Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom
Tags: romantic, cruelty, murder, atmospheric

Plot synopsis:
The film is divided into five segments (the five seasons of the title), each segment depicting a different stage in the life of a Buddhist monk (each segment is roughly ten to twenty years apart, and is physically in the middle of its titular season).Spring
We are introduced the of the very young Buddhist apprentice with his master on a small floating monastery, drifting on a lake in the serene forested mountains of Korea. The apprentice and his master live a basic life of prayer and meditation, using an old rowboat to reach the bank of the lake where they regularly go walking, for exercise and to collect herbs. One day, in a creek amongst the rocky hills, the apprentice torments a fish by tying a small stone to it with string and laughing as it struggles to swim. Shortly after, he does the same to a frog and a snake; his master quietly observes on all three occasions, and that night ties a large, smooth rock to the apprentice as he sleeps. In the morning, he tells his apprentice that he cannot take off the rock until he unties the creatures he tormented - adding that if any of them have died, he will "carry the stone in his heart forever". The boy struggles with the load on his back through the forest, and finds the fish, lying dead on the bottom of the creek, finds the frog still alive and struggling where he left it, and finds the snake in a pool of blood, presumably attacked and killed by another animal, unable to get away. The master watches as the boy begins to cry heavily upon seeing what he has done to the snake.Summer
The apprentice (now in his teenage years) encounters a mother and daughter (dressed in modern clothes, indicating that the film takes place in modern times) walking along the forest path, looking for the lake monastery. The apprentice silently greets them and rows them across the lake to the monastery, where it is revealed that the daughter has an unspecified illness (she displays symptoms of a fever) and has been brought to the Buddhist master by her mother, hoping that she will be healed. The master agrees to take in the teenage girl for a time, and the mother leaves. Over the next few days, the apprentice finds himself sexually attracted to the girl, but is too shy to say anything; however, when he finds her sleeping in front of the Buddha statue, he is unable to resist groping her chest. She wakes up and slaps him, and in a guilty panic the apprentice begins to pray incessantly, something his master notes as strange. The girl seems to forgive him however; eventually, the two wander off into the forest alone and have sex. They repeat the act over the next few nights, hiding their relationship from the master, until he discovers them asleep and naked, drifting around the lake in the rowboat. He wakes them up by pulling the plug out of the boat. Rather than expressing anger or disappointment, he merely warns his apprentice that "lust leads to desire for possesion, and possesion leads to murder", but does tell him that the girl will have to leave. The apprentice reacts emotionally to this, and in the middle of the night runs away from the monastery in pursuit of the girl, taking the monastery's Buddha statue with him.Fall
Many years later, in "Fall" (or "Autumn"), the aging master returns from a supply run to the local village, and by chance glimpses a warrant for the arrest of his former apprentice, wanted for the murder of his wife. Foreseeing the apprentice's return, he modifies the teenage monk garments by hand, and soon afterward the adult apprentice appears in the spiritual door at the lake's edge, still full of anger and carrying the bloodstained knife with which he stabbed his wife. Unwilling to go on, he seals his eyes, mouth and nose in a suicide ritual and sits in front of the newly returned Buddha statue, waiting for death; the master discovers him, and beats him ruthlessly, professing that while he may have killed his wife, he will not kill himself so easily. He ties his bloodied apprentice to the ceiling and sets a candle to slowly burn through the rope, then begins painting "Heart Sutra" on one side of the monastery deck, by dipping his cat's tail into a tin of black paint. The apprentice eventually falls, and beginning his repentance, cuts his hair off and starts carving the Chinese characters out of the wood. As he carves and the master paints, two detectives arrive at the monastery and try to arrest the apprentice, but the master asks them to let him finish his task. The apprentice continues without stopping, and collapses into sleep immediately upon finishing. Seemingly influenced by the soothing presence of the master, the detectives help the old monk paint his apprentice's carvings in orange, green, blue and purple. The apprentice finally wakes up, and is taken away by the detectives. After they leave, the master, knowing he is at his end, builds a pyre in the rowboat. He seals his ears, eyes, nose and mouth with paper in the same suicide ritual and meditates as he is suffocated and burned to death. One can see the tracks of his tears in the paper seals as flames engulf him.Winter
The middle-aged apprentice returns to the frozen lake and to his former home, which has been drifting uninhabited for years. He finds his master's clothes, laid out just before his death, and digs his master's remains out of the frozen rowboat, setting them to rest in the Buddha statue under a waterfall. He finds a book of choreographic meditative stances, and begins to train and exercise relentlessly in the freezing weather. Eventually, a woman comes to the monastery with her baby son and a shawl wrapped around her face. She seeks to leave her son with the monk and flee, but as she tries to leave in the middle of the night, she stumbles into a hole in the ice the monk dug earlier and drowns. Finding her body the next day causes him to tie the monastery's large, circular stone to his body and climb to the summit of the tallest surrounding mountain holding another statue, which he places there....and Spring
Finally, returning to "Spring", the cycle is completed: the new master lives in the monastery with the abandoned baby, now his apprentice. The boy is shown to torment a tortoise and, wandering into the rocky hills, echoes his predecessor, forcing stones into the mouths of a fish, frog and snake.

