The director is Kim Ki-duk, known as the master of erotica. This is the third film I have seen. The first two are "Bow" and "Samaria Girl".
The film is divided into four segments according to the seasons, revolving around the change of time to tell the fate of the characters. The main characters in the film are only two monks, master and apprentice. They live in a temple in the middle of the lake surrounded by mountains.
In the spring, the old monk gave a good practice lesson to the little monk who hurt small animals. The little monk rowed a small wooden boat to the shallow water of the creek by himself, and tied the back of the little fish with stones. The little fish swam with difficulty, but the little monk laughed heartily. He thought it was very funny. Then the frog and the snake also met the fate of carrying heavy stones, and the little monk took pleasure in teasing the small animals. And these "interesting" things are all seen by the master.
At night, the master tied a big rock to the back of the little monk. The next morning, the little monk went to find the tied fish, frogs and snakes and untied the ropes on them. However, the fish and snakes were still dead.
It should be said that it is normal for children to be playful, and it is understandable to take pleasure in cruelty to animals. After all, before they grow up, their understanding of right and wrong is vague and has no concept. The old master's education method extends to animals with personal pain, and guides them well. The little monk suddenly burst into tears when he saw the snake entangled by the rope. I think there is remorse here.
This spring, there is nothing to see.
In the summer, the little monk who grew up broke the Buddhist taboos and committed lust. The master and apprentice finally had contact with the outside world. A mother and daughter came here, and the daughter had a strange disease. The mother left, leaving the daughter to rest. After several times of Wushan cloud and rain, the girl's illness recovered. But the matter was also discovered by the old master, the old master sent the girl away, and the little monk also left the old master.
In this section, I don’t actually understand very well, since I have become a monk, how can I easily destroy my practice. Perhaps what the director wants to express is that human skin and human heart are separated, and human desires do not disappear with his identity. Even people who are empty of all six elements will still have desires.
In autumn, the young monk returns and the old monk passes away. The 30-year-old monk suddenly came back, full of anger, but he was already a fugitive with a murder case. He killed his cheating wife and became a beast with rage. The police came. After the young monk finished engraving the heart sutra written by the old monk, he regained his composure and was taken away by the police. The old monk looked back and said goodbye to the younger monk, and then set himself on fire and turned into a relic.
In this section, the little monk gets the retribution for his mistakes. If sex is a human instinct, then murder is intentional and an unforgivable sin. The little monk kills because of love. In fact, this is not love, it is a twisted and perverted emotion.
In winter, the lake is frozen, and a new middle-aged monk and an abandoned baby boy arrive. The young monks carry this stone to practice in the mountains every day, purifying the soul with the suffering of the body and flesh.
Another spring, as if the old monk and the young monk are reincarnated again. The little monk with incomplete teeth went to play alone in the mountains and put stones into the mouths of fish, frogs and snakes. Echoing the film's first spring, the fish, frogs, and snakes shouldn't survive this time.
When the door opened in each section was finally closed, I could clearly see the words on the lintel: "Life Nunnery". My heart is slightly shocked, this is actually a life drama! There is an endless cycle of reincarnation between good and evil.
The environment of the movie is very lonely, and the characters have few lines. The whole process is like a calm lake. A small stream pours in from the mountain. There are slight ripples but magnificent waves. And because of this desire is destroyed.
This is director Kim Ki-duk's unique style: loneliness, coldness, desire, despair. Similar to this movie is "The Bow", the bow is also on the water, but it is a boat.
I think Kim Ki-duk is a style director, and the film has a distinctly personal style that is instantly recognizable. However, such a famous director came from a poor family. He dropped out of school after only entering junior high school. He never gave up because of his love for painting. Later, he engaged in script writing, and then he became a director himself. Movies are unique.
I envy such people, and I envy those who do one thing wholeheartedly and never give up.
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