Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring is a South Korean film directed by Kim Ki-duk. The movie is a poetic and spiritual journey through the cyclical nature of human life, as seen through the eyes of a Buddhist monk and his young protégé.
The film's story is told in five different sections, each representing a different season of the year. The first section, Spring, introduces us to the isolated lake and the floating temple where the old monk lives. The young boy arrives as a child and begins his training as a monk under the watchful eye of the older monk. The two of them live in near-silence, surrounded by the peaceful and calm beauty of the lake and the surrounding forest.
As the seasons change, so too do the experiences of the young monk. In the Summer section, the boy is now a teenager and has developed feelings for a girl who visits the temple. The monk teaches him about the nature of desire and the importance of controlling one's passions. In the Fall section, the monk is now elderly and the young monk has become a fully-fledged monk. He leaves the temple to explore the outside world, encountering temptation and danger.
In the Winter section, the young monk returns to the temple, older and wiser, to care for the old monk as he nears the end of his life. The final section, Spring, sees the young monk alone in the temple, reflecting on the lessons he has learned and the cyclical nature of life.
Throughout the film, the audience is drawn into the meditative and contemplative world of the two monks as they seek to find meaning and purpose in their lives. The film is a beautiful and moving exploration of spirituality, love, and human nature.