Review: 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.
This film is that profound, touching, and moving.Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...Spring is the most beautiful movie I have ever seen.
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 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.
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..
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 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.
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.
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 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).
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..
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 am a self confessed admirer of Kim Ki Duk.The mere mention of his name can provoke heated discussions.He is not so much liked by his own countrymen due to his choice of topics for this films.He is more liked outside Soth Korea where his admirers have easy access to his films both in terms of their availability and comprehension.The great thing about this film is that even though Kim Ki Duk is a part of Christian faith(he was born as a Christian),he has been successful in creating a meticulous spiritual tale of Buddhist world.This proves the amount of energy he spends in researching things about the subject matter of his films.I have seen Spring,Summer on many occasions and each viewing reinforces my belief in spirituality.It is good to see spiritual actions portrayed in a film on big screen but it is not only difficult but also impossible to follow them in real lives.The truth is that most of the people feel happy for a while and afterwards go about their daily chores.So if you wish to gain a brief spiritual experience watch this film.Nobody is going to question you about your spiritual existence after having seen this film..
If you hope see a film about a novice Buddhist monk being taught the great mysteries, learning to respect all forms of life, and exploring the nature of cause and effect in dialogues with his 'master' you will be deeply disappointed.
Time and time again in the movie the novice monk fails to relate compassionately to either himself or those about him, and there are several scenes of simple (but repeated and extended) cruelty which made me cringe as a human being.I found the various subtexts of the film (as I saw it) disturbing : that desire for sex (ie.
desire for union of polarities & transcendence) is essentially a path that leads to suffering for all, and that the only way to find redemption for oneself is through time and ritual, rather than through practicing self-knowledge, kindness, and observing the nature of cause and effect.Ultimately I found this quite a depressing film about the potential of the human spirit.
Easily one of the best films of that year, or previous year, or any year, "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring" is a tale of "cycle of life." The idea is not original but the result is amazing.
The story of the boy who's raised by an old, wise monk, is deeply philosophical and fascinating as we see him growing up and changing with the seasons of the year.The visuals are breathtaking and are a great example of the saying "an image is worth a thousand words".
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.
The boy who's taught not to be cruel to animals by the equally cruel method of having a stone tied to his own back, and who weeps so bitterly when he learns he's caused the fish and snake to die, isn't prepared by his life in the tiny temple to resist lust when the young woman comes to visit.
Could it be that the teacher can't really teach; that the peaceful Buddhist retreat, which is all an invention by the Christian-trained (not Buddhist) Ki-duk Kim, is a nice place to get away to  perhaps one of the most gorgeous places ever filmed, the more so as seen gloriously transformed through the four seasons  but not a place where one can learn how to live in the world?
No doubt the fact that the role of the grownup acolyte who once was the boy playing cruel games with small animals is taken by three different actors -- the last the martial-arts-skilled director Ki-duk Kim himself -- means that all these experiences are universal and have happened to many men.
The suffering of life is told through the wisdom of a Buddhist monk and his young student living in a small hut on an island barely big enough for that hut in a gorgeous, isolated sylvan valley.
My Rating : 8/10"All conditioned things are impermanent - when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering."On a floating monastery in a beautiful lake, a young Buddhist monk and his master live their austere, simple lives in Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...
This film traces the life of the young monk as he grows into adulthood and old age, with each stage of his life represented by a season of the year.This film perfectly exemplifies Buddhist teaching and ideals in both its narrative structure and its message.
Siddhartha Gautama taught that by maintaining the proper perspective and welcoming each change in one's life, we may avoid the sorrow that comes from clinging to either the joys or sorrows of any given season, and thereby achieve balance.A simple but very effective piece of film-making.
The film follows the events of the temple throughout the years, watching the boy grow as the seasons change.
No one is totally good or totally bad and life goes on.In this film, a young boy living on a remote lake is raised by a monk with whom he lives a simple, ascetic life.
I think Kim is showing by some of the responses of the boy that someone who grows up so remote from society might have difficulty adapting to living in society.It's a beautiful, reflective film.
It seems like something made from the typical clichés about Buddhism and little of the actual heart.The whole point here is that we are rooted in this one place, a remote temple in the middle of a lake surrounded by mountains, as waters of life flow through their cycle.
It is a masterfully shot and emotionally charged movie, but there are a couple of things I don't like  at the end there were some moments that seemed illogical to me, some symbols that were not clear enough, and they left me confused after the end - the old man was trying to help his apprentice to overcome his anger and sorrow, but put an end to his own life.
When it comes to life or destiny of Buddhist monk, the franco-indian director Pan Nalin's SAMSARA is so far the best film ever made on or about Buddhism.
Taking place on and near a Buddhist temple in an isolated lake (filmed in a national park), virtually all human emotions are gradually revealed through the cycle of the year and the cycle of life and redemption.
To conclude, this film showed two main ideas, first - idea of cyclical nature of live shown by stages of seasons of the year and repeating stories of old and new monks.
