Buy used: $12.50
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime
FREE delivery Friday, May 17 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Used: Very Good | Details
Sold by Sensations of Atlanta
Fulfilled by Amazon
Condition: Used: Very Good
Comment: Photos of Actual DVD: Case & Disc Pristine: Insert Missing

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring

Yeong-su Oh (Actor), Jae-kyeong Seo (Actor), Ki-duk Kim (Director) Rated:
R
Format: DVD
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 566 ratings
IMDb8.0/10.0
$12.50
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime
FREE Returns
Additional DVD options Edition Discs
Price
New from Used from
DVD
September 27, 2004 		—
1
$20.50
$14.51 $14.50
DVD
September 7, 2004 		—
1
$12.50
$22.00 $3.18
Watch Instantly with Rent Buy
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... And Spring $3.59 $14.09
Genre Foreign
Format Color, Multiple Formats, NTSC, AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
Contributor Lee Seung-jae, Jong-ho Kim, Yeong-su Oh, Korea Pictures; LJ Film Co. Ltd.; Pandora Films; iPictures, Jae-kyeong Seo, Ki-duk Kim See more
Language Korean
Runtime 1 hour and 42 minutes
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

Product Description

Product Description

A tiny Buddhist monastery floats on a raft amidst a breathtaking landscape, tended to by a solitaryMonk. Into this serene setting comes a young child, who will become the Old Monk's protege... and so begins a lifelong journey of hope, despair, passion and redemption in a film hailed as "A triumphof sheer cinematic craft," (Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald). From the brash actions of youth, through the dawn of adolescence and the fullness of adulthood, one man's life lessons are learned as seasons pass, his emotional inner life changing as the landscape around him. Award-winning Korean writer/director/editor Kim Ki-duk has crafted a lushly exotic, yet universal story about the human spirit and its evolution, from Innocence to Love, Evil to Enlightenment, and ultimately to Rebirth that Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York Daily News calls "A beautifully composed canvas, the sort of film one falls into, resurfacing at the end with great reluctance."

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

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.85:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.75 x 5.75 x 0.5 inches; 2.4 ounces
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Ki-duk Kim
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Color, Multiple Formats, NTSC, AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 42 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ September 7, 2004
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Yeong-su Oh, Jae-kyeong Seo, Jong-ho Kim
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, French
  • Producers ‏ : ‎ Lee Seung-jae
  • Language ‏ : ‎ Korean (Dolby Digital 5.1), Unqualified
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0002J4X20
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 566 ratings

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
566 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

B. Marold
5.0 out of 5 stars Not everyone's cup of tea.
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2013
Verified Purchase
My first viewing of the film was disappointing. I was not in the mood.

The second time, I was immediately entranced by the premise of a floating monastery, in a small lake in modern South Korea. The entire movie takes place within the confines of an approximately 1 square mile surrounding the floating house / temple / ashram. I'm amazed at the detail to which the Buddhists within the story (and the art directors who dressed the set) decorated the skiff, the house, and the symbolic door through one passes to reach the landing at which the skiff is tied up when travelling from the dwelling to the shore. The surrounding land seems to have little value for agriculture or livestock. It is probably a preserve owned by the Buddhists, or set aside as a preserve by the state.

As you may guess from the title, the film is divided into five periods; however, they are not the five seasons of two adjoining years. They represent the four seasons of a man (not a big spoiler. You discover that as soon as the "Summer" episode starts), focusing on the very young trainee who appears in the opening segment. The first Spring goes pretty much as you might expect, but at the beginning of the second season, the action takes a dramatically unexpected twist, which will keep you involved with the plot from then onwards.

If you have any fondness at all for "art films" which rely almost exclusively on ideas and the stages in one's life, be patient until "Summer" comes along, and you will be rewarded.

Even though Wikipedia calls it a monastery, I think that is a misnomer, because there is only one monk living there, with one student. It is more like a "hermitage" or an "ashram" (although that is a Hindu term.) A quick check of Buddhist monasticism says that there is a fairly broad latitude in which a lot of variety may be found. We must also remember that this film takes place in modern South Korea, even though there are only a few hints to that fact.

I might warn you that the Wikipedia article on the film has a few inaccuracies about details of the plot.

