I really enjoyed this movie. It's very simple and thought-provoking. There is almost no dialogue because there doesn't need to be; it's an ideology and doesn't need to be grounded in a certain time or place with certain characters saying certain words. One thing I love about movies is a cyclic nature, or ending in the same place where you begin, except with a completely different understanding of that same situation. That is the essence of this movie and something that completely held me to the movie from beginning to end. I didn't look at it from a religious perspective, which is perhaps the manner in which its creator intended it to be viewed. However, by looking at it solely in terms of Buddhism, one may inadvertently ignore some meanings that go beyond original intent, just as viewing it sans religion may have inhibited a different interpretation that the director desired.
There are some slow parts, but it doesn't drag on for too long; it's always at the very least a little interesting. They had a beautiful location and pretty much did nothing about it. How can you forgive them for it? They had the opportunity to make this the prettiest movie ever and just wasted it with simple shot compositions, bland colors, and uninsightful editing. The acting, what little there was, was nothing to write home about. Its meaning is somewhat lost due to the exclusivity of content; there are many times I felt I was missing out on some subtle but incredibly meaningful actions that could only be understood by someone raised in Korean or Buddhist cultures. However, it could be a positive, since it opened my mind up to countless possibilities of meaning that actually helped overall. The message is where this movie shines, and for its ability to express its theme so pragmatically yet leave a firm grasp on that theme elusive, I give it four stars.IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0374546/