Dilip Review of Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)

Don't miss this gem of a film - aesthetically and spiritually compelling

[9/10 · 16 June 2004]

I saw "Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom" ("Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring") May 30th in a local theater. This Korean film (with subtitles but little dialogue) is a must-see. The suffering of life is told through the wisdom of a Buddhist monk and his young student living in a small hut on an island barely big enough for that hut in a gorgeous, isolated sylvan valley. Aesthetics ... action and reaction ... dharma and karma ... life and death ... humility and pride ... spring, summer, fall, winter, and again spring. Don't miss this gem of a film.

9.5 stars out of 10

--Dilip Barman June 15, 2004