Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003) User Reviews

not only cinema, but art

[dromasca · 9/10 · 25 June 2005]

This film is a good example why cinema is called an art - this is not just another movie, but a real piece of art. The pleasure of seeing it belongs to the aesthetics, and it transcends beyond the action and beyond what only happens on screen, or what the characters say and do.

It is both a simple and complex story - the story of a life, catching all seasons of development of man: innocence of childhood - so quickly lost unfortunately, mistakes of the young age, tragedies of maturity , and wisdom coming with the old age.

The film is filmed at one location of a cut-breathing beauty. Beauty of nature is being maximized by the art of the camera. The soundtrack has little dialog, but the expressiveness of the actors makes the dialog useless. You feel the drama, you do not need to hear the words, and the music says more than words.

There are a lot of symbols in this movie, and I probably lost most of them because they belong to the Budhist culture. There are however many other symbols that speak to the European spectator - the cycles of life, the rhythms of nature, the magic figure 4, like the number of seasons of the year, or like the number of parts in classic symphony, the unity of space as in Greek tragedy, and time - one life instead of one day, all give to this creation a wonderful symmetry and equilibrium.

Worth seeing, this is a film that will make the delight of anybody who believes like I do that cinema is an art.

understated beautiful contemplative

[kellan-uk · 9/10 · 20 August 2004]

a film of about the cycles of life, about solitude and love, innocence, corruption and redemption. stunning cinematography. lots of allusions and metaphors, as you might expect from Korean cinema. contemplative.

the story appears to centre on the life of buddhist monks living on a floating house, but as the film progresses, one sees that this is a film about the constancy within change and renewal. The female characters are not the most positive roles, representing corruption and temptation, tho also providing the means for renewal.

There are some memorable scenes not least the house in winter and the knife writing scene, this is not for those seeking martial arts action,

personally i found it slipped into one of favourite films list.

a Buddhist meditation on life and death, and what surrounds us

[Quinoa1984 · 9/10 · 24 August 2005]

I remember when I saw this film on screen last year, I was struck by the rhythm director Kim Ki-Duk used in the film. It's deliberate, too deliberate for most I'd suppose. But like a reading good piece of philosophy, the filmmaker allows the viewer to get as much as they may find in the work. The story is more of a fable than a really conventional narrative- a baby is delivered to the steps of a Buddhist house on a lake, where the boy is raised by a master. He grows up, and falls temptation to the desires of the world. He decides to leave, only to return and find himself again. In the end, as winter comes, things come full circle. Each of the 'seasons' of the film are handled delicately, with the kind of simplicity that may appeal even more to children (the segment of the first 'spring' with the child transcends religion and goes into the basic stance of nature). The scenes of finding lust in 'summer' is not terribly graphic, but it puts the point on what is right and wrong in the customs and traditions of the religion. Then in 'Autumn', there are harsher lessons to be learned, and this also contains the best acting from the old master and the young, angry pupil. And 'Winter' becomes the most meditative of them all, with next to no dialog. Indeed that may be the turn off to most viewers- to say that the film isn't supported by dialog is an under-statement. And its not necessarily documentary realism. What I sensed from the film, and what stuck with me for a few days afterward, was the spiritual attitude behind the style, the confidence that the rhythm had a connection with the subject matter. It's one of the most soulful films to come out of the Eastern world in some time. It's less a traditional drama than a unique experience, for better or worse, really more for the better.

SYMBOLISM AND MEANING

[rupertbreheny · 10/10 · 28 April 2004]

At the risk of boring you all senseless here are some observations off the top of my head.

THE HUT Representing the self. All the possessions and shelter needed is on the floating hut. When the young man can no longer live at peace and comfort in the hut then bad things transpire. He never commits lustful acts in the hut. When we seek happiness outside ourselves, we are never truly content.

THE DOORS The doors by the lakeside and in the hut are symbolic rather than prescriptive. The fact there are no walls means their use is not forced but elected. They represent morality and discipline. Morality is not defined by a higher power but by society and the self. By adopting the constraints the doors engender, self-discipline is attained. As soon as the young man transgresses these self-imposed boundaries, to sneak across to the young woman, then disaster follows.

THE DEAD ANIMALS The Master allows the young boy to let the animals die. He does not become an all powerful father figure, cleaning up after him, but allows him to make mistakes and suffer the consequences. Buddhism does not have a higher power but rather promotes self-awareness.

THE MILLSTONE AND BUDDHA Represent the twin stones of regret for killing the fish and the snake. What you do unto others, you do unto yourself. He has carried that karma around with him all his life until he transcends them both, carrying them to the top of the hill, near heaven. Here he cuts himself free and attains redemption through struggle.

THE MASTER Is a great teacher, but does not lecture. Hardly a word is spoken, but lessons are learned. A good teacher points the way for a student to discover self-evident knowledge for themselves.

THE MOTHER The veil, representing guilt and shame are ultimately the cause of her downfall. Hiding from the outside world can bring about ruin.

THE YOUNG BOY Both at the beginning and the end, represents us. A good life is attained not by the absence of bad thoughts, but rather by their mastery, so they have no hold over us. We choose our behaviour rather than it choose us. The new boy is not born without sin, but rather must walk his own path to divinity. The same actor playing the young boy show the eternal cycle of the human soul.

THE SEASONS The endless cycle of birth, growth and death.

This is not only a Buddhist idea but one of the facts of life.

[info-2513 · 10/10 · 16 June 2004]

In "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring," Kim Ki-duk, a South Korean director whose past films were often fueled by violence, does a complete about-face.

This film is a pastoral poem about the changing seasons and a meditation on the cycle of life. In a tranquil and timeless setting of a temple floating atop a man-made lake in a forest, surrounded by mountain spires that cut the monastery off from worldly concerns, an old monk teaches his young disciple the wisdom of Buddha over the many seasons of their lives.

