Simonthepilgrim
11-14-2006, 09:27 AM
As requested, here is a brief review of Kundun, a film about the childhood and adolescence of Tenzin Gyatso, Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet.
This film (1997) operates at a number of levels. It is, first of all, the astounding story of a culture which has now been almost completely destroyed. Whilst not shot in Tibet itself for political reasons, it gives a real feeling for the open plains and great mountains of the Land of Snows. Much of it was shot in Morocco (like The Life of Brian). It is also a spiritual classic, filmed with reverence but without 'religiosity'.
The script by Melissa Mathison can be read, in full, at: http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/kundun.html
It is based on His Holiness's own, second, autobiography, Freedom In Exile (1990) and, despite telescoping the chronology by a few years, is remarkably faithful to the book.
One aspect of the film which attracted a lot of attention is that Scorcese used unknown actors, most of them native Tibetans, which means that, unlike the disappointing Seven Years in Tibet, one is not distracted by big name/big face stars. The downside of this is that the accents sometimes becaome a little hard to follow; the DVD comes with the possibility of subtitling which is a great help. In addition, there are no gratuitous explanations of Buddhism or Tibetan culture: the audience have to do that work for themselves, which, to my mind gives even more depth to the work.
Those of us who admire Scorcese are aware of the vital role that music plays in his films. If you doubt it, try watching Taxi Driver with sound off and subtitles on! Kundun is, I think, the first film in his work where the music was written to order. The minimalist composer Philip Glass has given us deeply moving sounds from horns, percussion and voices (Gyuto monks).
Comments about the music and tracks can be heard at http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/kundun.html#tracks
More details of the fim are at:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119485/
The final scene, as the young Dalai Lama arrives, very weak and ill after escaping over the mountains into India, moves me to tears every time:
The Indian soldier steps closer and, knowing he is breaking
protocol, he whispers:
SOLDIER
With all respect, may I ask?
Who are you?
The young man smiles at the Soldier - a man who looks like
the lead soldier come alive.
TENZIN GYATSO
What you see before you is
a man. A simple monk.
SOLDIER
Are you the Lord Buddha?
Pause.
TENZIN GYATSO
I think I am a reflection,
like the moon, on water.
When you see me, and I try
to be a good man, see
yourself
INT. A ROOM IN INDIA, FOOT OF THE HIMALAYAS DAY
Tenzin Gyatso unpacks. He is dressed in maroon robes, his
arms bare.
He places some books on a table next to his tinkering
equipment. He lifts a heavy parcel.
EXT. TERRACE DAY
CLOSE on the young man's beautiful hands as he sets up his
telescope.
The tripod is erect. The body is attached. The eyepiece is
adjusted.
And then, this boy, this man, this simple monk, aims, to
takes a look, at a bigger world.
On a black screen, a card reads:
The Dalai Lama has not yet
returned to Tibet.
He hopes one day to make the journey.
This film so inspired my 9-year-old son that we made the journey to Dharamshala in Northern India to pay our respects to this extraordinary man.
This film (1997) operates at a number of levels. It is, first of all, the astounding story of a culture which has now been almost completely destroyed. Whilst not shot in Tibet itself for political reasons, it gives a real feeling for the open plains and great mountains of the Land of Snows. Much of it was shot in Morocco (like The Life of Brian). It is also a spiritual classic, filmed with reverence but without 'religiosity'.
The script by Melissa Mathison can be read, in full, at: http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/kundun.html
It is based on His Holiness's own, second, autobiography, Freedom In Exile (1990) and, despite telescoping the chronology by a few years, is remarkably faithful to the book.
One aspect of the film which attracted a lot of attention is that Scorcese used unknown actors, most of them native Tibetans, which means that, unlike the disappointing Seven Years in Tibet, one is not distracted by big name/big face stars. The downside of this is that the accents sometimes becaome a little hard to follow; the DVD comes with the possibility of subtitling which is a great help. In addition, there are no gratuitous explanations of Buddhism or Tibetan culture: the audience have to do that work for themselves, which, to my mind gives even more depth to the work.
Those of us who admire Scorcese are aware of the vital role that music plays in his films. If you doubt it, try watching Taxi Driver with sound off and subtitles on! Kundun is, I think, the first film in his work where the music was written to order. The minimalist composer Philip Glass has given us deeply moving sounds from horns, percussion and voices (Gyuto monks).
Comments about the music and tracks can be heard at http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/kundun.html#tracks
More details of the fim are at:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119485/
The final scene, as the young Dalai Lama arrives, very weak and ill after escaping over the mountains into India, moves me to tears every time:
The Indian soldier steps closer and, knowing he is breaking
protocol, he whispers:
SOLDIER
With all respect, may I ask?
Who are you?
The young man smiles at the Soldier - a man who looks like
the lead soldier come alive.
TENZIN GYATSO
What you see before you is
a man. A simple monk.
SOLDIER
Are you the Lord Buddha?
Pause.
TENZIN GYATSO
I think I am a reflection,
like the moon, on water.
When you see me, and I try
to be a good man, see
yourself
INT. A ROOM IN INDIA, FOOT OF THE HIMALAYAS DAY
Tenzin Gyatso unpacks. He is dressed in maroon robes, his
arms bare.
He places some books on a table next to his tinkering
equipment. He lifts a heavy parcel.
EXT. TERRACE DAY
CLOSE on the young man's beautiful hands as he sets up his
telescope.
The tripod is erect. The body is attached. The eyepiece is
adjusted.
And then, this boy, this man, this simple monk, aims, to
takes a look, at a bigger world.
On a black screen, a card reads:
The Dalai Lama has not yet
returned to Tibet.
He hopes one day to make the journey.
This film so inspired my 9-year-old son that we made the journey to Dharamshala in Northern India to pay our respects to this extraordinary man.