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SPRING, SUMMER. FALL, WINTER...AND SPRING Send This Review to a Friend
For sheer cinematic beauty, the oddly titled Korean film "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring" is thoroughly captivating. Written and directed by Kim Ki Duk, and photographed by Baek Dong Hyun, the import revels in mood and delicacy. The visuals fit the story perfectly, as the wispy plot follows the life of an elderly Monk, played by Oh Young-soo, who communicates wisdom and reserve as we are guided through life's seasons.
The wisdom is apparent as the monk supervises the behavior of a young monk who as a boy needs to be taught a lesson. When the youngster finds fun in tying rocks to a frog, a fish and a snake and watching them strain to move, the older monk finds a way to show the child the meaning of what he is doing and thereby enlightening him.
The Buddhist monastery is situated remotely on a raft on a lake in peaceful, undisturbed surroundings. The problem of lust is addressed with the arrival of a young woman who is ill and seeks help. The boy monk, having grown into young manhood and played by the director, has his libido stirred, which deepens the story and the problems to be faced.
The film treads through the life cycle as we see events in the various seasons reflecting the consequences of one's actions and the passing of knowledge and responsibility to succeeding generations. One probably needs to feel some measure of interest in Buddhist philosophy and religious teachings to relate to this unusual film on the highest level. But one needs no more than a love of cinema to appreciate how exquisite a work the writer-director has created and to be transfixed watching it. A Sony Pictures classics release.
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