But don't let the movie's mysticism fool you: This South Korean/German production has created festival buzz here. Sony Pictures Classics snapped up the picture in the second week. As it is chosen to be South Korea's entry into the foreign-language film Oscar competition, "Spring" should become an art house hit in North America.

Set against the background of this floating monastery, the picture's only set, the film follows the lives of a child monk and his master through four different seasons of their lives. Kim infuses these episodes with Buddhist principles, which teach kindness toward all forms of life and the goal of inner peace. Yet the world does intrude into the serene hermitage, bringing with it life's pleasures and sufferings.

Under the watchful gaze of an old monk (Oh Young-su), a little boy (Seo Jae-kyung) learns what sorrows his own cruelty can cause. As a teen, the boy (Kim Young-min) experiences the power of love and of lust when a young woman (Ha Yeo-jin) enters his life. Turning his back on the hermitage, he joins the world of man only to return years later, in anger and terror, when his desperate need for possession has turned to murder. Before police can arrest him, his master sees that penitence has cleared his heart and soul of all hatred.

In winter, the old monk makes his funeral pyre. Then his disciple, now a mature man (played by the director himself), returns to the sanctuary of his youth. He seeks peace and quiet so he might fulfill his destiny. When a woman brings a male baby to the temple, the monk undertakes a journey of atonement to place a holy statue on a frozen mountaintop. Now he is ready to raise and instruct a new monk.

Much of the movie is steeped in Buddhist mysticism. Each of the five episodes features a different animal -- a dog, a rooster, a cat, a snake and finally a turtle. For each season, Kim Ki-duk observes the change of weather and the relationship of man with nature. The film emphasizes the power of meditation and, in the episode concerning the murderer who seeks enlightenment, the need to perform a sutra to cleanse the heart of all jealousy and anger.

Kim Ki-duk keeps dialogue to a minimum and actions simple in what is virtually a two-character piece. Humor arrives organically, often resulting in hearty laughs. Backed by a terrific South Korean/German production crew, Kim Ki-duk is in total control of his material, its rhythms and its tone.

Spring - Child Monk takes life of animals out of innocence

A child monk ties a stone to a back of fish. Same plight awaits a frog and a snake. The child monk roams the brook in search of the fish and the frog as his punishment allotted by the old monk.

Summer - Boy Monk in love learns obsession The monk is now 17 years old. To the lonely hermitage, a girl comes to convalesce. Before long, warm feelings towards the girl sprouts in the boy's heart. Their ripple in the water turns into an act of love.

Fall - Young Monk in agony of malice The boy returns to the hermitage in the mountains as a young man in his thirties after committing a murder. The old monk whips him finding the young man attempting suicide in front of the statue of Buddha. Old monk order him to etch the Pranja-parpamitasutra, meanwhile he finds peace in his heart.

Winter - Mature Monk in days of enlightenment The monk, now in his full maturity retraces his steps to the abandoned hermitage in the mountains. A woman wearing a veil visits the hermitage with a baby. She leaves her baby behind and runs away.

And then spring - Another child monk : cycle of four seasons The old monk living with another child monk is having a peaceful time in the hermitage...the circle of life keeps on.

Kim Gi-deok(b) has been known for making films that are involving but often difficult to watch. In his eight previous works, which include ''Som (The Isle),' ''Nappun Namja (Bad Guy)' and most recently ''Haeanson (The Coast Guard),' Kim has taken on such controversial and agonizing topics as the life of a prostitute, the love-hate relationship of a woman and a pimp who kidnaps her, and a soldier slowly going insane.

For his new film ''Bom Yorum Kaul Kyoul Kurigo Bom (Spring Summer Fall Winter... and Spring),' Kim says he tried to change the pace and outlook of his films and show a different side of himself.

''I feel like I've been living my life in a rush, so I wanted to slow down a little and make a movie like this,' Kim said after a press screening.

The film traces the life of a Buddhist monk as he goes from being a young orphan to an adult monk. Kim uses the passing of the seasons to parallel the monk's development and his experiences of desire, jealousy and rage.

With a small cast, all of ''Spring' takes place in and around a temple on Chusanji Lake located in Mt. Chuwang National Park, North Kyongsang Province. A 30-ton set built specifically for the film, the temple floats like a wayward raft on the lake, accessible only by a small boat.

With the construction of the temple and the logistics of filming on water, Kim says there were a lot of people behind the film that made it possible. ''They made something that it seemed could not be done work,' he says.

The floating temple was used to show ''the speed in which life can change, the way that one can wake up and find that East has become West and West has become East, that irony of life,' Kim said.

''Spring' also shows Kim making his debut as an actor. Kim portrays the older monk in the film's winter scenes, a role he originally conceived for the veteran actor Ahn Sung-ki or renowned scholar and philosopher Kim Yong-OK. Both were unavailable due to schedule conflicts.

After deciding to take on the part himself, Kim made the already physically demanding role, which included meditating in freezing temperatures, even more so. In one scene Kim climbs up a steep mountain with a large stone tied to his waist while carrying a stone statue of a Buddha with both arms, something he admits he wouldn't have asked another actor to do.

A devout Catholic _ Kim at one point in his life seriously considered priesthood _ the director says the film in part was driven by his relationship between his own religious values and the culture around him.

''All Koreans have lived surrounded by Buddhism and Buddhist culture is the foundation, which we acknowledge and accept,' he says.

And though the changing of the seasons in the film is to show the life of one monk, Kim says it reflects the cycle of life in general.

''If we were able to remember life's lesson from spring we wouldn't repeat them,' Kim says, ''but like winter which rots away the leaves and freezes over everything, like the seasons' patterns, our patterns in life will make us forget and repeat our past mistakes.

