Review of Little Buddha (1993) by Jonathan M — 24 Apr 2011
Not perfect by any means, but it is the best big screen introduction to the Eastern philosophy of Buddhism so far, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching this time and again. The best bits are the flashbacks to the Buddha's time - telling how Buddhism came to be through a children's book - I liked these scenes a lot.
The modern bits involving Tibetan lamas looking for the reincarnation of their beloved teacher, not so much. Although the irony of a Chinese actor, Ying Ruocheng, taking on the role of a Tibetan lama, and doing it rather well, was not lost on me.
One of Ying's lines went, "There is no empty room when the soul is full... ... you learn that in a prison cell!" and then he chuckles at himself, much like the way the Dalai Lama does. Wonder how well that line went with the Chinese authorities.
This review of Little Buddha (1993) was written by Jonathan M on 24 Apr 2011.
Little Buddha has generally received positive reviews.
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