Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... & Spring
(C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
'SSFWS' is a Korean drama written & directed by Ki-Duk Kim. A young boy lives in a small floating temple on a placid lake, along with his elderly Buddhist master. Years later, the boy (now then a teen), experiences a unique sexual awakening with a girl who's come to the temple for healing. He leaves his serene home, but finds life in the real world to be troublesome. He returns to the lake to reconnect with nature and start life anew. I can't recall much dialogue in this film. But nothing really 'had' to be said. This is an extreme visual feast for us audience. Its story is beautifully simple. But that's also a sort of drawback for me.
Spring: South Korea, the young boy (Kinh Jong-ho) & his master (Oh Young-Soo) go about their daily, Buddhist routine. Summer: 10 yrs. later, a sick girl (Ha Yeo-jin) arrives, via boat, to the monastery to heal. There, she and the boy (now a teen, Seo Jae-kyeoung) make love. Attached to her, he abandons his master and runs off with her to the city life. His master had warned him, 'lust leads to possession, possession to murder', etc. But he doesn't listen.
Fall: 10 yrs. later, our protagonist, now a man (Kim Young-min), returns ... a fugitive from the law! He's now seen a life, far away from the haven that is the floating temple. He's witnessed and been a part of lust, cruelty, anger, and murder. With the help of his master, he begins a therapeutic, spiritual cleansing; but the cops show up. Winter: 10 yrs. later, our protagonist is older (played by the director) and he returns to the lake temple once again. The old monk has died, and he steps-up now to be the new spiritual advisor to a new, young apprentice. The cycle begins, once again ... in Spring.
The setting & photo-imagery on screen is truly beautiful. Like a cocoon turning into a butterfly, so is this story (a child, growing to a precocious teen, flawed adult, wise old man, etc.). I pick-up on and enjoy the principle of 'you can always return home and find peace & solace amid a crazy world', etc. One cycle ends, another begins, etc. It would be interesting to see what the initial elderly monk's life was like prior to the initial 'Spring', etc. There is a lot to admire here. The movie is highly symbolic. Simple, yet complex. Pretty, cathartic, gentle.
But for some reason, I didn't find it to be profound. At least: not nearly as profound as most critics found it. Some find it suspenseful. I say, where's the suspense? Is it contemplative? Sure. But not suspenseful. There couldn't be any less suspense. In fact, as each segment wore on, I became less & less interested. It's a 'sit back, relax, and experience it - type of movie'. It's lonely, meditative, well-intentioned; as inspirational as it is depressing. Gosh, I think I just missed the boat on this one. With deafeningly fantastic reviews, I expected a masterpiece. For me, it was simply okay. The film isn't empty of beauty, but I think it's empty of any heart. It won't permeate my mind for hours, days, or years after my initial viewing. See it for yourself, but put me more in the minority {wink}.
Spring: South Korea, the young boy (Kinh Jong-ho) & his master (Oh Young-Soo) go about their daily, Buddhist routine. Summer: 10 yrs. later, a sick girl (Ha Yeo-jin) arrives, via boat, to the monastery to heal. There, she and the boy (now a teen, Seo Jae-kyeoung) make love. Attached to her, he abandons his master and runs off with her to the city life. His master had warned him, 'lust leads to possession, possession to murder', etc. But he doesn't listen.
Fall: 10 yrs. later, our protagonist, now a man (Kim Young-min), returns ... a fugitive from the law! He's now seen a life, far away from the haven that is the floating temple. He's witnessed and been a part of lust, cruelty, anger, and murder. With the help of his master, he begins a therapeutic, spiritual cleansing; but the cops show up. Winter: 10 yrs. later, our protagonist is older (played by the director) and he returns to the lake temple once again. The old monk has died, and he steps-up now to be the new spiritual advisor to a new, young apprentice. The cycle begins, once again ... in Spring.
The setting & photo-imagery on screen is truly beautiful. Like a cocoon turning into a butterfly, so is this story (a child, growing to a precocious teen, flawed adult, wise old man, etc.). I pick-up on and enjoy the principle of 'you can always return home and find peace & solace amid a crazy world', etc. One cycle ends, another begins, etc. It would be interesting to see what the initial elderly monk's life was like prior to the initial 'Spring', etc. There is a lot to admire here. The movie is highly symbolic. Simple, yet complex. Pretty, cathartic, gentle.
But for some reason, I didn't find it to be profound. At least: not nearly as profound as most critics found it. Some find it suspenseful. I say, where's the suspense? Is it contemplative? Sure. But not suspenseful. There couldn't be any less suspense. In fact, as each segment wore on, I became less & less interested. It's a 'sit back, relax, and experience it - type of movie'. It's lonely, meditative, well-intentioned; as inspirational as it is depressing. Gosh, I think I just missed the boat on this one. With deafeningly fantastic reviews, I expected a masterpiece. For me, it was simply okay. The film isn't empty of beauty, but I think it's empty of any heart. It won't permeate my mind for hours, days, or years after my initial viewing. See it for yourself, but put me more in the minority {wink}.