Such a frustrating disappointment

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

A sweet if repetitive documentary. It's a simple observation of a man and his ox. Nothing more, nothing less. If you would find a man and his ox farming boring, then just don't watch it. The true heart of this film comes from the relationship between the man and his ox. The man works the ox incredibly hard, but treats him better than his own wife. This does raise questions as to where the mans heart truly lies. But it's that thankless dedication to each other that really hits home. Never asking from each other, and no understanding, just pure love. There are some wonderful moments, as the man takes his ox to market (as his wife demands) but then asks for $5,000. He is made fun of, and heckled, but he seems truly happy. It's also humbling to see how hard these rural people work, and how his work and his friendship with his ox, mean more than any amount of cash.

Saw this movie in a plane flying across the Pacific. A tender, soft, quiet movie that moved me to tears. Made me reminisce the relationship I have with people I know, how we take for granted the human relationship we have seen in the context of a farmer's relationship with his ox. It makes us think about the brief cycle of life, how the ending can be long drawn out and painful, how we can lessen and share other being's pains and sufferings. This movie was able to say so much with so few words. Temple Grandin tells us animals make us human; I would like to add animals make us gentle and loving, because not all humans can be gentle and loving.

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I read how the film came about in an interview with the director. The director wanted to make a story about "forgotten father" and remembered his father, who worked with his ox all the time. He says the saddest thing in the world is not disappearing, but being forgotten. He had to awaken his father and the ox "sealed" in his childhood memories and wanted to bring the memories back to present. He was then searching for an old ox all over Korea and met the old man and the ox and started filming in 2005. This movie is a dedication to his father and all fathers who seem distant to their children. He wanted to depict such relationship (or lack thereof) in this film.

This is documentary film which beat the blockbusters and occupied number 3 in Korean box office, Feb 2nd week. Normally ox lives 15 years though most of them die much earlier to give beef to human. This ox was 10 years old when he met the old man 30 years ago. Now the ox is 40 years old, it seems. Vet said he will die anytime. Old man loves the ox. He is his friend, his car, his partner. He does not use any chemicals for farming on fear of ox eat the grass and get sick. He does not feed the ox man-made feeds but only fresh grass he collects himself. Many people ask the old man to sell the ox for beef before he dies but old man wants to keep him until he dies and bury himself with funeral. There is minimum dialog, with real people but story line is very clear and gripping. Many people including young people said they cried as much as they want but felt so good after the movie. The old ox also cry himself in the movie. Original title Wo-Nang means the metal bell Korean ox carries on his neck.