an old man and a teenage girl live on an anchored boat somewhere out to sea . he plan to marry her at her 17th birthday . while he occasionally leave their floating home to fetch fishing tourist she never do . only the visitor seem to think there be something strange about the situation . the man and the girl seem happy . at first . a handsome young man who visit the boat gradually make her question her situation and to the increase dismay of the old man . to me hwal seem to be a metaphor of possessive love and move on . on the dramatic level some thing do not make sense . on the metaphorical level they do and to a great extent anyway . when the old man shoot arrows at men who flirt or try to paw the girl there be no police investigation or vindictive victim . this be just a way to show that jealousy make you do stupid thing that potentially can hurt others . when the boat where the old man and the girl use to live follow the boat on which the girl try to leave with the young man and it doesn not matter that the engine be break or that no one be drive it . old relationship be hard to leave behind . the downward spiral of jealousy and possessiveness be gut wrench to watch . you just know something bad be about to happen . love and or rather the risk of loose it and make you hurt each other . accept the loss and accept the pain and letting go be a way out . just like other kim ki duk movie the pace here be tranquil and the photography be beautiful and and the main character manage the express all the emotion they need use few or no word . i really liked hwal but perhaps it not the best kim ki duk movie i have see . the end be a bit confusing and the theme of possessive love and the setting of a floating home be also explore in the superior bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom ( 2003 ) .