Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter.... and Spring.

N and I watched a very beautiful film by a Korean director Ki-duk Kim, last Sunday, 'Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter..... And Spring' Long title, but it does contain the essence of the film which is the circle of life. Quite apart from the ravishing scenery which was a treat in itself, it coincided nicely with a resurgence of interest in Buddhism chez moi. N always asks me what sort of film I'd like to watch and I always say 'not gloomy, and not one of those Art House films in which nothing happens,' but this time he ignored me because he had decided the evening before what we were going to watch - and I had to say how psychic he had been! I may not have known that's what I wanted, but it was!!

A monk and his disciple, a very young child, live in a tiny monastery on a platform built in the middle of a lake, surrounded by steep tree-covered banks that frame and protect it. The child grows to manhood under the watchful eyes of the monk, learning life lessons as he passes through the stage of growing. His first harsh lesson is brought to him through his own childish play with creatures he catches as he explores the forests alone. The innocent play turns to cruelty when he ties stones to a fish, a frog and a snake. The monk punishes him for this cruelty by tying a heavy rock to his own middle, telling him that if the creatures have come to harm because of his thoughtless actions he will wear the stone in his heart for the rest of his days. Two of them have died and though the child weeps with regret he will never be free of the anguish he has caused.

In his adolescence a sick young woman is brought by her mother to be healed by the monk. She also brings with her the greatest lesson of the young man’s life for he falls in love. The monk tells him that though love is good and their sexual play has helped to cure the girl, if he can’t let her go his desire will lead to killing. He can’t let her go, he leaves the monastery instead, and it and it does lead to a killing.

The student returns to the island, perhaps to seek forgiveness, or sanctuary or perhaps to find peace, but anyway to tell the monk he was right - the Buddha was right! The monk reminds him of the sutras which he sets the student to carve out on the wooden decking before he is arrested by the police. After they have taken him away the old monk commits suicide. His work is done.

Inevitably the student returns to the island monastery, finds his old clothes waiting for him and a book of martial art exercises which he works on to perfect. He remains alone as the seasons turn until the day when a baby is left with him - the baby who will become his charge to teach in the ways of wisdom. There are some strange scenes toward the end that I would like to have explained. They are probably clearer to those who know the mythology of his country.

This director has caused controversy by representing women in a way that looks to be derogatory and mysoginistic; also by the explicit cruelty to animals shown in some of his films. He doesn’t get past the western censors without cuts. None of that is apparent in ‘Spring, Summer, Autumn...’ which would indicate sympathy with the Buddhist Way an essentially harmless path that wishes all sentient beings to be happy. It’s difficult to assess how much of what he does is deliberately to shock or if it’s a cultural difference.