''This is not only a Buddhist idea but one of the facts of life.'

Perfect Simplicity

[grahamers · 17 November 2004]

Perfect Simplicity

My review of this film should end with those two words. However, the 10 line minimum requirement that IMDb requires of all reviews belies the differences between my world and the world shown to me in Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring. I understand why IMDb does not want 1000's of (apparently) useless two-word reviews in their database. However, I would hope that they could make an exception for this film.

Perfect: The film is as close to perfect as a film could get. No shot is presented to us, nor a line of dialog uttered that does not make us ponder and understand at the same time. The film is also beautiful. (Like the previous reviewer, I am a fan of Asian cinema and never tire of the stunning ability of Asian directors to capture beauty on film.) This film exceeds most other Asian films I have seen in the cinematography regard. However, its beauty is surprisingly deceptive. Like most great films, it surpasses the 'cinematography' level of beauty and delves into the beauty of existence through its story. For example, the Old Monk has a different pet during each 'season' of his life. This is not discussed by the characters nor shoved in our face by the director – as would have been done if Hollywood had done this film. It is merely background we experience and come to understand. Two days after viewing the film, I am still finding new reflections in my mind that encompass the cinematography, the literal story and the underlying context of the film.

Simplicity: This film approaches a level of cinematic Haiku. While I don't recall the entire dialog with any specificity, I am sure you could print the script on one page of paper. The amazing part is that while you are watching the film, you don't notice this. Every shot moves the story along. The simplicity of life as shown by the story is reflected in the simplicity of the film. After the film ended, I had a strong urge to move away from civilization and live – or die – in peace with nature. I enjoy (and have come to be too dependent upon) modern inventions, so I will stay at home. However, this film will remain in my heart. It does exactly what good story-telling is supposed to do: Take us completely out of our world and put us in another. There is no wonder that this film was selected for so many film festivals.

I was left speechless by this movie

[alexander-lewis · 10/10 · 18 February 2005]

This film left me speechless, and I still have a hard time putting how I feel about this movie into words. After seeing it the first time in the theater, my friend and I couldn't bring ourselves to say a word to each other...not even in the car on the ride back. The second time I saw it, after purchasing it, another friend and I walked around the campus for half an hour in silence. The third time, a friend and I sat in silence in her room for an hour after the movie was over. This film is that profound, touching, and moving.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...Spring is the most beautiful movie I have ever seen. Visually it is fantastic, though several films surpass it in this aspect. However, the film manages to speak directly to the soul (or...failing to believe in the soul...something deep inside anyone watching it), and this is where it's beauty lies. Parts are so affecting that a painful nostalgia for a place you never knew overwhelms you.

I am sorry I cannot be more helpful...the quality that makes this movie so wonderful is well beyond words for me.

A Visual Delight

[artzau · 9/10 · 18 September 2004]

I'm constantly amazed by the appearance of some seemingly off-the-wall piece of art that when you view it evokes a stunning effect. The simplicity of this film, its low-key action and pace, its visual surrealistic beauty, all interact to create an emotional impression that is long-lasting and thought-provoking. Korea has been somewhat slower to enter the international cinematic world and here is a film with actors whose names stir little or no recognition. For myself, who has enjoyed the Korean films I've seen before, it was a delightful surprise. The film itself is a wonderful tapestry of Korean Buddhist culture, with quiet visual beauty, simple moral themes and human passions put into a simple, homespun perspective. The remarkable natural setting which reflects the wide spectrum of Korea's seasons, which range from hot, sticky humid-fraught summers to icy, cold snow-bound winters, become a metaphor of life with unadorned figures, completely human in form. The old monk becomes a witness to the interplay of human qualities, without judgment yet with a complete and quiet moral presence. The foibles of child cruelty is met with a simple retribution which imparts a lasting lesson. Judgment is always withheld and warnings are given simply. The effect of all of this rings long and lasting, much like the impression of a delicate Korean silk print: simple in design with plain brush strokes and stylized representations of nature-- yet, lasting in impression, often to the point of being unforgettable. I buy few videos and DVDs, preferring to see things I really enjoyed again and again. But, I've ordered this one.

Labored and self-conscious

[howard.schumann · 6/10 · 16 May 2004]

"While the film deals with Buddhist themes and elements, I made this film without having studied anything about it at all." - Kim Ki-duk

Films that leave me feeling spiritually uplifted are often subtle and understated in their evocation of the transcendence of the human spirit. On the other hand, those that "try" to impress us about how spiritual they are often fail to achieve their desired goal. Such is the case for Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring, a South Korean film by Kim Ki-duk that works hard at conveying a spiritual experience but comes across as labored and self-conscious. While the shots are beautifully composed, the film offers little more than pre-packaged enlightenment, reiterating the accepted clichés about the long and painful process, the uphill battle full of struggle and effort, and so forth.

Set in monastery on Jason Pond, an artificial lake in North Kyungsang Province in Korea surrounded by a forest of ancient trees, each season represents a chapter of life and the achievement of a hard-earned lesson. An old monk (Oh Young-Soo) teaches his young charge (Kim Jong-ho) about the value of all sentient beings. After the boy playfully ties a rock to a frog, a snake, and a fish, the old master shows him what it feels like by tying a huge rock to the boy's back while he is sleeping. In the morning, he is told to find the animals and free them or he will have to carry a rock in his heart the rest of his life. Unable to do so, the boy grows up with a burdensome guilt.

