Martin Scorsese – a name that is typically associated with both ruthlessly violent films (Goodfellas, Casino, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, etc.) and dark bushy eyebrows – is a director who always likes to integrate religious elements into his merciless yet artistic films. Twice he has ventured out of his typical territory and directed two features (The Last Temptation of Christ and Kundun) that focus entirely on the lives of two heavenly men. Kundun is definitely an atypical Scorsese picture, but with its soothing cinematography, impressive score and smooth camera angles, Scorsese’s skills as a filmmaker still shine through. Although Kundun may be a tad slow-paced and may lack the level of drama and emotion that one would expect, its simplistic spirituality and captivating chronology substantiates that it’s hard for Scorsese to beget a bad motion picture.
After the death of the thirteenth Dalai Lama in 1933, the search began for the reincarnated fourteenth. It wasn’t until four years later, in 1937, that a holy man, disguised as a traveling servant, discovered the reborn Buddha. This holy traveler found a special two-year-old boy near the outskirts of Tibet. When asked, this chosen child flawlessly selected the thirteenth Dalai Lama’s belongings from a table full of loose articles — all the while he exclaimed, “Mine, mine, mine.” The holy man smiled, for he knew he had found their leader, and named the boy Kundun (which translates to “The Presence”) after the first Dalai Lama.
As a young boy, Kundun went through scrupulous training where he gained his sense of how to protect his people and how to passively resist violence. He also learned how to promote compassion and love all living things. From his meditations as a young man, he acquired the serenity and wisdom to promote peace and to cherish silence. And, from his political hardships as a developed adult, he learned the brutality of war and the cruelty of a Communist China. This left Kundun with a demanding decision — flee to India, or stay and protect his people?
The entire life story of Kundun, from being a worshipped toddler to being an exiled adult, is told through his eyes - the eyes of His Holiness (the fourteenth Dalai Lama). Considering the storyline is told through the Tibetan spiritual and political leader’s eyes, we don’t see any of the violent images of war going on outside of the monasteries. Instead, we only see sudden glimpses of Kundun’s dreams and nightmares. This lack of exposure to the emotion and pain being suffered makes it harder to connect and sympathize with the Tibetan people. However, through Kundun’s visions and limited exposure to the violence, we can sympathize with him as he struggles to do what is best for his people.
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Article comments
1 - Justin Whitaker
Kundun has always been a favorite of mine! A very fine review indeed. It is definitely not a thriller or blockbuster, but how many stories of real people's lives ever are? Where it wins hearts (and paradoxically loses box office dollars) is in its depth. This is a movie that forces you to think about the world you are actually living in. It doesn't demonize the Chinese or make the Dalai Lama out to be some other-worldly god-man. The lack of 'character development' is simply a symptom of the realness of the film, and while seeing real people in all their mundane realness (as opposed to Mel Gibson's blood drenched, over-dramatic portrayal of Jesus' last days) may not draw the masses, those who do watch the film might just gain a little depth of understanding the world around them. Indeed, hopefully it 'stays with you' and may even change your whole life.
2 - Justin Whitaker
oops - wrong URL with my name there... Should be fixed on this one..