Neither character really seems to believe that's true. It's more of a nicety than anything else. We don't believe she loves him either, and that's the problem with this film: she doesn't love him, she just wants to be loved by him. That wound can't be healed by time.

Visually Cerebral

[matty03 · 9/10 · 7 January 2007]

Ki-duk Kim is one of my favorite filmmakers. He seems to always stick to his vision and, I suspect, enjoys going against the very grain of where he is expected to go. It is my opinion that he takes audiences to "places" in Korean culture that other Korean filmmakers dare not go. I had been waiting to see this film on the screen but the opportunity has yet to come. I was thrilled when a pal sent me the just released DVD.

Ki-duk Kim's work is surreal, socio-political and melo-dramatic all at once. This can be an uncomfortable combination. I find that there is often a dark comedic element at work in his films which makes it all the more uncomfortable. In fact, I often wonder if the "comedy" I find is intended. As a viewer, I don't care. I find his work endlessly interesting and unforgettable.

This is not his finest work. It is, however, a visually stunning work. At it's heart are two central ideas playing off each other: the 21st century obsession with plastic surgery and the obsessive quality of love/devotion. The film is filled with character insecurity and the neurotic. The surreal set up for this film is also a bit too confused. However, I would urge anyone interested in his work or the films that are coming out of Asis to seek this film out.

There has been criticism of the theatrics of the performers. While I understand this issue I feel the actors give exactly what Kim was after. The pitch of the performances match the over-the-top story line.

This is an intellectual film. I think what I love the most is the fact that it is visually intellectual vs. plot driven intellectual. I am not sure I managed to get that idea out, but I hope whoever reads this understands what I am trying to articulate.

Face changing

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 28 August 2008]

See-he's relationship with her lover, Ji-woo, has turned out to be not what she wanted. Her basic problem is her face, she doesn't think she is attractive enough, especially after seeing her man flirting with a waitress at their local coffee shop. See-he doesn't wait for an easy solution, she decides to take things into her own hands by undergoing a complete transformation that will change her face forever, hoping to rekindle the passion she once had shared with Ji-woo.

Kim Ki-duk is a director that wants to explore modern relationships' darker aspects. Mr. Kim surprises with this new film that judging by some of the comments submitted to this forum, will please a great many of his fans, while infuriating many others. This is a film that appears to be something on the surface, but is it really? The director, as he has demonstrated with his body of work takes a deeper look into the fabric of the society in which he lives.

Human relationships such as the one presented in the film are fragile, at best. What makes lovers react to situations in the way See-he does? Or for that matter, Ji-woo's own approach at seeing the woman who he loves disappears forever is also that is unexplainable. When the transformed See-he reappears, she makes the same mistakes she made before.

The clue into the situation comes at the beginning of the story, and also is repeated at the end. A woman comes out of a plastic surgery clinic wearing a mask, obviously after undergoing a facial procedure. We watch as See-he collides with her, breaking the picture frame. See-he promises she will repair the picture, then walks with the shattered object to show Ji-woo, who is waiting at the coffee shop.

Mr. Kim has gotten good performances out of his young cast. The actors do a fine job following the director's commands. The end result is a film that gives us a lot to think about. Mr. Kim's films are usually more subdued than the "Shi gan" where he uses a lot more dialog to illustrate his point.

Unpolished brilliance

[postmanwhoalwaysringstwice · 10/10 · 13 December 2007]

Adventurous Korean director Ki-Duk Kim has gotten a bad rap for his so-called idiosyncratic film-making, which he delivers with an impeccable visual sense, a twisted sense of humor, and provocative allegory to spare. His fast paced productions and edgy material create films that are rather unique works of filmic art that are clearly not to most people's taste. It seems that many of his harshest critics are surveying the trees and not the forest in his work, which misses the point.

His 2006 film "Time" is another journey into the human psyche. This time with the story of a young couple whose overall unstable relationship replete with jealousy issues and frequent quarreling drive the woman to resort to drastic measures. She abruptly disappears from the man's life and has plastic surgery to change her entire appearance. As the days and months go by the young man loses hope that his beloved will return to him.

This dark romantic, pseudo-science fiction, tale is at times captivating and unsettling and certain to be a satisfying date movie for intellectuals. It has plenty to say about the urge to change the one you love, the obsessive nature of passion, and the culture of youth and beauty. This is one great, great film!

