Circles of life :quite easy to watch in a film but absolutely difficult to follow in the real life.

Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom (2003) directed by Kim Ki Duk

I am a self confessed admirer of Kim Ki Duk.The mere mention of his name can provoke heated discussions.He is not so much liked by his own countrymen due to his choice of topics for this films.He is more liked outside South Korea where his admirers have easy access to his films both in terms of their availability and comprehension.The great thing about this film is that even though Kim Ki Duk is a part of Christian faith(he was born as a Christian),he has been successful in creating a meticulous spiritual tale of Buddhist world.This proves the amount of energy he spends in researching things about the subject matter of his films.I have seen Spring,Summer on many occasions and each viewing reinforces my belief in spirituality.It is good to see spiritual actions portrayed in a film on big screen but it is not only difficult but also impossible to follow them in real lives.The truth is that most of the people feel happy for a while and afterwards go about their daily chores.So if you wish to gain a brief spiritual experience watch this film.Nobody is going to question you about your spiritual existence after having seen this film.

Perfect depiction of Korean realities.

Samaria (2004) directed by Kim Ki Duk

To say that Kim Ki Duk is a great director would be a major artistic blunder as well as an understatement which might put a veil on his talent.The best tribute that can be paid to the new master of South Korean cinema Kim Ki Duk is to say that he is one of the most informed directors working in the realm of contemporary world cinema.Just to give a few examples:whether it is mention of the paintings by Egon Schiele or the description about an ancient Indian prostitute called Vasumitra who lived during the time of Buddha.These are some of the details (may be minor to some people)whose inclusion happens under the proper care of Kim Ki Duk."Samaria" is about the scourge of teenage prostitution which is inflicting umpteen emotional wounds in the lives of Korean families. As this is a taboo topic the reaction of Korean audience has not been very favorable.Most of the positive reactions have come from western audiences who have a mature thinking as far as their handling is concerned.Although there is good acting by the two leading ladies,it is the role played by the cop father of one of them who grabs all the attention.Samaria is not a moral story but a tale of human responsibility. Its message is loud and clear : do not do to others what you do not wish to happen for yourself.

Kim Ki Duk : Duke of Korean cinema's film is largely autobiographical in nature.

Nabbeun Namja (2001) directed by Kim Ki Duk

Kim Ki Duk is the infant terrible of the South Korean cinema. The best thing about his films is that there is no repetition in them. All of his films have had different story lines, plot constructions and even his choice of actors is different. This makes fastidious viewers appreciate his films. Not only people appreciate his films but are also able to associate themselves with them. As far as "Bad Guy" is concerned, it is largely autobiographical in nature. It might be said that it is quite possible that the characters portrayed in this film must have been a part of Kim's life at some point of his life. "Bad Guy" has made some interesting observations about Korean society too. However some viewers might find it hard to accept that the depiction of women characters is a little bit weak. Whatever one feels this film is rather oddball given its subject matter and content. Watch out for its musical score which is simply stunning. The end of the film is really a class affair.

An arrow full of mysterious power.

Hwal (2005) directed by Kim Ki Duk

Kim Ki Duk is the only filmmaker in the realm of world cinema who does not like to repeat himself. There is no story/idea/topic/theme worth human consideration which he has not directed. This is the reason why his films continue to hit us hard on our fragile brains. Hwal is one such film which captivates us for varied reasons. First of all most of the filmmakers have been rather circumspect while dealing with stories featuring an old person in love with a young person. This is not true of Kim Ki Duk. He has brought immense freshness to this theme as in Hwal there is an old man in a boat somewhere in the sea who loves his young girl friend with a view to marry her. His love is unique as it is more of a love based on dedication rather than lust. However in the course of time feelings change and a different reality emerges. This change of emotional events has been deftly handled by Kim Ki Duk as the film ends on a very abstruse note. The best lesson that can be learned from this film is to ruminate over the fact: why two people cannot love each other if they are not of the same age ?