Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring

if you watch this and don't give it a 10, sorry for your life!

A quiet, unhurried meditation on the lessons and warnings of Buddhism, given form by a basic narrative in which a lonesome monk ages, errs, matures and accepts his place in the world. Set on a floating temple in the center of an expressive, isolated Korean lake, the gorgeous scenery is as much a character as the very small cast. With the shifting of each season, the story turns the page on a new chapter, many of which skip decades at a time. While this allows the central character, who is never named, to grow vastly in spirit between appearances, it also makes the task of forgiving his larger sins more difficult for the audience. Which is, in a way, a lesson in itself. Delicately framed, it's a beautiful picture that's slow-moving and deliberate on the surface with a wealth of hidden meanings beneath.