Review of Kundun (1997) by Steven B — 17 Oct 2009

Kundun is an oscar nominated movie that offers a clear and non-sentimental look at one of the oppressed cultures of the world. It begins with the search for the 14th Dalai Lama which would become the spiritual leader of Tibet. They know they have founded their new 14th Dalai Lama when a young boy is able to identify the objects that belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama. This boy named Kundun is the re-incarnated Buddha of Compassion. After he is found he?s taken to a monastery in Lhasa and is taught in the ways of the Buddhist religion.

As he grows older, Communist China invades Tibet and eventually forces the Dalai Lama to flee to India. The movie really picks up when the Chinese invade, but ends rather abruptly when the Dalai Lama reaches India. But this is where his real quest, to win the liberation of Tibet, really begins.

Kundun relates to world religions by showing the Tibetan?s beliefs about the Dalai Lama and they seem to be a kind, honest, open, and non-violent people. The Tibetan?s devotion to their Buddhist religion showed through their every thought and action I have obtained from the chapter on Buddism has opened my eyes to the different beliefs and their reactions to stressful situations.

This isn't a movie for everyone, but it is one that basically sticks to the facts and doesn't resort to emotional appeal. Even the scenes where we see glimpses of the Chinese putting a gun into the hands of children and making them kill their own parents is handled abruptly and briefly.