By the following season, the young monk has become a 17-year old adolescent and is mesmerized when a beautiful teenage girl dressed in blue jeans shows up in his floating paradise, She has been brought by her mother because she is "sick" and wants the monks to "cure" her. After some time spent in prayer, the old monk tells the mother, "When she finds peace in her soul, her body will return to health." The soul cure is found pretty quickly when the young monk undoes his robe, letting us know that all women need to do to achieve health is to find a man. The old man confuses love with lust and utters such strange teaching as "lust awakens the desire to possess, and that awakens the intent to murder". When the girl is sent away following her cure, the boy also leaves the monastery and the film takes a non-Buddhist turn toward obsession and revenge until the cycle comes full circle.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring cultivates a mood of serenity but, from the opening moment to the final credits, it struck me as inauthentic. Buddhism is a disciplined system of mental and spiritual development designed to develop compassion and loving-kindness for all beings. Its practices include daily meditation that calms and clears the mind and allows us to gain a clearer sense of who we really are. This does not guarantee that we will never make mistakes but it is not credible to me that a boy raised from birth in the Buddhist tradition would be capable not only of cruelty to animals but to other human beings as well. At the end of the film I felt neither moved, uplifted, or even involved. If enlightenment means to lighten up, the best medicine for this sort of hokum is to laugh gently. After all, this too will pass. There is a cycle to everything -- even bad movies about spirituality.

The Diamond Sutra (or the Prajnaparamita Sutra)

[wigowsky · 10/10 · 24 September 2006]

After watching the movie a second time, I was determined to find out what the Old Monk had drawn on the deck of the hermitage. The only clue I had was the scene's subtitle: "Prajnaparamita Sutra – it helps restore inner peace." Those were the words the Old Monk used to describe the sacred teachings that the Young Monk had to carve out as penance for his crime of passion. When I looked up the Prajnaparamita Sutra on the internet, I found out it was known as the Diamond Sutra of the Buddha.

The Buddha spoke the wise words in a monastery near Sravasti, saying that "this sutra should be called the Diamond that cuts through illusion because it has the capacity to cut through illusions and afflictions and bring us to the shore of liberation." There are 32 sutras or sections, and the 32 sections are also "marks" that are used to meditate on "the Tathagata" – which means "the suchness of all things (dharmas)." The meaning of Tathagata is "does not come from anywhere and does not go anywhere." The insight into the truth of the sutras consists in a realization that "the idea of a self is not an idea, and the ideas of a person, a living being, and a life span are not ideas either." A self-realized or awakened "Buddha" is called a Buddha because he/she is free of ideas.

The "Buddha" in the Diamond Sutra is also called the World-Honored One, and his message can be summarized by two axioms: (1) "Someone who looks for me in form or seeks me in sound is on a mistaken path and cannot see the Tathagata." (2) "All composed things are like a dream, a phantom, a drop of dew, a flash of lightning. That is how to meditate on them, that is how to observe them."

Now I will have to watch the movie a third time and meditate on the 32 marks that the Old Monk draws with the cat's tail on the floor of the ashram. I will also feel the urge to count and see if there are really 32 marks.

A gentler addition to Kim's compendium of sexual obsession

[j30bell · 7/10 · 7 January 2005]

SPOILER: Spring, Summer, Winter, Autumn …and Spring is something of a self conscious art-house film. Possibly Kim Ki-duk is trying to work off his reputation for making movies replete with violent sexual imagery, but he's not fooling anyone. Spring… contains – admittedly in a much more restrained form – most of the themes from his earlier works, The Isle and Bad Guy. Onto this, however, is pasted a hefty dose of Buddhist teaching. Or, from another perspective, an interesting juxtaposition of old and new.

Beginning in the Spring of an undefined year close to the present, the film is set on (and I mean, on) an isolated lake. A child acolyte lives out a life of quiet contemplation, punctuated by occasional acts of petty animal cruelty. His master, a monk, observes his young charge with increasing disapproval and orders him to undo his evil or face the consequences in his own life. It soon becomes apparent that he means this in anything but the figurative sense.

Moving through the seasons, Kim explores the "cycle of life"; with his acolyte experiencing youthful love (or lust), anger, violence and finally acceptance, contrition and peace. The film ends with a new acolyte and a new cycle: implying an endless repetition with subtle variation.

Spring… is not exactly a subtle film, but it is beautifully done. Kim uses silence like few other filmmakers, matching Kurosawa or Bergman at their best. He punctuates these long slow movements with abrupt changes in tempo – such as the arrival of Yeo. The pace quickens and the mood changes. The courtship of the adolescent boy and girl are some of the gentlest scenes in cinema (though culminating in a suitably Kim-like, energetic coupling).

With popular Buddhist and Confucian ideas now so firmly established in cinema (thanks in part to their bastardisation by George Lucas), the ideas in this film aren't exactly going to leave its audience in need of a large glass of perspective and soda (to quote Douglas Adams). Lust leads to possessive urges, which lead to violence; ones violent actions lead on to violence against oneself; peace (and redemption) is found not through approbation, but understanding oneself.

I can't quite dispel the notion that The Isle, with its sly humour and darker plot is a better film, or that Spring… is, if not completely then at least partially, up the bottom of its own artiness. That said, it is a very, very pretty film. Its story is intelligent, if not awe-inspiring, and it is a delightful change of pace from most modern cinema. Most of all, it is probably one of Kim's most accessible films, and I shall certainly be watching it again – if only to see Oh Yeong-su practising his calligraphic art with the tail of a live cat. 7/10.

What you see is what you get - a simple but very effective piece of film-making

[soymilk · 10/10 · 16 November 2004]

'Spring, Summer, Autumn - (or Fall, if you will)- Winter…and Spring' is, as the title should imply, a fable very much in the 'cycle of life' cache, so simply crafted and yet so flowing with gentle complexity at the same time. It works wonders both as an episodic coming of age saga concerning one man's life-long quest for inner peace and balance, and a refreshing type of character study where actions and physical mannerisms are thrust more attention than words; the dialogue here is minimal, yet the two key characters still display a surprising amount of depth - every subtle tear and drop of sweat adds up - and I found myself completely drawn in by it. The background settings are as delightfully picturesque as background settings come, and the movie's pacing is both gradual and thoughtful, while still leaving room for some slight drizzles of drama, and a handful of haunting, even harrowing, moments which capture the rougher side of living, but nothing to detract from the overall calming sensation you're left with. The result is a seriously unique slice of life and inspiration, and hats off to Ki-duk Kim for it.