There must be a special artistry to making a film with very little dialogue, and at the same time, I suspect that such a movie, like this one, which has very few characters, and usually only two characters on the screen for long stretches, can be quite boring to some. I started watching this several weeks ago, and turned it off shortly after it began, since, at the time, I was really more interested in action, or some kind of police procedural, where I didn't have to think too much. This time, when I turned it on, being less sleepy and more attentive, I found it perfectly delightful. Even if you are fond of such movies, you must be in the right mood
15 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Erika Borsos
5.0 out of 5 stars Seasons Which Awaken Truth
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2008
Verified Purchase
Elegantly filmed with an artistic view of idyllic mountain scenes of North Kyungsan Province in Korea where Jusan Pond was created over 200 years ago. It is an artificial pond which looks like a lake and reflects the mountains like a mirror. The scenery calms the mind and soothes the soul, the camera's eye glides gradually to a small lake hidden between mountains, on which floats a beautifully painted and carved Buddhist temple. The misty mountains and tall peaks hide an inner beauty far from the ordinairy. An elderly monk tends to his prayers and then goes about his daily chores in meditation and silence. He is accompanied by a young boy, a student, a "monk-in-training" who likely will inherit this peaceful lifestyle. "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring" makes the viewer awesomely quiet and silent, absorbing the landscapes created by nature. The viewer is spellbound, waiting, anticipating - what is next? A young monk, about aged 7 or so is watched closely by the Master. He engages in boyish pranks, which harm some small helpless creatures. The Master is dismayed but uses the experience to teach the young monk a lesson he will not soon forget about "compassion." It is now "Spring" ...

Time passes, and the young monk is now an awkward teenager. He tends the Buddhist temple with care and occasionally rows a boat to a gate which leads to a path - a path to the outside world, the mountains are like a wall from ordinairy civilization. From seemingly nowhere, a mother and her ill-looking teenaged daughter arrive at the temple. The mother has sought healing from many sources but nothing has cured her daughter, she asks the Master for help, she has nowhere else to turn. The elderly monk accepts the young lady as a guest. She participates in the simple life of the temple. The teenaged monk and she eye each other warily - and inevitably - teenage passions are aroused, some of which are expressed and others that are repressed. The Master of the temple is witness to these changes.

The film continues to reveal "seasons" of life, the young monk as an adult wrestles with his feelings, leaves the monastery and joins life in the outside world. Lust, desire, control, and anger lead to unexpected behaviors. The young monk returns to the temple, without explanation but among his belongings, the Master discovered a newspaper article. The young adult monk engages in painting out specific Buddhist sutras on the deck of the temple. This film symbolically reveals subtle life-altering experiences which are densely packed with meaning. There are suspense-filled moments that reveal intense emotions of shock, sadness, and revelation within the sphere of the idyllic floating Buddhist temple that is tucked between lush green, peaked and misty mountains. The impact of the lessons learned within this film are vast and deeply meaningful. This is a most highly recommended viewing experience. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]
25 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
D J Jackson: Passionate about Film.
5.0 out of 5 stars MYSTERIOUS, RAVISHING, UNIQUE, RICH IN ICONOGRAPHY & SYMBOLISM.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is a review of the 2004 Region 2 DVD from Tartan, now Palisades Tartan, a company specialising in quality Asian film titles. This South Korean film from 2003, appears here in 1.85:1, DTS Surround Sound, and in the original Korean, with excellent English subtitles. As with all the foreign versions, the film, at 106 minutes, is slightly shorter than the original Korean release, with a tiny segment edited out because of animal cruelty.

This film was written, directed, edited and acted in by the late Kim Ki-duk. Kim was a highly respected and well-regarded member of the Korean film community, whose creativity and style deserves the description ‘Auteur’. Sadly, he died of complications from Covid, in December 2020, shortly before his 60th birthday. Of all Kim’s work, this quite early film, is probably among the best known and most widely acclaimed. Renowned critics like Roger Ebert (‘Chicago Sun-Times’) and Peter Bradshaw (‘The Guardian’), have included it on ‘favourite films’ lists; it is a 5 Star entry in the authoritative ‘Radio Times Guide to Films’; it gets a sky-high 95% on review site ‘Rotten Tomatoes’.

Kim’s film is essentially a meditation on the cycle of life, (a quintessentially Buddhist concept) and the emotions it can give rise to. It highlights the contradictions between the serenity of idealised Buddhist philosophy, and the disruption that ensues when the real world intervenes. The title accurately points to the film’s direction. Five seasonal segments equate to ‘seasons’ in a man’s life. The five season ark emphasises both the essential human cycle, and the Buddhist idea of rebirth. Each seasonal segment is filmed in that season, resonating with all the season’s beauty of nature and climate. However, the seasons are not consecutive in terms of plot. Instead, each is actually several years after the season shown before.

