It's fair to say that the subject-matter... is likely to be a hard sell, but the quality of the film is such that it simply demands an airing.

True to the title, writer-director Lee Chang-dong is principally concerned with rendering emotions that seem inexpressible.

Those with an eye for reading between the lines can find layers of meaning.

Poetry serves as an indictment of a society that sweeps sexual assault under the rug, the better to coddle the perpetrators at the expense of the victims, and to keep the cycle going in perpetuity. Lee wrote the central part for the radiant Yun Jeong-hie.