neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter … And Spring
	Ki-duk Kim Young-soo Oh, Ki-duk Kim, Young-min Kim, Jae-kyeong Seo, Yeo-jin Ha, Jong-ho Kim, Jung-young Kim, Dae-han Ji, Min Choi 2003		A fable that's beautiful in its setting and simplicity, "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter … and Spring" likens a man's life to the changing seasons. The whole "seasons of a life" idea is not an original thought, but, in this case, it inspired a meaningful, resonant, well-made movie by Korean writer/director Ki-duk Kim ("Bad Guy," "The Isle"). As "Spring" commences, a small boy is absorbing life lessons from his master, an aging Buddhist monk (Young-soo Oh). They live in relative solitude in a temple built upon a raft that floats in the middle of a rural lake. Years pass; the boy is becoming a young man — just in time for a concerned mother to leave her ill daughter (Yeo-jin Ha) at the temple to be cured by the elder monk. The daughter is attractive and also the age of the younger monk, which turns out to be a recipe for sexual awakening in a previously cloistered male. Of course, the master warns that lust — the ways of the world, if you will — can poison one's spiritual being. Although there is rough stuff on and off camera that contrasts with the placidity of the monks' dwelling and the surrounding terrain, the film is more about internal turmoil and torment. The younger monk is played by a series of actors; they include the filmmaker, who portrays him as an adult. And regardless of age, they're all convincing as the same character.


	Sunday, November 17, 2024





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