Overall, things are left ambiguous enough for us viewers to draw our own merry conclusions, and so rich in all those little minor details which build up the bigger picture that you could spend hours assessing them right down to the very last shade of blue, and dissecting each and everything for all the symbolism and abstract concepts they might embody. It's one of those flicks that has different meanings to different people, I guess. Personally, I'd be happy enough taking it on its direct face value level - things are what they are, they're there because they're there, and what you're seeing is exactly what you get. Cast all possible symbolism aside and it's still a perfectly effective offering about the trials and triumphs of one man's life. And yes, this particular life's complicated enough without all those itty-bitty extra meanings.

The Holy Man's ever-changing assortment of animal companions are probably the best example. We go through the various seasons always with a puppy, chicken, cat, snake or tortoise successively at our sides, and viewers are liable fill up an entire message board debating whether it's the positive or negative aspects of our protagonist they're meant to symbolize - the chicken being lust and brashness, and the puppy being youthful ignorance, the cat being idleness, etc.

But really, their exact species, in most cases, is pretty incidental - their reason for being there doesn't need to be anything more complicated than simply to emphasize time and the changes it entails. A different animal with every new 'season' further marks the shift in time since our last visit to the temple. Note also that the snake arrives on the scene exactly as the older man departs (you don't really need to be familiar with Buddhist practices to follow this one, although it might be helpful to know that apparently that is actually an established self-cremating ritual which comes of knowing the exact moment of your death in advance, and not a suicide by any means), and you can take it as a hint that it may well be his reincarnated self (it's lovely BTW to finally find a flick where snakes are represented in a positive frame). In light of that, isn't it also kinda tempting to subscribe to the possibility that the remaining four could also be the reincarnated souls of the temple's former residents, whoever they might be? That notion satisfies me a lot more than that of the chicken just standing in for some hot burning passion, or whatever.

Then there's the mysterious woman who arrives at the temple with a cloth covering her face. And that's all she really is - a mysterious woman who arrives at the temple with a cloth covering her face. Her exact identity isn't revealed, and nor does it have to be. And we don't really have any means of working it out either, so why worry about that? It is clear though that she's a desperate person in such dire straits that she's forced to conceal her real identity and depart ways with her son, and we can still feel for her on that.

In short, this film is what you make of it, and it more or less goes without saying that it only becomes a complicated puzzle if you make it one.

My own personal quest for inner peace still continues but, needless to say, this movie provided me with 103 beautiful minutes of escapism and bliss.

Gave it 10/10 first time, only 6/10 second time

[Bob Pr. · 6/10 · 30 June 2004]

My review after seeing it a second time follows this first one (WARNING: SECOND REVIEW HAS SPOILERS)

This beautiful film is one to see more than once -- either in the theater (or in your mind's eye).

I found the discussion group on this film (see IMDb's Message Board for this film title) VERY helpful in illuminating the symbolism which I partially grasped the first time I saw it and in decoding some Buddhist principles.

The setting and the photography that captures it are strikingly beautiful and satisfying. The issues are so universally human that the Buddhist flavor provides an accent and not a barrier.

The story recounts the growth of a child into his adulthood and his eventual reclaiming of his roots and meaning. While the film deals with other Buddhist principles and symbolic elements, a central part of it very much reminds me of lines from T.S. Eliot's "Four Quartets" which reads (loosely remembered) '...and the aim of all our wandering is to arrive again at the place from which we started ---- and know it for the first time...'

As one sees one cycle end and another begin, it made me wonder about how the old monk first got there and what his life was like.

Symbolic. Complex.

Elegantly simple.

Beautiful. Evocative.

Haunting. Provocative.

Gently touching the universal religious and the profound.

10/10

=============

(SPOILERS AHEAD) After 2nd time (03Mar2011):

Buddhists are against hurting animals. SO why wouldn't a wise monk intervene when the young boy in his care was tying stones to the animals? --BEFORE they died?

And be aware that teenagers have hormones that often steer them?

The recurring gratuitous punitiveness and pain bothered me: the monk beating the young man's back, the demand to carve all night 100s of characters into the wooden deck, the self-immolation, the pulling the weight up the mountain, the nude torso in winter, etc.

As if enduring pain for pain's sake helps anything but masochism or sadism?

The film's photography did remain very beautiful to me on the 2nd view.

6/10

Beautiful cinematography, unsatisfying story

[bandw · 5/10 · 13 January 2007]

This story of the life cycle of a Buddhist monk and an apprentice living in near isolation on a floating pagoda in the middle of a lake is beautifully filmed. The images and music create a distinct mood - the scenes of the apprentice doing T'ai Chi (?) on the snow and ice are poetic. But I had some real problems with the story.

First, some technical concerns. Many scenes seemed contrived or not believable. For example, when the old monk ties the stone on the sleeping child, can it be believed that the kid would not wake? Or that he would not notice his new burden sometime during the night? The interior of the pagoda was exceedingly sparse, but no end of things kept coming out of it: ropes, stones, ice chisels, clothes, paints, and so forth. The doorway in the middle of the empty room irritated me every time someone felt obligated to walk through it when walking around it would have been much easier. How did these people earn their living? In thinking about the scene where the apprentice is hanging from the ceiling in a sling on the end of a rope with a candle burning under the support, I wondered just what the mechanics were of arranging that. The old monk seemed pretty weak, too weak to tie the apprentice up and hoist him several feet into the air. And what was supporting the rope from the ceiling? Was there a pulley up there? How was the rope affixed to its ceiling support? Where did that aluminum can come from that the police were shooting at? It was the only item ever to mar the pristine beauty of the lake, and at just the appropriate time. And the old monk was able to flick a stone and hit it on the first try? And he just happened to have a small pebble in his hand right then? Painting all those carved characters with a cat's tail would require a mighty patient cat. And where did all those colored paints come from? The hole that the apprentice chipped into the ice was nowhere big enough for the woman to fall through. And so on.