A Highly Under Rated Love Story

[delightful-life · 26 June 2012]

Hope you have read the official story line.

I was intrigued by that and since we are all so used to so many of the Hollywood style movies and also because of the relatively low 7.2 rating here at IMDb I was expecting it to be a mediocre merry go round, boy was I wrong! This is a weird movie, and instead of putting us off it makes us think, think really hard. Very strangely, this movie, unlike other movies is always showing us a certain third party perspective (normally Hollywood tries to do just the opposite to make us empathize with the character), and its this that makes us 'think'.

And I came off thinking:

* Our lives are too good, and because its too good we do things to make it complicated, we basically imagine up things, and we ourselves create problems which we then try so hard to solve.

* Only if we had left things as it was.

* Aren't we being just plain greedy.

If you have liked movies like Tokyo Story, Still Walking, etc., yes please check out this movie.

Thank you for reading. :-).

Cheers!

South Korean cinema author Kim Ki Duk has made an honest attempt to ascertain why people get bored in relationships.

[FilmCriticLalitRao · 7/10 · 7 August 2014]

Kim Ki Duk's film Shigan/Time is about the concept of beauty which differs from person to person.He has built his film around a couple of young,violent lovers whose whimsical behavior reveal hotheadedness prevailing in South Korean society.Much of the film tries to find out why people especially youngsters start to get bored in relationships ? Although Shigan/Time concentrates its energies by depicting various procedures used to beautify ordinary looking people,it loses no time to convey that real beauty lies in one's heart.We get a clear message that inner beauty is important than a person's external appearance.Kim Ki Duk also suggests that boredom is not entirely a curious phenomenon related to affluent nations as this malaise of western world has already started to rear its ugly head in new developed nations too such as South Korea.It is a pity that not much is known about Kim Di Duk's motivation for making such an inspirational film.However,one can hazard a fortuitous guess that Kim Di Duk made this film due to an old incident of his reckless wild life when he was rejected by some girl.

Interesting idea - but story and performances lack credibility

[burckhardt · 3/10 · 12 July 2006]

I saw this film at the opening of the Karlovy Vary film festival. The story focuses on the themes of identity, vanity and the constant pressure to improve our own personal appearance. The story revolves around the central female character who undergoes radical plastic surgery in order to ensure that her lover does not grow bored of her appearance. The narrative builds an increasingly complex story woven around the central female and male characters and also utilises 3-4 key locations including a coffee shop and sculpture park. Yet the narrative is very unevenly paced - initially it deliberately takes very little time to set the basic premise of the story, but then after dragging out the middle section of the story, the final series of events seem to pass at a frankly ludicrous pace. Little time is taken to explore motives or explain events and as a result potentially dramatic scenes are given little context. One reviewer was surprised that the audience at the premiere laughed during serious scenes - my personal opinion is that many viewers found the events unbelievable and unrealistic - hence the incredulous reaction. This problem was further compounded by a weak performance from the central male character. The character is largely bewildered by events but then as the story unfolds he goes through wider mood swings that are not conveyed in a way that makes the viewer believe or empathise with these emotions. Personally - I found as the story developed I gradually lost interest in the characters and the conclusion to the story was predictable, convenient and over-engineered.

Meh...

[frankenbenz · 6/10 · 6 December 2008]

Having recently discovered Park Chan-wook's body of work I decided it was time to explore the work of another South Korean writer/director garnering similar acclaim. Kim Ki-duk has been hailed a maverick, labeled the "bad guy" of Korean cinema and his body of work has been described as brutal, graphic and unforgettable. As a result of the hype, my expectations were pretty high when I dipped my toes in Ki-duk's waters, first with 2004's 3- Iron and a few days later with 2006's Time. But, as it often is with high expectations, there's little space to soar and a long way to fall.

While both films were technically astute and showcased flashes of poetic brilliance, my overall impression of Ki-duk is that he is a filmmaker who heavily relies on contrived plot lines, overt romanticism, melodrama, shock and surprise. Considering that Ki-duk has criticized his Korean contemporaries for being "too intellectual" it comes as no surprise his films owe more to Hollywood than the New Wave. Not surprising, the major problem with both 3-Iron and Time is that they aren't intellectual, are hollow and desperate to impress audiences.

