Jorge Argibay
In this book, Kim-ki Duk is introduced through several of his films, drawing attention to the ’shadows’ that surround his creation and those of his future characters. The study dwells on various concepts and scenarios that nourish the narrative and silent dialectics of a production that is close to difficulty and visual harmony. There is no time for hesitation, the paragraphs are directed towards a creation of his own, which Kim Ki-duk, with his 'invisible hand', turns into a wide horizon open to anyone who wants to enjoy a soft melody of good images and fiction. Much more than a book on Korean cinema, it is a demonic immersion in the vicissitudes and struggles of a social reality that contrasts with the true animic quality desired by the viewer. It reflects Ki-duk’s audacity to capture with certainty the wanderings of his characters in themes that cross the screen like stormy lightning bolts with no final destination. The characters’ states of mind, their mental equilibrium, their frustrations, their behavioural limitations, all have a place in Kim Ki-duk’s endless succession of creativity. In this book, this contrasting horizon between several of his works takes shape, giving rise to a corner full of shadows that are not shadows at all, but storehouses of positive and versatile ideas designed to offer surprise and plasticity to the viewer on the other side of the screen. This is a book for Ki-duk’s initiates, or for those with knowledge who want to retrace the steps of an unforgettable author.
