Review of Kundun (1997) by Rita B — 08 Apr 2017

Kundun is a very interesting and informative movie about the fourteenth Dalai Lama. This movie does a great job of taking us through the early days in the life of Kundun, the God king of Tibet - before he was banished into India at the young age of twenty four.

Martin Scorsese's does a great job of showing the struggles of the Dalai Lama against a communist China. I thought that the chanting and rituals of fortune-telling were depicted very well and showed how in Tibet, the people of the city submissively got down on their hands and knees to bow to Kundun as they awaited his blessing.

It really showed how they looked to him as their savior, the movie really made me feel that he gave them a lot of the hope and peace that they were seeking. Even though in the film he came across more as just a normal man and not necessarily a God, it is apparent that he is a really special person.

Kundun, who is believed to be a reincarnation of Buddha, actually shows that while growing up, he also was subject to learning more as the teachers corrected and educated him. He is shown in the movie as a quiet, humble and gentle man who loves unconditionally.

This film relates to world religion by giving a detailed view to those curious about Tibetan Buddhism. It is very enlightening and gives a breakdown of the Chinese invasion and the thoughts of the Dalai Lama.

This movie helped relate a lot of the reading that I have studied about Buddhism over the past few months and is a memorable film. Overall I think that this movie did a great job of showing how Dalai Lamas are selected, the life and journey of Kundun and his time in Tibet before it was harshly taken over by China.