There is a lot of Buddhist iconography and symbolism, and considerable mystery, in the film. A rooster, for example, indicates desire and craving; stealing a rooster shows a man being burdened down by them. Similarly, a snake is the Buddhist symbol of anger, and the huge grinding stone used in ‘Winter’, references the cycle of life and rebirth. And both carving and also painting the ‘Heart Sutra’, a popular Buddhist text, allows the individual so engaged to find peace, by ‘quieting’ their heart. These and many other references are fascinating, but are not essential knowledge in order to thoroughly enjoy the film.

And certainly, there is a great deal to enjoy here, although the film was not exactly what my husband and I had expected. We anticipated a calm, soothing film; it is really NOT that. Indeed, there are a couple of seriously upsetting scenes, and the co-character, the Master’s apprentice, is very far from calm or soothed. (Note: I say co-character, not co-star, because each of the 2 main characters is played by more than one actor, because of the span of time covered.)

The film’s cinematography is both soothing and calming, and really beautiful. Sadly, the overall picture quality, whilst being good, is not as crisp and sharp as one might wish, in an ideal world. The ravishing setting deserves a ravishingly good print. Notwithstanding, the magical mountain lake, the gorgeous little floating hermitage, nature’s seasonal variations and especially the rain and ice, all look wonderful.

When you watch this film, clear your mind, and expect something quite unique, that will really make you think.
Report
LD
4.0 out of 5 stars Lac de sagesse
Reviewed in France on May 25, 2020
Verified Purchase
Fort de trois relatifs succès dans les festivals et à l'étranger mais jamais vraiment dans son pays d'origine,  L'Île  (2000),  Printemps, Eté, Automne, Hiver et Printemps  (2003) et  Locataires  (2004), le Coréen Kim Ki-duk a vite vu sa cote s'effondrer à peu près partout. Ses films ont été de moins en moins bien distribués, voire plus du tout. Certes, il a subi une crise d'inspiration certaine, mais deux-trois films, de  Time  (2006) et  Souffle  (2007) à l’un peu plus récent  Pieta  (2012) méritaient sans doute mieux que le revers de la main et la poignée d'entrées auxquels ils ont eu droit à leur sortie en France.

Printemps, Eté, Automne, Hiver… et printemps peut sembler faire figure d’exception dans son œuvre, alors qu’en fait pas vraiment. Et pas uniquement parce que, comme dans L’Ile ou L’Arc, il n’y aurait que deux personnages (ou à peine plus par moments) dans un lieu isolé, le plus souvent entouré d’eau. Il peut sembler à part au sens où il comprend moins de provocations, et où son déroulement semble plus gouverné par des considérations strictement philosophico-religieuses. Cependant, le fait que le cinéaste ait lui-même épousé le bouddhisme et ait choisi d’observer un cycle de vie avec un moine et son disciple – coïncidant de façon très traditionnelle avec le cycle des saisons – ne doit pas masquer le fait qu’il y a là, comme dans ses autres films, avant tout une réflexion sur les passions humaines. Que ce film s’avère le plus apaisé de ceux qu’il a réalisés n’est pas douteux, mais il n’empêche qu’il y est aussi question de destruction (même dans le jeu, comme c’est le cas pour l’enfant), de la possessivité du désir, de la rage narcissique et de ce qu’elle entraîne, etc. Toutes choses qui renvoient à ce que contiennent la plupart de ses autres opus, donc.

La Pesanteur et la Grâce : Printemps, Eté, Automne, Hiver… et printemps semble tout entier s’organiser autour de ces deux notions, l’hiver étant la saison où, pour finir, le disciple qui s’apprête à achever le cycle et à en entamer un autre en devenant lui-même maître doit d’abord accomplir une ascension pendant laquelle il lutte contre la pesanteur – et il est intéressant de constater que le cinéaste s’est donné précisément ce rôle à interpréter. Il est difficile de ne pas y voir, non seulement ce que Simone Weil pouvait développer dans ses pensées à propos de la bassesse et de l’ascension morale, mais aussi et avant toute chose tout ce qui vient du bouddhisme, notamment en termes de fusion du physique et du spirituel.