3-Iron is a film with little dialogue -- virtually none spoken by the two principals -- an unconventional approach to storytelling, one many of my favorite films adhere to. But sitting through 3-Iron I couldn't escape the feeling I was watching a self-conscious student film, one that isn't nearly as poignant as it wants to be. 3-Iron desperately wants to be interpreted as a serious work of cinema, exemplified by Ki-duk's deliberate efforts to manufacture curiosity by shrouding his main characters in ambiguous and mysterious behavior, all of which is framed in strictly composed wide shots and long takes. Unfortunately, this behavior is hard to connect with since it almost always feels unnatural, insincere and contrived; it feels like the voice of the writer is speaking to us, not the inhabitants within the story.

In contrast, Chan-wook opts to challenge his audience with unorthodox editing and purposefully unconventional methods of storytelling, Ki-duk tells his story in very straight forward and conventional manner. The net result is that Ki-duk's characters always feel trapped within the realm of conventional storytelling and the eccentricities that animate their actions always feel manufactured by an authorial voice. As is often the case when movies try to capture the essence of "Love," they try too hard to be profound and naturalism ends up taking a back seat to something less desirable.A lot of people love 3-Iron because they see it as an unconventional love story. There's no question the subject matter owes more to Christopher Nolan's Following then it does to Anthony Minghella's The English Patient, so in that regard I suppose one has to concede 3-Iron isn't a typical romance film. But despite 3- Iron being determined to be different, the only thing it actually does any different from run- of-the-mill romance yarns is to portray unrealistic, eccentric and (ultimately) contrived behavior from the two lovers involved. Aside from this abnormal behavior, very few cinematic elements within 3-Iron can be considered unconventional.

Despite the shortcomings of both 3-Iron and Time, I still think these are films worthy of modest amount of attention. At the very least, they are mindlessly engaging and at their best they are subtly indifferent to the formula that makes so many romantic films unbearable.

Kim Ki Duk once again.

[stevelee5984 · 9/10 · 3 October 2006]

Many Koreans hate the fact that Kim Ki Duk is still able to produce movies in Korea. There were many people boycotting this film in Korea, many saying that he is a very pessimistic human being, touching up on all the dirty things about Korea.

I myself finally got the chance to watch this. Watching all of Kim Ki Duk's film so far, I believed that this was definitely much more colorful in a sense. The story was very relative towards the Korean population. With plastic surgery becoming just a new hobby in Korea, Kim Ki Duk, goes in depth with the theme. The cinematography was great. Personally, it was my favorite film by him so far, before this it's been Bad Guy and Address Unknown but, Time delivered it to me. It kept me glued to my seat the entire time. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen.

If people enjoy the movies made by Mr. Kim Ki Duk. you won't regret this one either.

A challenging name Shi-gan

[abdiulusoy · 7/10 · 13 February 2007]

In my opinion Shi-gan is a very challenging name for such a movie. It is focusing mostly personal (two people's) affair. So it doesn't go beyond giving some information about Korean life and geography (they're serving water before ordering. Symbolism of film was not related with the story stream. Short scenes of actions(kicking the big tree) are not for strengthening the expression but for revealing the side of director. Sculpture park is the most interesting part of the movie and worth to see. But even the atmosphere of place and integration of story to the sculptures do not save the film. So movie must have a name like " Anatomy of a Relationship" which describe better and don't create great expectations for the audience

South Korean cinema author Kim Ki Duk makes an honest attempt to ascertain why people get bored in relationships.

[Film_critic_Lalit_Rao · 8/10 · 28 April 2010]

Kim Ki Duk's film Shigan/Time is about the concept of beauty which differs from person to person.He has built his film around a couple of young,violent lovers whose whimsical behavior reveal hotheadedness prevailing in South Korean society.Much of the film tries to find out why people especially youngsters start to get bored in relationships ? Although Shigan/Time concentrates its energies by depicting various procedures used to beautify ordinary looking people,it loses no time to convey that real beauty lies in one's heart.We get a clear message that inner beauty is important than a person's external appearance.Kim Ki Duk also suggests that boredom is not entirely a curious phenomenon related to affluent nations as this malaise of western world has already started to rear its ugly head in new developed nations too such as South Korea.It is a pity that not much is known about Kim Di Duk's motivation for making such an inspirational film.However,one can hazard a fortuitous guess that Kim Di Duk made this film due to an old incident of his reckless wild life when he was rejected by some girl.

brilliant and surprising!

