Review of Kundun (1997) by Nick H — 03 Jun 2013

Movie Review: Kundun.

Kundun is a movie about the search for the Dalai Llama. In the beginning, a monk comes to search for the next Dalai Llama. He finds a young boy named Lhamo, who initially seems like a very self-centered, short-tempered child. However, the monks give Lhamo a test by placing a series of objects in front of him, to see if he will chose the objects that belonged to the preceding Dalai Llama.

Then, upon passing the test, Lhamo is taken to the monastery where he begins to grow up and mature. He meets Regent Reting Rinpoche, who was the man that discovered Lhamo's existence through a vision he had while sleeping. However, the Chinese Communists imprison and kill Regent Reting Rinpoche, and Lhamo meets with Chairman Mao Zedong. Mao Zedong expresses to Lhamo that "religion is poison", and they are never able to settle on any agreements.

Lhamo, upon being pursued by the Chinese, flees to the Indian Mountains. At a mountain border crossing, an Indian guard askes Lhamo if he is the Lord Buddha, and Lhamo replies, "I think that I am a reflection, like the moon on water. When you see me, and I try to be a good man, you see yourself.".

Personally, one of my favorite parts about the movie was the scene where Lhamo is picking up the objects that are placed in front of him by the monks. It's a very exciting scene, as Lhamo initially gives off the impression that he is a very spoiled child, and it's hard to imagine that he will chose the correct objects and eventually train to become the Dalai Llama.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who has a particular interest in the process of discovering the next Dalai Llama, and is interested in the political aspect and implications of being the leader of a religious group.