Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring - A Writeup

Spring

Spring : a time for new beginnings. A young monk opens his eyes. A temple, which floats majestically in the middle of a crystal-clear lake. A forest of a deep, verdant green. The lush flora teeming with wildlife surround the two monks, and us as well. Filled to the brim with scenic shots of nature, we watch on as the young monk frolics around and gives in to his curiosity. A fish. A frog. A snake. What he does to them is wrong, and his master knows it. Repentance. Remorse. The young monk learns his lesson the hard way, and as he reflects, he is cleansed of his sins and starts fresh.

Summer

Summer : a time for happiness and fun, with endless opportunities awaiting in the future. Years have passed at this point, and the young monk is now a teenager. A young woman is left at the floating temple to be cured of an illness by her mother. A fleeting look, or two. An innocent, yet indecent act, or two. Feelings of love fill the summer air. Innocent love. Uncharted territory. As summer draws to a close, the young monk looks ahead to a new life; a life where endless opportunities await in the future.

The season of Summer in the film

Fall

Fall : a time for decay and decline. Explosions of emotions. The young monk, now a grown man, releases his pent-up emotions in a fit of fury and rage. He falls to his lowest. However, the warm hues of yellow, orange and red provide a sense of optimism. Bright autumn leaves. Repentance. Acceptance. The young monk knows his wrongdoings, and struggles to make up for them. But it is too late. He is forced to leave his master. As his master looks on as the young monk gets further and further away from him, rowing away in a boat, he too succumbs to the season of fall.

Winter

Winter : a time for personal reflection and introspection. The young monk returns to the temple, after what seems like decades have passed. He returns physically to the temple, but also spiritually. He picks up what his master had been practicing for all those years, and cleanses himself from the inside out. The light fall of snow. The lake, frozen over. The mountains. covered in sheets of white. The once lively forest is now cold. Visitors. A death. A new life. As winter fades away and the snow starts to melt, the young monk starts anew after a season of mental training, as we re-enter :

Spring

Spring : a time for new beginnings, and the beginning of the cycle of seasons. We are back where we once were. The young monk starts his new life with his understudy, and the cycle seems to restart. A temple, which floats majestically in the middle of a crystal-clear lake. A forest of a deep, verdant green. A fish. A frog. A snake. It all comes back to us, the viewer, as it slowly dawns on us that we have just observed a lifetime of lessons, learning, and growing. And now, it all starts again, with another lifetime of lessons, learning, and growing on the horizon. An ending, but a new beginning, all at the same time.