Goose Egg Marathon Film #36Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring(2003, Ki-duk Kim)
"GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA"Thus is the final phrase of The Heart Sutra, who's abstract themes hold the key to the depth and symbolism of this film. I'm a sucker for art that is in someway the product of an artist's attempt at redemption for youthful regrets. Ki-duk Kim directs himself in a film about the stages of life that somewhat seems to mirror his own path - when looking at his filmography to this point.
The film follows a young boy at a Korean Mononstary as he grows through several stages of this life. Circumstances have him leave and return as he grows through adulthood and beyond. What starts as very still, reflective and beautifully rendered portrait of a quiet pious life turns into an poigniant statement about regret and enlightenment.
As an outdoorsy guy, I love the thought of hanging out at this place for weeks and months at a time. Watching this film takes me there however briefly.
What's pretty cool in the early going. I'm trying to negotiate what kind of film this is going to be. The director gives you several harbingers of doom early on - a snake creeps behind a rock, a poison leaf is mixed with medicinal herbs, a child rows a boat with a rock tied around his waist. It's as if your normal movie-going sensors are being tripped to think that each of these is going to lead to dire consequences. But they don't. But the uneasiness is set and gets carried with you though the film through it's final reel. Very effective. I recall the same thing in Yi Yi earlier in this marathon. It is pretty effective and bringing you into the film and subverting my western expectations (if that is a fair characterization)
At the surface some of the symbolism is heavy handed, especially as bookends are tied together, but I think there is much to peel back from all the nuance in between. The structure lends itself to some deeper study.
As you can see from some of the stills, this a very pretty film. The cut I had was pretty grainy tho - and the score was a bit noisy. Does anyone know if this is getting a blu-ray release? This might be enough to get me to finally make the jump (ha. I've said that before. I'm too much a cheapskate!)
I really enjoyed this film, and look forward to delving deeper into this film's meaning and more work from this director.
Verdict:Loved spending time in meditation with this film. Beautifully rendered and poigniant. I highly recommend
Grade: A