Review of Kundun (1997) by Kris J — 02 Aug 2005

I'll get this out of the way first - Kundun is beautifully shot, it's aesthetic value is extremely high, between the gorgeous cinematography and the score, it is very nice to look at, and this is the main reason it gets a slight recommendation from me.

Unfortunately, the other elements of the film are rather bland, and seemed aimed at those who already revere the Dalai Lama and know much of the Buddhist faith. Religion has never been my strong suit, so at times early in the film I was a bit lost in it, and I am not completely ignorant of Buddhism.

I just never got the sense in the film that the Dalai Lama was an individual worthy of great admiration, which isn't an argument I would make in real life. I mostly got the sense that events happened to him and around him, without his influencing much of anything. Any powerful emotions are only stirred by some amazing imagery, including a nightmarish dream/vision the Lama has. I also liked that Chairman Mao was not portrayed as a malevolent evil, but as a human with some very wrong ideas.

Overall, it gets a slightly above average rating from me, so it's got that going for it, which is nice.