As a study of Seon (Korean) Buddhism this film may evoke views of life and death. The film itself is absolutely beautiful. Deliberately slow and contemplative in which the act of watching it becomes almost akin to an act of meditation. But while Kim's film was thematically concerned with the cycle of life, Director Bae Yong-kyun explores relativity, the human struggle to reconcile seemingly contradictory facets of existence, and the futility of knowledge.