Evidemment, ces notions en elles-mêmes ne porteraient pas autant si le cinéaste n’avait pas trouvé un cadre idéal, et une forme pour les exprimer. Si le Dalaï-lama est un « océan de sagesse », ici c’est une manière de lac de sagesse qui sert de cadre à cette méditation agitée de quelques soubresauts dues à des passions humaines. Le cinéaste a fait construire son temple dans un écrin situé dans un parc national coréen, et la façon dont il le capte au fil des saisons, en trouvant des angles assez variés, est rien moins que remarquable. Si Kim Ki-duk a réalisé un film plastiquement très réussi, aidé en cela par un paysage très cinégénique, on constate bien que contrairement à certains autres il ne filme jamais pour signer des cartes postales : le lieu (y compris pour la façon dont il se transforme physiquement au fil du temps) est un cadre et un protagoniste, pleinement lié aux personnages qui l’habitent temporairement. Dans ce domaine comme dans les autres, Kim Ki-duk prouve qu’il est un cinéaste à part entière, qui sait utiliser les images pour les mettre au service non seulement d’un récit mais aussi d’une réflexion. Tous ne peuvent pas en dire autant, et c’est une des raisons pour lesquelles, même si son étoile a bien pâli au fil des années, il convient de ne pas faire un trait sur ces films dont la valeur, elle, n’a pas vraiment diminué avec le temps.

EDITION DVD FRANCAISE LANCASTER (2005) / BRITANNIQUE TARTAN VIDEO (2005)

Aucune édition ne rend le film dans ce qui devrait être la splendeur de ses images. Des éditions dvd correctes sans plus feront l’affaire pour prendre connaissance du film, mais soyons clair qu’il n’est pas restitué au mieux. Il existe notamment une édition française encore trouvable, au moins en occasion, qui propose une VOSTF uniquement, et plus de suppléments que l’édition britannique, notamment une fin alternative pas inintéressante. Le making-of d’un bon quart d’heure est quant à lui le même, moins long et riche que celui de Locataires. Pour le reste, les entretiens sont là aussi un peu plus fournis dans l’édition française. Pour ce qui est de la qualité de l’image, elle est correcte dans les deux cas, avec une définition un peu insuffisante mais sans être trahie pour autant.

L’édition britannique peut être une alternative intéressante car elle est souvent disponible en neuf à des tarifs plus bas. Elle ne propose des sous-titres qu’en anglais, mais dans un film aussi avare de paroles une compréhension minimale de l’anglais peut de toute façon suffire.
One person found this helpful
 Report
JR
5.0 out of 5 stars Made me want to become a Buddhist monk . . .
Reviewed in Canada on June 16, 2017
Verified Purchase
I have watched this movie once on Netflix many years ago. Watching it again felt like a brand new experience. The movie itself is a Zen meditation. Not a lot of dialogue and there shouldn't be much. There are MANY symbolic items throughout the movie that'll keep the audience thinking. eg. A gate at the shore of the lake that has no walls . . . Everyone walks through the gate even though they can all easily walk around it. Weighing down a frog. Tiny Buddhist temple in middle of a lake, etc.

Visuals are wonderful but the picture is VHS quality; watchable but fuzzy by today's standards.

Almost makes one want to become a Buddhist monk. Buddhist avoid pork/bacon so not quite the life for me.
One person found this helpful
 Report
phil holmes
5.0 out of 5 stars ein unglaublicher film...
Reviewed in Germany on August 27, 2004
Verified Purchase
ein wirklich meisterhafter film. aber achtung: der film braucht geduld. er ist ruhig aber voller leidenschaft-typisch asiatisch eben. es vergehen zum teil einige minuten im film wo keiner redet und nichts wirklich passiert- so ist doch das wahre leben oder nicht? eine wunderschöne geschichte über den ewigen zyklus des lebens wie der name schon verrät: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter...And Spring der frühling kommt immer wieder. immer wieder gibt es tod und immer wieder gibt es hoffnung. aus kind wird vater- aus vater wird grossvater- und irgendwann muss der grossvater gehen.
wunderschön gefilmt von sehr sorgfälltig ausgesuchten schauspielern.
diesen film sollte man sich alleine ansehen und einfach geniessen. fünf sterne sind unterste grenze für diesen prachtvollen streifen!
2 people found this helpful
 Report
marjolaine hebert
5.0 out of 5 stars film recu
Reviewed in Canada on April 27, 2021
Verified Purchase
ai recu le film
Report