Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring
Directed by Kim Ki-duk
- drama
The story
An isolated lake, where an old monk lives in a small floating temple. The monk has a young boy living with him, learning to become a monk. We watch as seasons and years pass by.
What it’s like
Still, unhurried frames of a floating wooden temple on a mountain lake, shot in soft morning mist, flat grey winter light, and the saturated greens and reds of high summer, with the camera mostly fixed and letting the water, the boat and the birds drift through the composition. Sound is sparse: lapping water, wind through pines, a bell, the occasional creak of timber, and almost no score. The mood is contemplative and quietly sorrowful, a slow meditation on cycles of growing, cruelty, grief and renewal, paced like the seasons themselves so that days pass in single images. Its emotional register stays muted and patient; a boy's gradual move from innocence toward adulthood unfolds through small rituals and consequences rather than dialogue. Violence and death appear, but briefly and without gore, and the sexual content is restrained and non-explicit. Suited to a slow, reflective evening, a quiet Sunday, or anyone who wants atmosphere and stillness over story. Best for viewers who enjoy contemplative cinema and can sit with long silences and grief.
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