Now that I have run through some of the petty concerns of a literalist, I can move on to what really bothered me about this story. The overall message appears to be that isolating yourself from society is the path to some higher state. Even if that were true, it seems like a selfish goal. Much more challenging and useful is to attain balance in the midst of the chaos that is living in the world. The old monk utters the words, "Lust awakes the desire to possess. And that awakens the intent to murder," as if to express some deep insight. However, it is the rare person who has not experienced lust, but only a tiny percentage of those ever have an intent to kill. These words from the wise man seem patently false. But, in the context of this film the words have a more potentially worrisome significance. Perhaps the import of the words carried such weight for the apprentice that the intimation planted in the mind effected the deed. The lessons meted out by the master seemed exceedingly harsh. If tying a stone to a snake were to kill the snake and the snake were to die, then the kid would have to carry that burden with him for life? What a traumatic thing to say to an innocent kid. If as a kid I had had a super moralist following my every move, as this kid did, I would have gone nuts. I found the sadomasochistic beating to be disturbing and repellent. And what is the deal with the worshiping of icons? I though the sacred was in the mind and not in physical objects? If everybody were to absorb the teachings of the master, then our race would soon die out since sex seems to be avoided at all cost. I have found that an intense day of tedious activity indeed produces exhaustion, as did the apprentice, but it never seemed to be a path to the catharsis and peace that the apprentice experienced after his ordeal. And the master could beckon an empty boat to him or impede the rowing of two vigorous men by force of mind? Give me a break.

There is too much Eastern philosophy and mysticism here for this Western viewer.

When she finds peace in her soul, her body will return to health.

[film-critic · 13 September 2004]

The circle of life is everlasting. We, as busy humans, sometimes miss the opportunity to see it in full effect. The modern day conveniences of life and the hustle and bustle of work sometimes fog our eyes to the constantly moving world. Thankfully we have films like Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter … and Spring, to help guide us back to our roots. Through each season, director Ki-duk Kim shows us the journey of one young boy as he learns life through the hands and mind of an older monk. Through events that are beyond his control, this young boy learns about love, lust, jealousy, hatred, and eventually rage. He makes choices that ultimately effect his life causing turmoil and distress, yet somehow continually finds his way back to the floating house on the lake where his journey began. It is during his final visit home he learns of his final journey in life. As a new soul is handed to him, he embarks on a final journey using his master's lesson, to pay homage to the life he has lead.

When I watched this film the first story that came to mind was that told by Trina Paulus in 'Hope for the Flowers'. It is the story of two caterpillars that embark on a journey into butterflies. Along the way they experience a full range of emotions that are attached to life and death. In the end, they become two of the most beautiful creatures in the world. This is how I viewed this entire film. I felt as if I was watching a young caterpillar (the young boy) experience life and journey along the path to become the beautiful butterfly. The beauty of the scenes and the simplicity of this story not drenched in words only kept this image vibrant. The spiritual themes of this film are present, but not bold. They are not hitting you in the face and forcing you to understand, but instead showing you and demonstrating the power of those willing to believe. This is a quiet film that leaves much up to our imagination. We never leave the valley that surrounds the lake, we never know what year is currently going on outside of the forest, and we are meant to understand that this story could take place anytime. Kim gives us themes that can be used to express any period of time and is especially poignant in today's terror filled world.

I loved everything about this film. From the simplicity of the opening doors to introduce each scene to the stunning and hypnotic ending that makes you believe in the human spirit. If you walk away with anything from this film, I hope it is hope. Hope for everything on this planet, and especially a hope for our fellow man. Mistakes are made to learn by. Take these errors and accept them to move closer to the world you have always dreamed about. Be that young boy that is able to transform into the man he desires.

See this movie, and feel a warmth like no other. This is quite possibly one of the best films of the year. Amazing!

Grade: **** out of ****

Like Buddhism, this film is best seen with a clear mind and no particular expectations

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 24 October 2006]

This is a lovingly made and filmed movie. It's so artistically made and beautiful to look at that this alone is reason to see the film. However, the plot is something many Western viewers probably won't be too thrilled with unless they have a very, very open mind and are willing to see a film with an unusual structure and many odd allegorical elements--sort of like Buddhism, actually. The film consists of many wonderful and amusing moments, but also has many intense and even horrifying moments, so be prepared for an "emotional roller coaster".

The film is about several seasons that are spread out over many years. The film begins with a little boy who is the apprentice to a monk who lives on a shrine built in the middle of a lake (Spring). It then moves to the boy's early adulthood (Summer), then after the boy has left and committed a horrible crime (Fall), followed by the boy's return to the shrine many years later after his master has committed suicide (Winter) and is then followed by a woman bringing a new apprentice to the shrine (Spring once again). The film is very well made and interesting, but ultimately it may leave you a bit confused and even irritated that, in many ways, the film is as much about redemption and rebirth as it is about death and nothingness. The film is definitely one that will strongly appeal to some and turn others off due to its sad and confusing tone. An odd and strangely beautiful film chock full of religious imagery and oddness. It's definitely worth a look, given that the viewer appreciates international films and is open to non-traditional story-telling.

