Moebius, Die Lust, Das Messer

Have you ever watched a film that brings your endurance to explicit (even sick!) blood and sex violence to its very limit while at the same time makes you laugh and depicts with smart (yet explicit!) cleverness one of the basic essentials of Buddhism?... No, I'm not trying to bring opposite worlds together, but Kim Ki-Duk did, in his film Moebius.

A truly masterpiece of cinema in its pure essence, compelling and with an stunning economy of resources: few settings, few actors, even the two female roles are played by the same actress (Eun-woo Lee) in an outstanding performance. Moebius tells a story with deep metaphysical symbolism using just images (there is no dialogs) and focusing exclusively and with dazzling clarity on the points important for the story and its meaning, namely the search for physical pleasure concomitant to the nature of every human being, and the main protagonist of this: a part of the male anatomy known as "penis".

Only after the last scene, when the young protagonist bows before Buddha, one can understand the whole meaning of the film, every piece fits then perfectly in the puzzle (emotional puzzle, we are not talking about crime and mystery here). Then we understand that pleasure (the main, maybe the only important one: sexual pleasure) comes always at a price in this world; pleasure involves pain one way or another. Not once in the film pleasure brings any kind of satisfaction or happiness, instead it causes distress, sorrow, guilt, pain, immediate or in the long term; many of the scenes in the film show the attainment of pleasure directly through pain, and with more pain as a consequence.

CAVEAT - SPOILER IN THIS LAST PARAGRAPH

But then, in the end, the young protagonist frees himself from this tie, through the most direct way: castration (well, there are actually several of these throughout the film, so WARNING for sensitive viewers!), and later, bowing before Buddha, he does something he had not done even once during the film: he SMILES, as Buddha did. He is released now from human passions, no longer slave of his desires, no longer subject to the inescapable search for pleasure of the physical body. He is now FREE

Enough 1-word descriptors? If not, read below if you're still on the fence about watching this film.

In a by-gone era of silent films, Ki-duk continues to impress by eking out just the right amount of raw emotion from his actors to keep the viewer immersed in the story. He is notorious for this as he continues to make the kind of films he 'wants' and not just fulfill the wishes of the production companies.

This is far from a masterpiece, yet it is still worth watching. Be prepared for something way different than you're used to. In fact, if you're watching a Ki-Duk movie, then I think you're likely ready for the ride you're about to go on... ;)

Wow! What a jolt of caffeine was this! I guarantee you that you will see quite a few scenes in 'Moebius' that you will not see anywhere else. Boy, are these Korean filmmakers getting daring.

I'll try my best not to lay any spoilers in this brief review because that would ruin the joy of discovery for you. Suffice it to say, Hollywood or Bollywood would never touch a script like this with a ten foot pole. As a matter of fact, I didn't know what I was getting into when I acquired this film. I figured, well, it's Korean horror so I should probably prepare myself.

I'm glad I saw this film; it really made my day. It is a must see because of its originality. I'm not going to say what makes it so unique, but you can tell from the high ratings it's received on IMDb that it's worth the price of admission.

So you love your kid, but you will hurt him so cruelly just to get back at your cheating husband? As I always try to do: no spoilers on this review, because you got to see it for yourself, but fairly warned, this Korean movie is not for the squeamish! I felt compelled to stop watching, I felt my face with a cringing gesture, because I don't know if the writer is in the borderline of insanity and perversion. Is not an easy watch, and to make it more difficult for the viewer the lack of music and dialog, yes there is not a single spoken word from the protagonists, and there's nudity and rape scene so you are warned again. When I was a eight years old, the grownups talked about a shocking movie, that none of us the kids were allowed to see or discuss, as I grew up I watched the movie and read the novel "Los Cachorros" by Mario Vargas Llosa, wow! I never forgot the story and undoubtedly the film in question takes on a different "remake" from the Mexican film and the Peruvian novel, with some added twists and shocks! watching the first part of "Moebius" gave me a shiver, and made me remember "Fatal Attraction", I could mention Lorena Bobbitt but if you don't know who she is don't Google her, not before watching this movie! And remember do not mess up with an angry woman! I hope you get curious because I am writing nothing else, if you are brave enough, watch it if not yourself with a grownup, in no way whatsoever this can be a movie for young audience, anyway, whatever your judgment is, you may fell compelled on watching some innocent cartons to recover from "Moebius"

Moebiuseu. A completely wordless experience. So in line with that, my reveiw will be short.

Moebiuseu is a sexual exploration like no other. It stuns, and enlightens.

And it's not for the squeamish.