Review

Review Date: 6-June-04
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Just OK

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring (2004)

In recent years I have come to realize not only that I am religiously intolerant, but also that my spirit (such as it is) does not respond well to allegory. In light of these admissions, it should surprise no one that the Korean Buddhist movie "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring" does not rank high on my list of favorites. Though lovely to behold, as a narrative it verges on melodrama, and as a lesson it fails to inspire.

"Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring" uses the seasons (and a dog, rooster, cat, and snake, whose significance I do not know) to represent the life stages of a monk (or monks, depending on how you look at it). The first season introduces a wise old holy man (Oh Young-soo) and his young protégé (Kim Jong-ho), who inhabit a simple house in the middle of an isolated mountain lake. The boy embraces his quiet seclusion with all the exuberance of childhood, but he is forced out of Eden (if I may mix mythologies) when he learns the first hard lesson of life involving consequence and contrition. Upon reaching the borders of manhood, the student (Seo Jae-kyung) undergoes another basic initiation, this time involving a pretty girl (Ha Yeo-jin) who comes to the lake seeking spiritual healing. Their connection leads to the next, more painful phase in which the young man (Kim Young-min) completely succumbs to the pitfalls of a worldly existence. Throughout his trials, the novice looks for guidance from his master, who never strays from his home or his beliefs. In the end, their lives come together to form a circle, as the former apprentice (played in middle age by writer/director Kim Ki-duk) overcomes the ambitions and yearnings of his past to obtain the serenity of the holy man.

Despite its clear-cut structure, the film has a strange cadence, an uneven tone that places harshness and softness, passion and tranquility in jarring proximity. While this may enhance the lake's symbolism as a place of peace beyond the everyday world, it doesn't help the flow of the picture. The autumn section, in particular, seems to stretch for cohesiveness and meaning, so much so that it almost turns the old monk into a wizard more suitable for a fantasy tale. And while the movie does address the central message of Buddhism --- that enlightenment requires the negation of desire --- it carries other notions that aren't as digestible. A faint whiff of misogyny surrounds the depiction of physical love (while the male seeks to possess, the female seeks to be possessed, for which there is apparently no cure); and the martyrish suffering detailed in the winter segment suggests sensationalism more than spiritualism --- but maybe this was just my reaction in the wake of the disturbing popularity of "The Passion of the Christ."

"Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring" exerts its strongest influence upon the mind and soul with its spectacular setting and gorgeous cinematography. These aren't enough, however, to make its story or its message truly resonate.

Copyright © 2004 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.