FYI--The DVD said it was rated R for 'strong sexuality', and while there is indeed some nudity, it isn't all that intense (you see a guy's butt while he is making love--nothing else is shown). In fact, possibly more disturbing to kids and teens (and some adults) are some of the very adult themes--such as ritual suicide by fire and murder. While I wouldn't show this to kids, this MIGHT be appropriate for older teens--use your judgment and see it first before showing it to them.

Masterpice

[yeldarbitibayev · 10/10 · 26 April 2020]

The movie "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring" (2003), directed by Ki Duk Kim, is a true masterpiece, that covers philosophical ideas, like life cycle and attachment to things and people. The movie shows different life stages of young monk, who was raised by older one. In all scenes, they live in the temple, which is located in the middle of the lake, surrounded by mountains and fosters. In the first scene (Spring), boy tied a stone to the fish, frog and then to the snake. It is not clearly shown his motivation to do so, and I am not sure that he intentionally wanted to harm them. He was very young, and it is more likely that he did it because he found it interesting and amazing. However, our actions should not harm others' lives. The Buddhist monk saw his action and harshly punished his disciple by tying larger stone to his back. He wanted to give him lesson and said that he should release all animals from the stone, and if someone is dead, then "you will carry the stone in your heart for the rest of your life" (m. 16:08). Fish and snake were dead. The facial expression of disciple in these moments was priceless and very emotional. I had the opinion that he might have trauma for life. It was not clear for me, why the teacher did not help these animals; he saw everything and did nothing. I hope he might find other ways to teach him a lesson without harming animals and disciple's psychology. In the second moment (Summer), the disciple meets a young girl and falls in love with her. He decides to go after her and renounces monasticism. His teacher said: "Lust awakens the desire to possess. And that awakens the intent to murder." (m. 47:38). He was right, at the end the disciple murdered her because of her desire to be with another man. This moment illustrates that nothing is forever, the love, desire, feelings, people are all temporary and leave all of us soon. In the third moment (autumn), the disciple flees after murdering and returns to the isolated temple to his Buddhist teacher. The movie in this scenario raises another important question. The Buddhist monk said to his disciple: "Sometimes we have to let go of things we like. What you like, others will also like!" (57:34-57:41 m.). We can not affect to the feelings and desires of others. When we want something or someone, our emotions take hold of us, and we stop to think rationally. As a result, the desire will turn into obsession, and in this moment the obsession turned into killing the person, whom he loved. As Buddhist monk assumed, everything is temporary, and we can not control others' desires, and we sometimes can not even control our own desires and emotions. The best way in such cases is to let go of our desires and loved ones, especially when it is not mutual. I do not clearly understand the ending of the episode, when the Buddhist monk decided to commit suicide. I had some assumptions: he wanted to atone because of his poor education to his disciple or maybe he wanted to free his body and everything. Then, he was reincarnated to the snake. Reincarnation is one of the important concepts in Buddhism. In the fourth episode (Winter), the disciple returns to the temple after the jail and again became the monk. He tied the stone and climbed to the top of the mountain with this stone. The possible reason is that he wanted to let go of the guilt, which started in the beginning of his life, when he tied the stones to animals. I think this guilt haunted him all his life up to this moment. In the beginning of this episode, woman left the child in the temple. Monk decided to raise a child as a monk. The next episode, called Spring, is one of the most important episodes in the movie, because it shows the cyclical nature of life. Child repeats the actions of the disciple in the beginning of the movie, but instead of tying stones to the animals, child puts the stones in their mouths. It shows that everything in life repeats. The only thing that we can do is to help others not repeat our mistakes. I am very curious to know how the monk would decide to educate the new disciple. Will he choose the same method as his Buddhist teacher or another method?! We could help others live a decent life. In other cases, as its theme shows, everything will repeat in this life and spring will start again. In this movie, I liked everything: the content, soundtracks, the acting, nature, animals. It was interesting to see some concepts and elements of Buddhism through the life of the disciple. That is why my rating for this movie is 10/10.

The five seasons

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 15 April 2004]

This is a hypnotic film to watch. The beauty of it lays in the simplicity in which it has been told. Director Ki-duk Kim's images feel like paintings by great masters.

This story about Karma and Buddist beliefs could have used a bit of trimming to make it more appealing, since at times it is too static. This is a film to stay away for those interested in fast action or special effects. No one is going to find them here. What the viewer will get is a feeling of well being and inner peace. The director seems to be teaching us a lesson in how anyone can achieve nirvana through self examination, meditation and doing good no matter to whom. Also, how cruelty, be it against a harmless animal, or a human being, will haunt those who transgress throughout life.

The acting blends in with the serene beauty of the temple in the middle of the lake, as we watch one season following another, as seen by the amazing cinematography by Dong-hyeon Baek.

Compelling and poetic

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 5 November 2014]

In a Korean temple floating on top of a lake, a Buddhist monk teaches a young apprentice through the years. The movie is in five sections. The first one has the apprentice as a boy. In the second one, he's a young man who lusts for a sick girl brought in by her mother for help. Each season brings a new chapter.

This is a very compelling story. It's simple, heart-wrenching and also life-affirming. The dialog is sparse and it completely fits the movie. It is poetry. Everybody who likes movies that is a little different should give this a try. This is one of those foreign art film that is completely watchable.

Not that simple

[sarastro7 · 7/10 · 3 April 2005]

I was not as impressed with this movie as most people here seem to be; I found it slightly dull and not very constructive in its message. Still, it is a beautiful piece of film-making, and it has enough developments to keep your attention despite the simplicity of the setting and the scarcity of characters and dialog.

