User reviews

I wanted to write a review so as to somehow share what I just have seen with someone (anyone). Even if it's just my text being passed on to you the apprehensive reader.

As what happens in Moebius, stays in Moebius & I wont be able to share this over the coffee machine at work tomorrow.

I've see some weird movies (swedish, french, Japanese, south American etc etc...). I didn't think I could be made to turn from the screen & put my hands over my eyes anymore. However "Ki-duk Kim" writer/director reached deep into that dark space within his twisted soul and pulled this bad boy up for all to ponder.

So lets get serious! It's not the rape, violence & dark nature of this movie that you haven't seen before. It's the haunting way all it's been put together. The reason why you'll keep watching is as far as art concerned, the director & the actors do a wonderful performance in portraying this darker than twisted narrative. In fact if they didn't perform it so well, you wouldn't be able to watch.

Minus a musical score or any verbal communication, every sound you hear, affects the hairs on the back of your neck. It's not a horror, however you get that cold feeling as your eyes take in it all in.

The movie isn't all gore and shock throughout. There are genuine moments of tenderness when father and son come together, bonding due to the tragedy of it all. Guilt and forgiveness are exchanged within a moments glance and you feel warm as you predict the Hollywood style happy ending. Boy meets girl and again the eyes exchange their words.

I'd like to tell you more, however I struggle to describe the journey ahead without giving it all away.

You'll be adding this to your list. A well told and chair pinning watch. However I won't be watching it again anytime soon. 6.8/10

You have to love Asian cinema. It never holds back on any topic no matter how insane. Here we have an entire film about a father and son who are basically neutered by the woman of the household out of revenge for adultery. The rest of the film is about the agony of men dealing with life bereft of their penises, and how they try to get their penises back. Keep in mind this film has no dialog whatsoever which is not an unnatural as you might think, but it is still quite odd and seems a bit unbelievable at times. Perhaps there is some connection between speech, the word, and the penis? Yet it also creates a kind of emotional intensity that sets the film apart. Like Pieta, I wonder what the point is of all the perversity in this film. I suppose if you want to tie it into Freudian psychology, Greek tragedy etc that is one approach. Perhaps it is an absurdist tale about modern nonsense. Perhaps the black comedy satire this film is, somehow helps us come to terms with out repressions in the modern age not to mention our materialism, and hypocrisy. There is a repeating theme in Kim-Ki Duk's films of redemption through religion. The son who is castrated finds redemption in the Buddha. The son pays for the father's 'sins' at the hands of the mother. The mother corrupts her son further through incest to spite the father. In Pieta, the only character at peace with themselves is the one who gives up materialism and seeks the Buddha. I notice a pattern in the films of Kim-Di-Duk. The agent of justice is as 'bad' as those they punish for their transgressions. The ideal of a heroic moralist is lost in this Korean film. Instead everyone continues to fuel the fire of their own personal karmic retribution getting deeper and deeper, never really getting to the end, just deeper. Of course I may see this idea through the western lens of morality, while karma is more of an inherent, impersonal law of cause and effect, that no one controls. It is a force of nature really, assuming our interpretation of it is correct.

But enough theory. The acting is strong in this film. The story line is captivating. This film makes insightful points about human 'nature' such as the intermingling of pain and pleasure, or the amorality of the human animal. The extreme topic of this film may be a bit gratuitous and make you wonder what the point is though. The actors portray their pain and suffering in a believable, compelling way. The dark subject matter makes the film unapproachable by most though. I don't mean dark in some emo, Gothic poser fashion. It is harrowing watching the actors go though their pain. Perhaps that is the point of this film...to watch people suffer and feel sorry for them while being repulsed at the same time.

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.

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... ;)

Can describe this film, which is sort of poetical since there aren't any words said throughout the entire film.

I watch a lot of horror and thriller movies. Just sorta my thing, I guess but this is just an odd movie. I'm not sure that this could fit into either of those categories even though there is blood, violence and psychotic behavior. This situation is indeed horrific but I see this as more of a really dark drama. There aren't any "scares" in my opinion but it is twisted. I'm not gonna hand out any spoilers so I'll give the basics to try and help you make your decision to check this out.