[francesco-destefano · 9/10 · 25 August 2006]

As usual, Kim Ki Duk surprises everyone with a brilliant and original movie. Especially the last minute!!!! We can say... a movie about TIME whose REAL TIME is the last minute!! The actors have been well chosen, especially the actresses (as usual in Kim). The ambiance really fits the story... wonderful the "park of statues"... Where is it? I'd like to visit!!! And then... the café "Room and Rumours"... very amusing and a "house of divertissement"! A little bit of violence, which shows that Kim is not only devoted to represent violence in its essence! This is his movie with less violence than the previous (think about Bad Guy, for instance... of Iron 3...) Great!!

under the sign of Time

[dromasca · 9/10 · 1 November 2008]

The title of the movie is an indication that the story happens under the sign of time and periods, same as in other of Ki-duk Kim's movies like the fabulous 'Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring'. Here the cycle lasts six months, the time it takes for a plastic surgery patient to completely recover and for his or her external appearance to change to the limit of not being recognized even by a lover. External appearance change means that the person changed? Can plastic surgery fool love? or destiny? To what extent what we are is how we look?

This film of Kim is different in cinematography, it leaves almost completely the traditional Korea setting of other films of his and happens in the modern and futuristic Korean landscape, which even led some folks to shelve it as a science-fiction movie which it is not in my opinion. If some of the refined camera work from other movies is missing here the only exception is the statues park, where the characters come from time to time to take snapshots of themselves and of their physical changes. This very landscape which as the film progresses is more and more submerged in water, metaphor of another universe that is overtaking the reality. This universe is under water, invisible to us, like telling to not look for understanding and transparency in a world different than ours.

This is also a love story, but a cruel one, and a different one. It all starts like a soap opera, a young couple breaks away, and she decides to play the cruel game of changing her appearance to test if his love can be triggered again if physically she becomes somebody else. It so happens that his was a true love, and when she shows up at the threshold of a six month cycle he is torn between the attraction for the new relationship and the feelings for the lost and disappeared true love. When truth surfaces he is the one who tries to take revenge, but the closing of the cycle turns into tragedy. Men - women relationships can never be symmetric.

Some critics do not consider 'Shi gan' as one of Kim's best film. Well, if this is a relative failure I prefer Kim's failure to many other movies.

A disappointment

[sinistre1111 · 4/10 · 25 November 2007]

If I can spare at least one fan of Kim Ki-duk's other films from wasting their time on this sub-par offering, then my work here is done. Time is perhaps the director's most straightforward film, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but in this case the lack of complexity and hyperrealism found in some of his better films makes this one a failure by comparison. Time makes some fairly obvious statements about identity, jealousy and attachment (as opposed to real, true love.) No doubt some viewers (especially those unfamiliar with the director's other work) will find these statements deep and moving (and the fairly pat and predictable narrative easy to follow.) The director is nonetheless an artful cinematographer and this film is not without its charming scenes and symbolic and visual merit. However, compared to the complex, cerebral and occasionally magical dramatic presentation of films like The Isle and 3-Iron, this offering from Kim falls miserably short.

Kim Ki Duk at his best

[wiseman-4 · 10/10 · 25 November 2006]

Welcome back to the old good times of 'Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring' and 'Seom'. That's the feeling I got watching 'Shi gan'. After 'Hwal', which was a little disappointing, I really enjoyed Kim's last film. The story is indeed a simple one and, as some indicated, unrealistic. But wait! No one ever said Kim's films have (or have ever been) realistic. It's all about philosophy, psychology and the feelings where the physical surroundings and their reality are not relevant. I have heard talks that Kim Ki-duk is not always appreciated in Korea and I had a chance to ensure this myself with my Korean friends here in the UK who didn't seem too fascinated about the stories we watched in 'Spring, Summer Fall...' and 'Samaria' (I didn't dare to suggest them to watch 'Seom'... perhaps that would have been too much to them). It's in a way a little sad because, in my opinion, Kim Ki-duk is one of the greatest directors alive... and he's at his best with 'Shi gan'.

