April 10, 2026
Thanks to Alissa Simon, HMU Tutor, for today’s post.
We watched Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, … and Spring for the final film in the HMU Winter Film Series. What a film with gorgeous scenery and a wonderful narrative!
As the title would indicate, the film opens in springtime. A boy forages on a mountainside while his master, a Buddhist monk, goes into town for some supplies. There is a beautiful respect between master and child. Their home floats in the middle of a pond and they are surrounded by wildlife. One day, the boy ventures into nature and ties a stone around a fish, a frog, and a snake. The master reprimands him by tying a stone around the boy which he must carry until he has freed each animal. This penance sets the stage for the entire film which then moves in to the boy’s teenage years (summer), his early twenties (fall), and his penance in winter.
This film could be read as a fable which imparts a lesson or demonstrates a universal truth. The boy ages along with nature and through nature. He tests his own boundaries, assumes that he has power and agency which are separate from nature, and is eventually humbled. In his case, he might know something that the monk has taught him. Perhaps he knows that nature is fragile. But he doesn’t truly understand that fragility until he ties rocks around the creatures which, in turn, kills them. Now, he truly understands the essence of fragility. Spring is a time of hope and joy, birth and life. In this film, it is also a time of devastating lessons.
In the summer years, the boy falls in love with a girl who has come for healing. Once again, the boy wrestles with his own nature. As the boy falls into temptation, he loses track of his teachings. He wanders farther from his master’s words, changes his hair and clothes, his way of eating, and seeks worldly possessions as a way of proving himself. In the end, he finds his soul bankrupt and returns to the small home on the pond. Here, as he physically carves a prayer into the wood platform, he finds pieces of himself. The master reminds him to seek himself through the universal, rather than seeking to make himself outside of the universal.
This film’s details are carefully layered. The town is near, but only visible through a few characters who represent the outside world. The monk’s lifestyle thoroughly describes their ethic. Sparse dialogue reflects a sparse nature. The bowl-like pond literally contains all of the magical elements of this story. Like a pot of soup, each item enhances the flavor, meaning, and interaction. There is a cyclical nature to it, of course, as demonstrated by the title. Yet how the story expands is ineffable. It just does.
I absolutely loved this discussion with the film series crew. I look forward to a new adventure in film in 2027. Until then, please find our upcoming events at https://hmu.edu/#events. We are always happy to hear from you!
Photo credit: Shutterstock/ FrentaN
