One scene in particular stands out to support this point. Seeing Kundun standing among the thousands of bodies of his red-robed followers is not only visually stunning, but also it is emotionally startling. This incredible aerial shot is without a doubt the cinematic highlight of the feature.
Scorsese’s use of color, superb camera angles, and sound allows Kundun to resonate in your mind and heart long after the two-hour and eight-minute running time. Kundun is such a brilliant palette of reds and golds that it feels more like a dream drenched in soothing hues than a mere movie. Also, its bright cinematography makes it appear more like a series of stained glass windows rather than a strip of celluloid frames. In addition, Scorsese’s masterful camera angles provide a heightened view of this somewhat slow subject. His camera work, depicting a young Kundun hiding under his red robe, not only shows us that a Tibetan’s garb has a low thread-count, but also that Scorsese is as cinematically clever as they come. Furthermore, the film’s score is absolutely unforgettable. Much like the hymns in church, the score not only provides the background, but it also enhances the experience.
While Kundun is a beautiful documentary-of-sorts feature on the life of the fourteenth Dalai Lama and Buddhism, in terms of storyline and character development, it definitely is not one of Martin’s crowning achievements. It did however earn five Academy Award nominations including best Art Direction, Cinematography, and Music; yet, it won none. The award Scorsese has had at his fingertips on for more than twenty years – the "Best Director" Oscar – still remains unearned.
Nonetheless, Kundun still merits my recommendation because its simple yet sacred storyline stays with you, and its overall entrancing impression leaves you both in appreciation of the knowledge you obtained and in amazement of the sentiments you sensed. (*** out of ****)
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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..