Yet another one of Ki-duk Kim's films - SPOILERS
Two things really got me wrapped over in this film and both of them are about the light and eros.
First, the paintings on her wall - the nudes, think they are carbon drawings - on a white background - they all talk about her deep acknowledgment of her beauty and her attention to the human body beauty around. Remember? Is beauty a blessing or a curse? Certainly in this film, beauty IS destiny and destiny is meant to be followed with no way of avoiding it.
There were so many many close ups these paintings with different lighting on them that it really made me wonder : why so recurrent but still so much different because of the light? I am strongly convinced that they played a key role in the symbolism of this film. And then, at the ending scene, I realized : when the guy turns off the light ... It's just because without light there IS NO beauty. Without the light there is no fascination. Remember good old Plato and his optical theory? It says that seeing is facilitated by the light which brings a copy or an image of the object through the eyes back to the brain. But these images in the brain have been interpreted by Aristotle and later on, by guys like Ficino as being "fantasmatas" that is images that can "tie up" a spirit and have it completely submitted and abulic. This is how the medieval ages have defined the state of being in love with someone : a complete fascination, a total surrender to a phantasm - an image in your head that compels you to absolute surrender. An image that is longing for the corresponding object from reality e.g the beloved person. The one who's in love becomes a victim of the beloved's image.
All the guys in this film are somehow "enchained" by the seeing of her. What does she do right after the rape? She tries to obstruct the image she projects : by trying to become bulimic or anorexic, by hiding herself in a darkened room, by covering the windows so no light comes in... But, when everything fails - the will to deteriorate the outside is internalized and transformed : in order to deteriorate the outside image of her, she starts from the inside : she's dressing herself well again, even better and sexier than any scene in the film, but her EYES just keep on telling the story ... The sunglasses covering her eyes : turn off the light and there is no beauty and no ugliness...
She, at her turn has become the victim of her own nightmare. She is as equal in her madness just like the ones who fall in love with her. How ironic ...
Some say beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.