Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring (2003)
95%RT Audience Score: 93%
Awards & Nominations: 16 wins & 9 nominations
A visually stunning and contemplative piece of work.
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring is like a spiritual journey that takes you through the seasons of life. It’s a movie that makes you feel like you’re meditating in a beautiful garden, surrounded by nature and the wisdom of a wise old monk. You’ll be mesmerized by the stunning cinematography and the simple yet profound lessons that are woven into the story. It’s a movie that will leave you feeling peaceful, inspired, and grateful for the beauty of life. So, grab a cup of tea, sit back, and let this movie take you on a journey you won’t forget.
Production Company(ies)
Korea Pictures, L J Film Pandora Filmproduktion,
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Jusanji Pond, Cheongsong County, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some strong sexuality
Year of Release
2004
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 42m
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Language(s):Korean
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 14, 2003 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 7, 2004
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter . and Spring, R, Drama, Korean, directed by Kim Ki-duk, produced by Lee Seung-jae and Karl Baumgartner, written by Kim Ki-duk, starring Oh Yeong-su, Seo Jae-kyeong, Ha Yeo-jin, Ji Dae-han, Kim Young-min, MPAA rating R, box office gross $2.4M, reviewed by Antonia Quirke, Nick Schager, Jeannette Catsoulis, Peter Rainer, David Jays, Roger Moore, Allen Almachar, Anton Bitel, Deborah Hornblow, Tim Brayton, Jason Gorber, Marty Mapes, 94% Tomatometer, 93% audience score, Buddhism, monastery, apprentice, aging monk, sexual relationship, modern way of life, morality, growth, seasons of life, human spirit, emotion, tears, cinematography, tragedy, serenity, contemplation, hope
Worldwide gross: $8,945,072
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $14,110,730
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,845
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,538,793
US/Canada gross: $2,380,788
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,755,661
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,885
US/Canada opening weekend: $42,561
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $67,139
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,098
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Ha Yeo-jin – The Girl
Ji Dae-han – Detective Ji
Oh Yeong-su – Old Monk
Kim Young-min – Young Adult Monk
Seo Jae-kyeong – Boy Monk
Director(s)
Kim Ki-duk
Writer(s)
Kim Ki-duk
Producer(s)
Lee Seung-jae, Karl Baumgartner
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
16 wins & 9 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (100) | Top Critics (36) | Fresh (94) | Rotten (6)
There are moments here that you will love and remember.
December 14, 2017
Antonia Quirke
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
Somber, serene and stirring.
May 4, 2005 | Rating: B+
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring may arrive cloaked in Buddhist theory but its premise is more Halloween than hallowed.
September 12, 2004 | Rating: 2.5/5
Jeannette Catsoulis
Las Vegas Mercury
TOP CRITIC
The impression this movie leaves is profound: Here is an artist who sees things whole.
August 7, 2004
Peter Rainer
New York Magazine/Vulture
TOP CRITIC
Although not as gut-wrenching or politically pugnacious as some of his previous work, Kim’s film allows a sense of moral renewal unclouded by sentimentality and without blurring his remarkable cinematic idiom.
June 15, 2004
David Jays
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
This is as close to a Zen experience as the movies offer.
June 4, 2004 | Rating: 5/5
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring is a breathtaking and mysterious film.
July 8, 2020
Allen Almachar
The MacGuffin
Kim invites us, like the mountain-top Buddha, to see a wider panorama wherein human transgressions, though neither overlooked nor indeed excused, form part of a bigger picture.
February 4, 2019
Anton Bitel
Projected Figures
A singular picture, an exploration of spirituality that conveys lessons large and small.
May 2, 2018 | Rating: 3/5
Deborah Hornblow
Hartford Courant
Precious few movies are so agog with wonder at the absolute majesty of nature.
February 14, 2010 | Rating: 10/10
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy
Truly remarkable, this is the most accessible of his films, to be sure, but there remains an edge that makes it all the more remarkable when the film settles in to be simply quiet and beautiful. Exceptional.
June 21, 2007 | Rating: A-
Jason Gorber
Film Scouts
As the Buddhists might say, you have to experience it firsthand; reading about it is not enough
April 14, 2006 | Rating: 3.5/4
Marty Mapes
Movie Habit…
Plot
A young Buddhist apprentice is tempted away from his spiritual existence by a girl who arrives at the monastery seeking assistance with her health, leading him into a modern way of life he is unprepared for in “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter … and Spring.”
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film stars Seo Jae-kyeong as the Boy Monk.
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