Subverting patriarchal Buddhism in Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring
A number of Kim Ki-duk's films, particularly Bad Guy (2001), are infamous for the violence towards women characters. While feminist critics deplore Kim as a misogynist, alternative readings - some based on interviews with the director - suggest violence is the only way his silent characters, ex...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Taylor and Francis Group
[2018]
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In: |
Culture and religion
Year: 2018, Volume: 19, Issue: 1, Pages: 127-138 |
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom
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RelBib Classification: | AD Sociology of religion; religious policy BL Buddhism |
Further subjects: | B
Buddhism
B Feminism B religion and film B Kim Ki-Duk |
Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) |
Summary: | A number of Kim Ki-duk's films, particularly Bad Guy (2001), are infamous for the violence towards women characters. While feminist critics deplore Kim as a misogynist, alternative readings - some based on interviews with the director - suggest violence is the only way his silent characters, existing on the margins of society, can communicate. In this way, his body of work is not read as an endorsement of misogyny, but rather as a social critique of patriarchy. One film, however, that is considered unique and eludes these discussions is Spring, Sumer, Fall, Winter
and Spring (2003), a contemplative Buddhist story. I argue, in fact, the film is in dialogue with patriarchal Buddhist portrayals of women as temptresses and samsaric mothers. Further, since it appears the monks in the narrative are incapable of enlightenment, we should question if this is a result of their treatment of women. |
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ISSN: | 1475-5629 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Culture and religion
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/14755610.2017.1416647 |