Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom (2003)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Ki-duk Kim

Writer:

Ki-duk Kim (writer)

Release Date:

19 September 2003 (South Korea)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

This film takes place in an isolated lake, where an old monk lives on a small floating temple. The wise master has also a young boy with him that teaches to become a monk. And we watch as seasons and years pass by.

Plot Keywords:

Lust | Monk | Catharsis | Seasons | Broken Heart

Awards:

11 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Yeong-su Oh	...	Old Monk (as Young-soo Oh)
Ki-duk Kim	...	Adult Monk
Young-min Kim	...	Young Adult Monk
Jae-kyeong Seo	...	Boy Monk
Yeo-jin Ha	...	The Girl
Jong-ho Kim	...	Child Monk
Jung-young Kim	...	The Girl's Mother
Dae-han Ji	...	Detective Ji
Min Choi	...	Detective Choi
Ji-a Park	...	The Baby's Mother
Min-Young Song	...	The Baby

Directed by
Ki-duk Kim

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ki-duk Kim		writer

Produced by
Karl Baumgartner	....	producer
Seung-jae Lee	....	producer

Original Music by
Ji-woong Park

Cinematography by
Dong-hyeon Baek

Film Editing by
Ki-duk Kim

Costume Design by
Min-Hee Kim

Sound Department
Stephan Konken	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bon-seung Ku	....	sound

Production Companies

• Korea Pictures
• LJ Film
• Pandora Filmproduktion
• Cineclick Asia

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Cineclick Asia (2003) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Cinema Mondo (2004) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Festive Films (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2003) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Filmhouse (2004) (Mexico) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Mikado (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2004) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Pandora Filmproduktion (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Pretty Pictures (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• SPO (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Triangelfilm (2004) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• United King Films (2004) (Israel) (theatrical)
• Amazonia Films (2004-2011) (Venezuela) (all media)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Bavaria Film International (2003) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• Califórnia Home Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (all media)
• Divisa Home Video (2004) (Spain) (DVD)
• Dolmen Home Video (2004) (Italy) (DVD)
• Dolmen Home Video (2006) (Italy) (DVD) (boxed set)
• Festival Films S.L. (2004) (Spain) (all media)
• Fundamental Films (2009) (China) (TV)
• Gateno Films (2005) (Peru) (all media)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• SPI International (Czech Republic)
• Slovenska Kinoteka (2004) (Slovenia)

Other Companies

• Konken Studios  sound re-recording

Also Known As:

Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring (Australia) (UK)
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (International: English title) (USA)
Frühling, Sommer, Herbst, Winter... und Frühling (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong sexuality.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

South Korea | Germany

Language:

Korean

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Hungary:16 | Japan:R-15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Czech Republic:15 | Finland:K-11 (re-rating) | Finland:K-15 (original rating) | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Italy:T | Mexico:B15 | Netherlands:MG6 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R | Chile:14

Company:

Korea Pictures

Trivia:

The inscription on the floor is "The Heart Sutra", one of the most important Sutra of Mahayana Buddhism, written in literary Chinese.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After the cops take the young adult monk away and the old monk is standing on the monastery watching, a fine monofilament can be seen pulling the boat, which is ostensibly floating on the current, back to the monastery.

Quotes:

Old Monk: Lust awakens the desire to possess. And that awakens the intent to murder.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Holiday (2006)

a Buddhist meditation on life and death, and what surrounds us

I remember when I saw this film on screen last year, I was struck by the rhythm director Kim Ki-Duk used in the film. It's deliberate, too deliberate for most I'd suppose. But like a reading good piece of philosophy, the filmmaker allows the viewer to get as much as they may find in the work. The story is more of a fable than a really conventional narrative- a baby is delivered to the steps of a Buddhist house on a lake, where the boy is raised by a master. He grows up, and falls temptation to the desires of the world. He decides to leave, only to return and find himself again. In the end, as winter comes, things come full circle. Each of the 'seasons' of the film are handled delicately, with the kind of simplicity that may appeal even more to children (the segment of the first 'spring' with the child transcends religion and goes into the basic stance of nature). The scenes of finding lust in 'summer' is not terribly graphic, but it puts the point on what is right and wrong in the customs and traditions of the religion. Then in 'Autumn', there are harsher lessons to be learned, and this also contains the best acting from the old master and the young, angry pupil. And 'Winter' becomes the most meditative of them all, with next to no dialog. Indeed that may be the turn off to most viewers- to say that the film isn't supported by dialog is an under-statement. And its not necessarily documentary realism. What I sensed from the film, and what stuck with me for a few days afterward, was the spiritual attitude behind the style, the confidence that the rhythm had a connection with the subject matter. It's one of the most soulful films to come out of the Eastern world in some time. It's less a traditional drama than a unique experience, for better or worse, really more for the better.