There is no dialogue or even very much music in this. However, I think the cast in this movie did a fantastic job. You can clearly understand, for the most part, what is going on. I actually felt bad for our main character and wanted to see how they were going to deal with what was going on. If you decide to watch this the main thing that's gonna drive you through is the weirdness of the situations presented. I asked myself "WTF?" many, many times with this but I just couldn't stop watching it. I wanted to know what was going to happen. If a movie can pull you into it like that I consider it to be a good film.

I've seen where the plot of this is bases on a Buddhist belief but I don't practice Buddhism and since I didn't know what the belief was I had to take off some points. I just didn't know what was being laid out in front of me. I did however, look up information on this particular belief and after having done so I think that the movie very much spoke to it. I just wish it had been better explained or made more clear in the movie.

I gotta say that I liked it. It's "out there" for sure but the acting was amazing and it does speak to the Buddhist belief. So, if you are looking for something strange to watch, this is a great option. You'll stay engaged, disgusted and scratching your head with this one. Check it out if that's what you are looking for.

... but not in a good way. Can more aptly be described as A Cockwork Lychee.

To begin with, I put this grade with a needle in my heart. I'm a massive fan of Kim's work and I've seen everything from his masterpieces.

I'll try to be fair. I accept the fact that he's been always experimenting and I do love that he tries more and more to change the point of view in his movies.

In particular, Moebius takes an innovative - unusual way to tell the story. The movie doesn't contain any dialog; the actors are caricatures that fit perfectly in the scenery. The script is daring but it loses it somewhere. It lacks something. There is a really annoying (after some time in the movie) obsession with masturbation, there are lots of pointless violence, and the metaphors lack of the usually great Ki-Duk's connections.

The Oedipus-myth complex is clear from the start, but I can't see what new "Moebiuseu" is adding to the story.

After the movie ended, I was left cold and alone. I really didn't understand if it held any of the Kim Ki-Duk usual movies' values.

I thought that it might had been best if I had never seen "Moebiuseu", because this is the first time that this creator falls in my eyes.

I have been a Kim Ki- Duk fan ever since I saw Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter....and Spring. And I tend to gauge all his subsequent works with this masterpiece. and Moebius which created quite a ruckus when it was screened in this part of the world (as part of the International film festival of Kerala, 2013) is definitely not the best work of Kim Ki- duk. the director himself was a special invitee...but the theme of the movie proved to be too gruesome for some viewers. castration and its aftermath..a mother who should be confined to an asylum are the topics that this movie covers. if one were to tell the story - the oral description would be too horrible....but i can tell you the visual depiction is not as horrendous. This has been hailed as a black comedy....but I feel that the old TV movie Attack of the 5ft. 2 women starring Julie Brown was much better as a comedy. I remember laughing my guts out while seeing that movie. so do yourself a favour- go with Julie Brown rather than Kim Ki- duk as far as this topic is concerned.

I always try to be open minded about the cinema and movies. This one goes way way over the line. This movie has absolutely no value for the public viewer. The wife catches her husband having an affair with another woman. I understand a wife could go insane and she does here but to do what she does to her son is above the pail. This movie would have maybe been better if there was some dialog. Though I don't know if anything written for dialog would really help decipher what transpires in this sorry movie. I don't know why the director/producer of this movie would make it this way other than to "impress" a few deranged movie goers who will call this art when its nothing but sadomasochism in the extreme. I should have shut this movie down after the first 15 minutes. I advise the rest of you to not waste your time. Having a face-to-face talk with your mother-in-law is better than polluting your mind with this trash dumpster of a movie.

And I thought Pietà was appalling! But the 19th film by director Kim Ki-duk really brings on screen something that reaffirms his reputation as one of world cinema's highly controversial directors. One of the most uncomfortably hilarious films I've to sit through, Moebius tells the story of a destructive family in which the husband is having an extra-marital affair, the wife is jealous plus angry & their son who ends up paying the price for his father's acts.