A gorgeous spectacle Mr. Kim Ki-Duk has captured on film for him to weave in a story where both its overt and subtle narratives are rife in symbolic images, Buddhist themes, and animal motifs that complement its sparse dialogue and affecting soundtrack, all helps in depicting the solitude that comes with the monastic life.
The comparison is completed with the ponderous rhythms of changing seasons and the slowly changing perspectives of the Monks.Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring makes the short list for most beautiful film in human history, capitalizing on the natural beauty that surrounds the water bound temple.
The plot of the movie revolves around an old monk (master) and a young monk (disciple), living on a floating house at an isolated lake.As we grow up, we go through certain changes at different stages of life.
While the young monk grows up, he goes through various life learning experiences respective of his age and finally leave.The movie is about how our life goes on to have different seasons and don't end there.
The destination which has come into existence on the first day of birthing is unfolding, and it will determine our lives until we begin to be aware of our actions.Actually, the film is similar to a Buddhist story.As the Old Zen Masters said: "Do not despise the story.
and Spring represents the five stages in the life of a Buddhist monk who lives with his master at a monastery floating on a lake surrounded by mountains.
And by the end, the film comes full circle just like its title to finish where it started in the first place, thus representing the circle of life.From the director who is more notable for the violence in his films, it's really surprising & heartwarming to see Kim Ki-duk direct such a calm, composed & peaceful film.
But this movie has done it with pure simplicity.The drama is about an old Buddhist monk and a boy living in a temple that floats on a placid lake.
We witness the life of that boy through different seasons, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring, as he learns to be a monk.
This movie tries to be a Zen story and leave you changed after viewing it, but for whatever reason it couldn't go all the way.First of all, I loved the season structure(meaning a life cycle) and the photography.
The four seasons of the year serve Kim ki Duk as a parallel of the time of human life, and like the boat in the peaceful lake, the camera follows the events slowly or stops totally, creating an adequate rhythm for the spectator's contemplation and reflection.
While I am watching the movie, I feel as if I were in it and I contemplate my life, not the monk's life (main character), in a serene state of mind.The story starts off as 'spring', symbolizing 'an early years of life', and an old monk's (Yeong-su Oh) leading a child one (Jong-ho Kim) to a right direction.
Spring full of vividness, summer of lust, fall - the season of harvest, and winter of loneliness and beauty are humans' normal lives.The music in this film also played the similar role to dialog.
Kim Ki-Duk's "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring" changed my way of thinking, and it became one of the most breath-taking and marvelous film experiences I've ever had.It's a surprisingly simple yet profoundly emotional film, that's about nothing and everything at the same time.
Ki-Duk Kim combines breath-taking landscapes, metaphors, a trance-inducing score and masterful cinematography to convey interesting points of view in life and to perfectly exemplify the truth behind Buddhism.The film opens itself to a thorough analysis, and a viewer could spend hours writing paragraph after paragraph about the meaning of each scene.
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winterand Spring is a story whose beauty is reflected in the visual elements of the film.
Now let's move on to SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER ...AND SPRING (SSFWAS), director Ki-duk Kim's sparkling success.Shot in one location on a high mountain lake in Korea, and using only a handful of actors/actresses, SSFWAS accomplishes the same wondrous scenery with only a fraction of the GEISHA budget.The story is that of a monk and a young boy in training to become a monk.
The characters are a bit typical of the Asian movies many of us Americans had access to growing up: the wise old man, who sees everything and has a bit of a twisted sense of justice; the goofy, horny young boy (through spring and summer, anyway) who often spazzes out and does things that make no sense (like spin in circles in a row boat when horny); and the young girl who's only purpose is as a lust object.Kim takes the characters in a more mature direction than many of the other tales, and does it with a better eye than most.
The title is on point as the four seasons of life replay themselves each time you see the boy monk grow to a man.
The movies of Ki-Duk Kim are accumulating, it's hard to follow the rhythm of a director that makes 3 or 4 films every year.
In short: the circle of life."Spring, Summer" is a calmed place in the day by day madness, it's like a "mantra", so it's quite understandable that those who want velocity and adrenaline will hate this movie and the whole Ki-Duk Kim works.
Despite the simplistic nature of the narrative and the ultra-slow pacing, this is a beautifully shot and thoroughly engrossing movie that had me absolutely captivated at all times.As suggested by the title, the film is split into five parts, each of them exploring a different stage in the life of a youngster apprenticed to a Buddhist who lives in a remote floating temple on a lake.
He himself plays the Buddhist monk at the end and must therefore be taken as a most significant film for this consistent producer of beautiful, yet hard edged movies.
Not (spoken) words, but the tough though serene Buddhist way of life.The existence of three men, two monks (one old, one young) and an apprentice, is narrated by focusing on the most important events in their lives, which happen in different seasons, as you may have guessed by the title.Even if it is rather rarefied, don't think that this movie is not intense.
The man-made lake that this film was shot on is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, and Kim Ki-Duk take full advantage of this setting.
The film centers on an elder Buddhist master and his young charge as the boy grows into manhood with considerably less grace than the passing of the old man to the next life.