Customer Rating: 
Summary: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring
Comment: This movie written and directed by Kim Ki Duk is not only the best Korean movie I've seen, it may be one of the best movies ever. As a professor of philosophy I would absolutely use this movie as a supplement to a discussion of Jean Jacques Rousseau's Emile. I'm not sure if that's what Kim intended to do, but it is an excellent movie. Bravo.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Simply Profound
Comment: To most americans this will be a slow and painful movie to watch considering the slow progression of the plot and the subtle references to Buddhist philosophy, most americans simply will not get it. However, to anyone with even an elementary understanding of Buddhism you will get it and you may ponder this movie for years to come. The lessons that are taught in this movie are profound and I guarantee that you will gain a different outlook on life after viewing this movie. I consider myself a strong fairly unemotional man at least on the surface, as my girlfriend calls me an emotional rock, but even I had to secretly wipe a tear from the corner of my eye when the boy was being taken away by the police and the old man tried to stop him. If you see the movie you will know what I mean. anyway, I strongly recommend this movie to anyone who has a philosophical outlook on life.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: If You Like It I Understand, If You Don't Like It I Understand That Too
Comment: Everything about Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring is incredibly simple, so simple that it is borderline boring. The film about a young monk who is the understudy of a wise old monk. He starts out as just a boy but grows up with the seasons. They live on and take care of a floating monastery on a lake in the middle of a forest.
The young monk must experience life by himself for many years. As a young teen he is introduced to a young girl who's mother brought her to the floating monastery because of an illness. The girl is sick and can be cured but she will stay on the monastery until she is healthy again. Of course the young monk is curious, he has never seen nor been with a girl. Trying not to ruin the film I will stop here but the monk and the girl meeting basically change both of their lives drastically.
This film can really be anywhere from 3 to 5 stars depending on what type of day you're having. It's good but at the same time it is missing something. It's one of those things you just cant put your finger on but it's there for sure. It is definitely 5 stars on some levels though. The film has beautiful imagery and the floating monastery was stunning. The acting was really so so, nothing amazing but decent. The biggest problem was the story didn't have enough to it to really get you going for it. I understand that the simplicity is supposed to maybe add a bit to the overall feeling but it didn't for me. It's a good film but lacks in a few spots but still a decent one. It may be better depending on your mood at the time but it is very slow moving.
Customer Rating:
Summary: 3 stars maybe
Comment: Movie was cheesy. It was a slow movie (which I enjoy slow movies ),however the speed of the movie was only slow when nothing was happening and rushed to get to a point at other times (inconsistent speed). A film's rate is dependant on the rate of divulging information, plot, character etc.. I think it's supposed to be an artistic film but, I think artistic or not you can't sacrifice important elements and cinematography isn't everything, it certainly can't carry the weight of an entire film. That being said lets move on.
It's a morality tale, but the problem is that you see it coming a mile away. The child actor was terrible except when he was crying, that was his only believable scene. It only starts to become interesting when the boy grows up, but then later it becomes cheesy after a few unnecessary turns in the plot to bring him back. The end is beyond cheesy, a cheap excuse to show some martial arts, and some supernatural things which were thrown in (transformation into snake). The only good thing about this movie is that at times you can follow the story, the cinematography is amazing, and music is good. There was too much awkwardness (scene cuts, unexplainables, and unnecessary character introductions) to call this masterful. I would say this was rough draft turned into a film.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Simple Beauty
Comment: My rating is really a 3.5 but I will round it up to a 4. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter is a movie worth watching. The cinematography is beautiful throughout. The storyline is interesting and contains some fundamental lessons about life and its cycles. The script is also what fell short for me however. It was a little too simple for my liking. Given the lack of dialogue, or other alternate persuaders, it was difficult for me to believe the young woman was attracted to the young man in the first place. Additionally, the jump to her ultimate fate was too quick. While the wise old man made reference to the outcome earlier in the film it seemed too convenient. I was hoping for some dramatic revelation at the film's conclusion but it never came for me. The film ended as it began...quietly, in keeping with the wise old man's nature.
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