Written & directed by Kim Ki-duk who really has a weirdly disturbing sense of humour, the film has no dialogues throughout its runtime & even music is absent except for the final moments. There is a lot of hilarity in the film but it comes with a price that not everyone will be willing to pay. The story begins on an extreme note but never really settles down for a bit & it'll have you go WTF every few minutes.

On an overall scale, Moebius presents its notorious director going way too far with the subject matter than he did in his last feature & although as pretentious it may be, it really won't be easy to get it out of your head once you've seen it. Infused with Buddhist symbolisms that completely went over my head, Moebius is an extremely scarring cinematic experience that'll find you laughing while your eyes bleed.

Watch it at your own risk & remember what you're going in for. You've been warned.

I never heared a thing about this flick but now and the, it pops up on lists were they are talking about shocking flicks or weird flicks and I can agree on both parts, it can be shocking for some and if you do watch it it is weird on other parts,

That been said it is mostly filed under horror but I can't say it is really horror because there's no gore attached, it's all done off-camera but still it do shock. It's all about a man cheating on his wife. The wife knows so she decide to castrate her husband and from there I can't say more. What I said was seen in the firts 5 minutes. From there on the story goes really beserk.

For the gorehounds or the lovers of old school horror there isn't much to catch but it do contains a lot of nudity, castration, bullying, rape, masturbation and mutilation. So you can understand that is isn't going to be a ride for will make you comfortable.

Coming out of South Korea it makes it even weirder. And don't worry, there is no spoken word throughout this sickie. So no subs needed you can pick it up all over the world.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 2/5 Effects 0/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

To get the name of the film out of the way the following is offered, though it doesn't seem to relate to the film: 'Moebius syndrome is a rare birth defect caused by the absence or underdevelopment of the 6th and 7th cranial nerves, which control eye movements and facial expression. Many of the other cranial nerves may also be affected, including the 3rd, 5th, 8th, 9th, 11th and 12th. The first symptom, present at birth, is an inability to suck. Other symptoms can include: feeding, swallowing, and choking problems; excessive drooling; crossed eyes; lack of facial expression; inability to smile; eye sensitivity; motor delays; high or cleft palate; hearing problems and speech difficulties. Children with Moebius syndrome are unable to move their eyes back and forth. Decreased numbers of muscle fibers have been reported. Deformities of the tongue, jaw, and limbs, such as clubfoot and missing or webbed fingers, may also occur. As children get older, lack of facial expression and inability to smile become the dominant visible symptoms. Approximately 30 to 40 percent of children with Moebius syndrome have some degree of autism.' Alternatively, Moebius refers to a continuous one-sided surface that can be formed from a rectangular strip by rotating one end 180° and attaching it to the other end. Take your pick.

But on to the film. This is a film that will find its audience - there is so much of this sort of morbid, weird derring-do on routine movies and television that it should not really shock anyone. But the film is different. It is without spoken word and therefore relies solely on the body language and wordless reaction from the cast. Yes the story is bizarre - a married man with a son man has an affair with a young woman, the wife flips over the top and decides to destroy the husband's offending organ - an act that is aborted and the mother instead transfers her uncontrollable madness on her son, castrating him. The family naturally disintegrates, the father commiserates with the injured and disturbed son and the mother re- enters the family picture with an even more sick behavior.

The three cast members are convincing - a factor that somehow makes the film work. Yes, it is a disturbing repugnant movie but some people with a thirst for the dark in life will likely purchase the film to see repeatedly. For the faint of heart, avoid.

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

A bit disturbing and a weaker plot than 3-Iron. Either way, it's still impressive what Ki-duk Kim was able to do without any dialogue. Good pace and hard (but kind of predictable) conclusion.

How could anyone make such an anti-human film? There are one thousand and one ways of telling stories, not in such an unpopular way. Directors have been shadowed since childhood.

People always talk about directors, This guy didn't write the story or the screenplay but he did direct these actors very badly.

I don't think people know what the directors supposed to do.

He's supposed to push the actor into making it believable.

Fun story, but too improbable In 2013 surely they could have acted better fight scenes.. These, and there's a lot of them, and how weak the men are portrayed prevented me from enjoying the fun crazy plot.

But for a movie with not much dialogue it did go by pretty quickly.