"Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring" (Bom yeoreum
gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom)
The scene opens on an isolated lake nestled in a
forested valley. A small Buddhist temple floats upon
the water and is occupied by an aging monk and his
very young disciple. It is spring, once again, and the
world is being renewed but the changing seasons take
their toll in "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and
Spring"
As seems to be the norm for films coming from Korea of
late, helmer Kim Ki-Duk uses the beautiful, sometimes
haunting landscape to excellent visual affect. As in
his diametrically different but similarly set "The
Isle," Kim uses water as a metaphor for safe haven.
But, with "Spring..." he has matured tremendously as a
storyteller and subtly and intelligently compares the
changing of the seasons with the seasons of life.
The title suggests changing seasons and it does that
quite well. But, the meat of the film deals with the
seasons as transitions of life. We meet the old
Buddhist monk (Yeong-su Oh) and his young
monk-in-training (Jai-kyeong Seo) in their temple
floating on a lake as the winter thaw finishes and the
world is reborn with the arrival of spring. The old
master teaches the youngster the ways of Buddha but
boys will be boys and the child sets off on his own
adventures with his master secretly following.
The old monk quietly observes the boy as he ties a
rock to a variety of small creatures - a fish, a frog
and a snake - sets them free and laughs as he watches
their ordeal and suffering. The master, seeing the
lad's decidedly non-Buddhist behavior, ties a large
rock to the child's back while he sleeps. When he
wakes the next morning, the monk tells him that he
must wear the stone and seek out the creatures that he
tortured. If they die the boy must carry the stone of
his deed in his heart forever.
As the season changes from spring to summer the boy is
now a teenager and has the same needs and desires as
pubescents anywhere else in the world. A young woman
is left in the old monk's care to cure her of some
unspecified illness. Of course, on an isolated lake in
the middle of nowhere, the young people begin taking
their first tentative interest in each other,
culminating in frantic, lusty sex. The old man notices
their furtive behavior and, when she tells him that
she is once again well, sends her on her way. The
young monk-in-training runs away from his master.
The seasons change, once again, this time from summer
to fall and the young man, now 30, returns to his
master. But, he has a checkered past that may involve
murder. The aging monk sets the younger man on a task
of penance when two detectives arrive at the lakes
edge. They patiently wait as the disciple completes
his assigned task and they take him away - peaceful in
the scourging of his soul for his misdeeds.
Fall passes into Winter and, as the seasons are born,
bloom, wither and die, so does life. The old man has
reached his end and it is time to move on to the next
level of his faith, to his Nirvana. Meanwhile, the
young man has become older and takes his master's
place, doing further penance (bookending the rock
incident when a child) for his past and earning,
through ordeal, the right to become a master.
The story ends much as it began - it is spring and a
young boy is put into the care of the old monk living
on the floating temple. Life comes full circle.
Western viewers may have a problem with the quiet
reflection of "Spring..." but, if you're patient, the
beauty and subtlety of the film is well worth the
viewing time. The parallels between the four seasons
and the seasons of life are beautifully handled by
director Kim Ki-Duk who also took on the additional
chores as screenwriter and editor. He shows a deft
hand in creating quiet, meaningful moments of life,
particularly the austere life of a Buddhist monk.
Production designer Stephan Shonberg creates an
unusual and creative world in the floating temple.
Doors are used where walls do not exist, carrying
hidden meaning as the characters make use of the
portals even when they don't have to. Cinematographer
Baek Dong-hyeon is a world-class lenser, making every
visual aspect of "Spring..." a work of art.
Be prepared for a quiet, melancholy movie that
provokes thought and contemplation. I give "Spring,
Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring" a B+.
========== X-RAMR-ID: 37662 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 1275737 X-RT-TitleID: 10003579 X-RT-SourceID: 386 X-RT-AuthorID: 1488 X-RT-RatingText: B+
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