As a symbolic tale, I didn't think it was simple at all. It was about the attempt - the failed attempt - to attain peace and serenity. It showed that no matter how lofty your ideals and no matter how much you isolate yourself from the world, the human condition remains the same. Life on the remote lake ultimately mimicked all the chaos, anguish and meaningless pain and death of the outside world. The monk's faraway place of worship became a lie; an escape; a retreat from the madness that had infected the monk himself as much as everyone else in modern society. A place for atoning for past sins, rather than living some virtuous pious life. A form of therapy rather than a noble pursuit in its own right. A self-inflicted prison, almost.

So the film-maker did not endorse any kind of romantic view of the monastic life style; he did not say it was an improvement over an ordinary life style. He said that Buddha may soothe, but he can't heal. While I'm not religious, I do believe that high ideals are capable of changing things for the better, so I'm not sure I can agree, on the symbol plane, with the film-maker's message.

7 out of 10.

Fantastic, almost silent, piece of art about human psyche.

[IvanRadovanovic · 10/10 · 13 March 2004]

I can't accept any negative opinion of this movie. It's not bad, it's great all the way. When it comes to life or destiny of Buddhist monk, this movie is not at all about it (or that is not it's main goal), but instead it tells a story about human psyche, emotions, desires, and guilt. I saw this movie in Belgrade's film festival FEST2004, along with 15 other most prize winning movies of the past year, and it was by far the best one.

If you don't mind the long silences where every frame has it meaning and artistic value you must not miss this movie. And when dialogue appears, it is there with a good reason.

vote: 10+

Has its moments but doI have to be Buddhist by to understand this?

[walterltjahnke · 7/10 · 12 June 2022]

No offence and I respect all religions but what does this mean? I don't get it. Is it reincarnation or redemption? I had to give it a seven because it just didn't make sense but the old man from squid games was there so instead of 6 I gave a 7. I guess I'm an idiot Aey?

Kim's Tale of Growth Soars

[objesguy · 10/10 · 5 November 2005]

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring is one of those unique films. A film that is beautiful watch and incredibly tough to digest. Without a doubt, this movie requires deep thought, but with careful examination, this movie is definitely one that strikes into the deepest of hearts and souls. The film's chronicle of a young monks journey from an innocent youth, to a troubled adolescence to a reborn adulthood is extremely deep, with all kinds of messages that emphasize the importance of spirituality and the dangers of lust and sexual obsession.

The film technically speaking is beautiful to behold. Korean movies generally come out of the same mold. In other words, they are very colorful and the picture of their films are sharp and vibrant. This is especially true in the widely popular Memories of Murder (Or Salnui Cheouk) and Kim's follow-up film, 3-Iron (Or Bin-Jip). The environment of the forest is especially engaging to the eye and it adds to the isolated atmosphere of the film as well as the isolated personalities of the characters. Techinically speaking, Kim does a fabulous job with this film and the beautiful cinematography is one of the many reasons why Kim is slowly becoming one of the more recognized Asian filmmakers of his generation.

However, cinematography can't do it alone. The theme of the film as well as the development of characters is extremely important in a film. Kim goes with a different approach in this film that most filmmakers aren't bold enough to do: he relies on silence and actions rather than dialog (much like his follow-up film, 3-Iron, in which his main male protagonist doesn't say one word). It sounds eccentric, but the characters do show their personalities well and the theme of the film is also carried out in a way that words could never do. While this further shows Kim's greatness, a great deal of credit goes to the actors as well. Their excellent performances with such a limited script is commendable and a premiere example of a new kind of art form that is developing in film during this century.

Without a doubt, film purists and art-house film lovers will adore this film, but overall, anyone who has an open mind should feel at home with this film. Granted, like his other film, 3-Iron, this movie is not the kind of film that you can sit back with your friends and laugh away with a tub of popcorn. Instead it is a serious film that displays that film is art and a brand of literature, and like those two genres this movie should be studied and analyzed in order to get the most out of this film. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring is a pensive film, but for those who put the time in analyzing this film will be rewarded with a message and work of art that is like no other. Kim's latest film, 3-Iron was a study of love and relationships. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring is a study of the growth, fall and rebirth of life.

Final Analysis: Excellent! Highly Recommended!

Row, Row, Row your boat

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 29 March 2004]

Greetings again from the darkness. Korean director Ki-Duk Kim also wrote the screenplay and in the post-movie Q&A explained that this is a movie about life. Really it is the proverbial circle of life. The seasonal changes are the perfect backdrop for his vision of the changes in our lives. By far the most interesting portion of the film is during the teen years when the ill female visits. More life is experienced in this 20 minutes of filmmaking than in 2 hours of most. The symbolism of the boat is most appealing, although the buddhist spiritual scenes threw me off course at times. Did enjoy the director's comments on the stones (burdens) we all carry in our life and how at the end, we usually reflect on those times. Definitely worth seeing as a metaphor of the circle of life. Some of the scenery is beautiful and peaceful. By the way, that is the director as the master at the end of the film.

Quite Disappointing

[poc-1 · 5/10 · 20 May 2008]

The recommendations and visuals would lead you to believe that this is a really thoughtful, unique movie. Indeed the first two chapters "Spring" and "Summer" were promising, leading up to a plot which manages to hold the attention. After this is starts to go downhill and the final third is just awful, with a few very silly scenes.

Also lacking is any kind of subtlety. You expect a quite thoughtful meditation, but really you get a series of really simple dumbed-down messages like "it is bad to hurt animals" or there are consequences to evil acts. The director is not content with making a point once, or obliquely, he has to make the point three or four times each chapter.

This points to a basic lack of editing directorial concision. For instance, the child monk in "Spring" is naughty, mean to three wild animals, a fish, a frog and a snake. The master chastises him an makes him rescue the animals. The whole series of scenes where the child finds each animal in turn and then has to rescue each animal afterwards are needless filler. One animal would have made the point far more clearly and forcefully.

Given the quality of the visuals available and the basic concept of the story a much better movie could have been made.