Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring (2003)

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring (2003) #481601 03/26/08 08:03 PM 03/26/08 08:03 PM
Joined: Oct 2004 Posts: 4,098 Existential Well svsg OP Underboss
svsg OP Underboss Joined: Oct 2004 Posts: 4,098 Existential Well	This is the review I wrote at FCM. I watched this yesterday and it moved me to tears. Watch it if you get a chance. Highly recommended. - svsg ------------------------------------------------------------- Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom ****** Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring Ki-duk Kim** 2003 \| South Korea We get to witness the story of a man, from his childhood and through various stages of adult life. A Buddhist monastery constructed in the middle of a lake at the base of a mountain forms the backdrop for this drama. The only people in the monastery are him and his master, except for a few visitors who come once in a while in search of tranquility. There is a reason why they would come here though. If they do not find peace in their prayers to Buddha, they could at least draw inspiration from the natural environment of the monastery. Even the passage from the temple to the base of the mountain will require rowing a boat through the still waters. And this is a chore that is central to the story. And this is an image that is central to the film. The characters are nameless. At least the important ones. Probably in tune with some Buddhist principle. Why would names be important in any case? Spring... In still camera shots, we are introduced to the daily routine of a boy and his master. They share their space with the animals inhabiting this valley. But as the master soon realizes, the boy is human after all. And with that fact comes the inherent cruelty of the human mind. A mind not trained by the principles of religion. Through a series of realizations, the boy discovers the price of cruelty. The scene dissolves with a closing shot of the gates that serve as the entrance to the lake. A hermetic world, almost impervious to the outside world. The realizations are then naturally internal. We are led to another season in the boy's life. Summer... We are led into the bubble again with an opening shot of the gates. Now the boy has grown up into his teens. The first sign of a breach of this protected environment is seen with the arrival of a girl and her mother to the monastery. The girl comes to seek a cure to her tormented mind. All that the mind needs is a catalyst to unleash the internal desires. As though to hint that the temptation is always external, we see the desire for this girl growing deeper and deeper in the mind of the boy. In a series of mildly graphic scenes, we see the boy making the leap and fulfilling his lust. It is time for him to shape his own future and transition to a new phase in life. This time the gates close with the boy leaving the monastery. Fall... Life continues the same way at the monastery, be it spring, summer or fall. The boy has grown into an adult now and comes back to visit his master, only because he is running away from his crimes. Soon enough his crimes catch up with him and there are people looking for him here. Master knows that he is not ready for redemption. In an amazing sequence of scenes, the man carves out sacred texts on the monastery floor, while seeking to quieten the demons in his mind. Words are redundant in the movie. Perhaps like the door frames separating empty spaces on all sides in the lake and inside the monastery. The film conveys more by silence than so many others with lots of dialogue. When the season ends, master metes out the same end for himself that his disciple once attempted prematurely. Winter... The lake is frozen now and the gates are discolored. The shots of the monastery covered in ice from all sides are breathtaking. The man returns to the monastery again, but now much older and perhaps with a more realistic chance for inner peace. But prophets are not born out of luxury. They shall take the punishment, for their soul is suffering. A woman arrives at the monastery with a baby. But we never see her face. Is it his wife? Is it his daughter? Is it even important at this point? But something about the woman triggers a reaction in the man. He is ready for redemption. Almost. The camera tracks him take an arduous journey through icy mountains to reach the top, as religious hymns play in the background. Perhaps he has surmounted all barriers by now. And Spring... Life has come a full circle. The ice has melted and lake is filled with clear water. The prayers have resumed in the monastery. The kid is now his disciple and he is the new master.

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