Review of Kundun (1997) by Tania G — 10 Nov 2014

My movie review will be about the movie Kundun, directed by Martin Scorsese. Kundun is a movie about the early life of Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama. Throughout the entire film, the Dalai Lama was never referred to by his birth name, but instead referred to as either Kundun, or Dalai Lama. The film begins at Tenzin Gyatso's very early age. After the death of the 13th Dalai Lama, the monks of Tibet went in search of the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, the 14th Dalai Lama. Eventually, their search came to an end when the found a young buy near the border of China and Tibet. To make sure the young boy was the actual reincarnated Dalai Lama, he was put through a test. The test was to pick a few artifacts among others, and the artifacts that were to be chosen were those that belonged to the previous Dalai Lama's. Young Tenzin picked all of the correct artifacts, claiming they were his. Since then, his journey as head of the Tibetans began. He was taught the way of Buddhism and also the way of life of a Buddhist Monk. Halfway through the film, the problem between China and Tibet came to light, which to this very day continues. The issue is that China does not want to recognize Tibet as an independent nation, but instead claim it as a part of China. Although older, the Dalai Lama was still too young to deal with a situation such as that, however he was called upon to assume full political power after China's invasion of Tibet Eventually the Chinese invaded Tibet. The issue with the Chinese invading Tibet did not get any better, eventually the Dalai Lama was forced to escape into exile. To this very day, he has no returned to Tibet, but hopes to return one day. This film may not have been all too interesting in the very beginning, it shifts towards the middle and sheds light on the troublesome situation between the nations of Tibet and China, how things came to be, and Tibet is still fighting to claim their independence from China.

The Dalai Lama is a very important Buddhist monk in the country of Tibet and is seen as a very important religious leader all of the world. The film touches on quite a few Buddhist teachings. In the film you will see young Kundun being taught the basic teachings of Buddhism. For instance, young Kundun was being asked to recite the three jewels, which are the three things that Buddhists take refuge in, and look toward for guidance. "The daily observance of formally taking refuge in these "three jewels"-the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha-is regarded by many as being the closest thing to a Buddhist "creed" and is regarded as the definitive act that makes someone a "Buddhist. (Brodd, pg. 180)" The Dalai Lama is a very important religious leader in the sense that he represents ass Buddhists, their teachings, and their way of life, and is seen in such a way because the Dalai Lama is believed to be the Buddha of Compassion. In the opening of the film, you see colorful art, which turns out to be sand, which is known as a mandala. "While mandalas are used in Hinduism, where they also function as cosmological diagrams used for meditation, some Buddhists utilize them in unique ways. (Brodd, pg. 189)." Although the Dalai Lama is not in his hoe country of Tibet, he continues to represent the nation of Tibet and its people and the prime example of compassion.

Works Cited.

Brodd, Jeffrey, Layne Little, Bradley Nystrom, Robert Platzner, Richard Shek, and Erin Stiles.

"Buddhism." Invitation to World Religions. New York, NY: Oxford UP, 2013. 143-209. Print.