A south korean Movie about a buddhist monastery that floats on a lake in a pristine forest. The story is about the life of a Buddhist monk as he passes through the seasons of his life, from childhood to old age. This is definitely a movie I intend to watch again. I think you should watch it, but it's mostly just a big visual metaphor.
Read The Heart Sutra .
Production Synopsis
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring was directed by Kim Ki-duk filmed at Jusan Pond in North Gyeongsang Province South Korea.
Symbolism and Relevance
What does the rooster in Spring represent?
the bird is the representation of desire and craving in Buddhist iconography
The heart sutra is written and carved in to the deck of the monastery in Fall
the movie ultimately is an illustration of this Sutra itself.
What are the core Buddhist principles the movie attempts to present?
impermanence/annica
suffering/dukka
no-self/anatta
Four Noble Truths : the causes, nature, and cessation of suffering
The lake and valley represent the universal mind and the hermitage representing the self, floating within it.
Snakes traditionally symbolize aversion, one of the three poisons according to Buddhist teachings; in this film they more often connote attachment
The doors without walls represent morality and self-discipline
the monk carries a statue of Kannon/Boddhisattva to represent the weight of living with buddhist knowledge
the monk ties a millstone around himself while climbing the hill
to represent the extra struggle his Karma has wrought him