A movie for the women of today

[jeanneleehuipeng · 8/10 · 14 January 2007]

Although I have not watched any of the director's previous movies, "TIME" was a movie that was definitely provocative and representative of women's ideals of today. At least most of the women I know. Do not watch this movie at face value because for me, I felt that the director did a fantastic job portraying the emotions and insanity faced by the women and men who were in that situation. When in the cinema, there were men sitting next to me complaining about how crazy the protagonist was. I was quite sure he didn't enjoy it. So my advice is take it artistically. It's quite disturbing to the mind when you see what plastic surgery looks so prepare yourself for such graphics.

Plastic surgery has become today's solution to esteem problems and the result is, even more problems.

Quite a mind f*ck

[cinemart · 8/10 · 15 September 2006]

Always a sucker for plastic surgery films, I came to Kim Ki-Duk's TIME with trepidation as I suffered through his BAD GUY / NABBEUN NAMJA in Toronto a few years ago.

Seh-Hee is the insanely jealous girlfriend of Ji-Woo ("I want to pluck out the girls eyes whenever they look at you," she says in all seriousness). After going out for two years, Seh-Hee becomes convinced that she must get a new look to keep Ji-Woo interested. Despite her psychotic behavior, Ji-Woo is truly in love with her and is devastated by her sudden disappearance.

Six months later, he meets a woman at his favorite sculpture park. She toys with him mercilessly, driving a wedge between him and his loyalty to Seh-Hee. When it looks like he might be falling in love with this new girl, See-Heh, a note from Seh-Hee threatens to topple their relationship. Of course, Seh-Hee and See-Heh are the same person but it's not as easy as that. Ki-Duk won't allow this to be a "rose by any other name" love story or a THE GIRL MOST LIKELY TO tale of revenge. This artsy fartsy flick (heavier on the artsy than the fartsy) explores the nature of love and identity. Not for people that can't stand embarrassing public arguments or oddly circular narratives, TIME is a compelling viewing experience.

Boy meets girl, girl gets insecure, girl gets major plastic surgery, all ends happily ever after?!

[thebestpossibletaste · 9/10 · 24 September 2007]

Time is one of Kim KI Duk's more accessible offerings. No less beautiful or challenging than his earlier work, just a little more sympathetic to the viewers sense of "what's going on". The story centres around a couple, and more specifically the woman, who is definitely a little deficient in the self esteem department.

Ji Woo and See Hee are a couple that have been in a steady relationship for some time, but things are getting a little stale, and cracks are beginning to appear between the two of them.

As viewers we see the final breaking point in their local coffee shop.

After flying into a jealous rage when Ji Woo innocently helps two girls who are having a little car trouble, thereby gaining their thanks and, albeit briefly their attention. Convinced that JI Woo is no longer in love with her, and probably seeking attention elsewhere, See Hee decides the only way to keep their relationship fresh, and her man interested is to give him a new woman to fall in love with...HERSELF!

With that she disappears with no word or explanation, only to return six month later after extensive plastic surgery. Literally, a new woman. Meanwhile JI Woo is distraught, wondering where and why the love of his life has gone. Being left to wander dazed through the following days, weeks and months until, completely unaware what is in store for him, See Hees plan to reunite them is set into motion.

However, when, after several carefully engineered meetings, she realises that her plan has badly backfired on her because, despite his obvious physical attraction towards her new creation (this new woman), he is still very much in love with his disappeared soul mate. She realises that the only way to stand any chance of getting him back is to tell him what she has done.

How this is resolved, you will have to find out yourself... just remember you are watching a Kim Ki Duk movie. One reviewer made comment about the trend toward plastic surgery in Korea, however I feel that this is missing the point. This is not about needing a face lift or a boob job this is about losing yourself completely. Total reinvention, total lack of self esteem and self worth. This is not " he will like me better if my nose is straighter". This (more distressingly) is "he will like me better if I am someone else" !

Forget the Korean connection, this is a sad love story about insecurity, jealousy, fidelity and faith. It could have been told in any country in any language. In fact this movie over any of his others I can see being ripe for the inevitable American remake treatment.

All of the directors trademarks are here, the beautiful painterly images, the suppressed anger and brief explosive moments of violence, and of course the quiet lei-surly pace at which he allows the the story to unfold. Stylistically, imagine Greenaway shacked up with Haneke for the weekend, you will get the idea.

Although I understand Kim Ki Duk is not really appreciated in his home country at the moment, I can only hope that with the passing of time (no pun intended) Korea realises that it can, and hopefully will, lay claim to one of the worlds true originals of modern cinema as it's own.