Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring
In the midst of the Korean wilderness, a Buddhist master patiently raises a young boy to grow up in wisdom and compassion, through experience and endless exercises. Once the pupil discovers his sexual lust, he seems lost to contemplative life and follows his first love, but soon fails to adapt to the modern world, gets in jail for a crime of passion and returns to the master in search of spiritual redemption and reconciliation with karma, at a high price of physical catharsis...
The film earned $8.9M at the global box office.
15 wins & 9 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003) showcases strategically placed story structure, characteristic of Kim Ki-duk's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 43 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.4, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The old monk and young boy apprentice live in serene isolation in a floating temple on a mountain lake, establishing the cyclical Buddhist world where the boy will be taught life's lessons.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when The film transitions to Summer. The boy, now a teenager, encounters a young woman brought to the temple by her mother for healing, introducing sexuality and attachment into his monastic world.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 26 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to The young monk chooses to leave the temple with the girl after she's healed, abandoning his spiritual training for worldly love and desire, entering the realm of attachment and suffering., moving from reaction to action.
At 52 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Police arrive searching for the monk, who has murdered his unfaithful wife. The monk is arrested, making his karma and suffering public and unavoidable. The old monk accepts responsibility for his student's actions., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 77 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The monk discovers the old master has died by fire, leaving him completely alone without guidance. He finds the master's body frozen in meditation posture—a literal and spiritual death at the story's nadir., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 82 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Spring returns. The monk, now the old master, raises the abandoned child as his apprentice, repeating the cycle but with wisdom earned through suffering. He has achieved balance and acceptance of life's cyclical nature., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring against these established plot points, we can identify how Kim Ki-duk utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring within the drama genre.
Kim Ki-duk's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Kim Ki-duk films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Kim Ki-duk filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Kim Ki-duk analyses, see Pieta.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The old monk and young boy apprentice live in serene isolation in a floating temple on a mountain lake, establishing the cyclical Buddhist world where the boy will be taught life's lessons.
Theme
The old monk discovers the boy tying stones to a fish, frog, and snake. He ties a stone to the sleeping boy's back, teaching him that cruelty creates suffering that weighs on the soul—the film's central karmic theme.
Worldbuilding
Spring section establishes the temple's rhythms, the master-student relationship, and the boy's innocent cruelty. We see daily rituals, Buddhist practices, and the isolated mountain setting that forms their entire world.
Disruption
The film transitions to Summer. The boy, now a teenager, encounters a young woman brought to the temple by her mother for healing, introducing sexuality and attachment into his monastic world.
Resistance
The old monk observes the teenage monk's growing desire for the sick girl. He warns about attachment and suffering but allows the relationship to unfold, knowing the boy must learn through experience.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The young monk chooses to leave the temple with the girl after she's healed, abandoning his spiritual training for worldly love and desire, entering the realm of attachment and suffering.
Mirror World
Fall section begins. The adult monk returns alone to the empty temple, carrying rage and the weight of sin. The world of romantic love has transformed into a mirror of violence and karmic debt.
Premise
The adult monk lives in isolation with guilt and rage. The old monk returns to help him, having him carve the Heart Sutra into the temple deck as penance, exploring the premise of suffering, karma, and the path to redemption.
Midpoint
Police arrive searching for the monk, who has murdered his unfaithful wife. The monk is arrested, making his karma and suffering public and unavoidable. The old monk accepts responsibility for his student's actions.
Opposition
Winter section. The old monk performs ritual self-immolation, completing his karmic cycle. The middle-aged monk returns from prison, now alone, facing the temple, his guilt, and the harshness of winter isolation.
Collapse
The monk discovers the old master has died by fire, leaving him completely alone without guidance. He finds the master's body frozen in meditation posture—a literal and spiritual death at the story's nadir.
Crisis
The monk sits in profound grief and isolation in the frozen temple. He performs rituals for his master, facing his complete aloneness and the weight of his life's suffering in dark contemplation.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Spring returns. The monk, now the old master, raises the abandoned child as his apprentice, repeating the cycle but with wisdom earned through suffering. He has achieved balance and acceptance of life's cyclical nature.