Often considered to be the finest work till date of Korean enfant terrible Kim Ki-Duk, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter… and Spring is an intensely philosophical work of art. This dream like fable is set at a small Buddhist monastery located at somewhere in an unbelievably serene landscape of remarkable natural beauty. The movie follows the life of a character through the various seasons of nature as well as life – from childhood through adulthood to old age, and covering a plethora of experiences including joy, sorrow, lust, jealousy, rage, tranquility and bliss. In essence, it has captured the cyclical journey of life, and ironically a vicious one at that. The movie is lyrical in content, comprises of very few spoken words (a common link for all the Kim Ki-Duk films that I've seen), and is embalming for those with a philosophical bend of mind; however, scratch the surface a little, and you’ll notice a very palpable and disturbing statement on the inherent violence in human nature. The acting is good, managing to capture the various nuances of the story. Interestingly, the director cast himself in one of the seasons (winter), and did a fine job at it.
Director: Kim Ki-Duk
Genre: Drama/Psychological Drama
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea
