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Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring | 
| Actors: Min Choi, Yeo-jin Ha, Dae-han Ji, Jong-ho Kim (ii), Jung-young Kim (ii)
Studio: Sony Pictures
List Price: $50.99
Buy Used: $6.40
You Save: $44.59 (87%)
New (1) Used (10) Collectible (1) from $6.40
Rating:  85 reviews
Sales Rank: 7733
Format: Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Ntsc
Languages: Korean (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 103 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
UPC: 043396041264
EAN: 0043396041264
ASIN: B0002J4ZQE
Release Date: September 7, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Working miracles with only a single set and a handful of characters, Korean director Kim Ki-Duk creates a wise little gem of a movie. As the title suggests, the action takes place in five distinct episodes, but sometimes many years separate the seasons. The setting is a floating monastery in a pristine mountain lake, where an elderly monk teaches a boy the lessons of life--although when the boy grows to manhood, he inevitably must learn a few hard lessons for himself. By the time the story reaches its final sections, you realize you have witnessed the arc of existence--not one person's life, but everyone's. It's as enchanting as a Buddhist fable, but it's not precious; Kim (maker of the notorious The Isle) consistently surprises you with a sex scene or an explosion of black comedy; he also vividly acts in the Winter segment, when the lake around the monastery eerily freezes. --Robert Horton
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| Customer Reviews: Read 80 more reviews...
 If You Like It I Understand, If You Don't Like It I Understand That Too September 23, 2008
Keith A. Jones (Philadelphia PA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
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.
3 stars maybe August 6, 2008
Joe
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.
 Simple Beauty July 29, 2008
Paul A. Marsh (Ottawa, Ont. Canada)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
Worth watching July 21, 2008
SAMO
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is not a typical film, it delves into Buddhist philosophy and can take you to far away places... a good film
 One of the Best Spiritual Films of All Time June 11, 2008
Chris Cade (Vancouver, WA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
A simple yet profound tale of a Buddhist monk and his master will leave you feeling both at peace and befuddled. Its rich tapestry of spiritual metaphors and symbols will keep you captivated and yearning for more as the film draws to a "close."
As the title suggests, there actually is no end, but, rather, a never ending cycle. If you allow it to do so, the wisdom of this natural movie will help sculpt your perspective on life itself. This is a movie that I could watch over and over again, and every time find another new spiritual lesson.
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