Cheap Kundun (DVD) (Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong, Gyurme Tethong) (Martin Scorsese) Price

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Customer Reviews of Kundun

I have read a few chapters from a book which intimately described the beginnings of the Dalai Lama's life and I own several video cassettes of him and his teachings. The director of this film (Scorsese) has little faith in this kid's ability to act in my opinion. Take the scene where the Chinese send their representative to negotiate Tibet's "Sovereignty". There are 3 such meetings in the film. During the first 2 meetings, Kundun is sitting on the throne, and a monk next to him does all the talking. Kundun didn't say a word. Not one single solitary word! Here is the "Spiritual Leader" of this country and he cannot say one word in defense of his country? In real life, since he was only a young teen at the time, he probably didn't have much input or say because he wasn't very experienced in those matters. But why even have him in the scene if he's not going to say anything? It's only in the 3rd and last meeting when Kundun is alone with a Chinese Representative does he finally say some words, and from my vague recollection, it was a few weak cliched lines.

Scorsese could have done a much better job in the beginning of the film when the monks initially found the Dalai Lama's reincarnation. Here is a 4 year old kid, who is a perfectly normal little child living in a small village on the outskirts of Tibet. His mother has had dreams of spirits talking with her although everything else seems perfectly ordinary. A group of monks and former servants who have deliberately disguised themselves have set out on this house to test the Dalai Lama. They bring artifacts from the previous Dalai Lama's life and ask him to identify which ones were his. Of course he picks the right ones. He is also asked to identify the monks who were present before him. This is not an easy thing to do! These monks are in disguise! And this kid has never even seen them in his life! Of course the kid remembers all of them and knows exactly who they are. If this happened in America, this would be front page news. But Scorsese does a poor job of covering this aspect of his life. All that was shown in the film was the kid picking out artifacts of the previous Dalai Lama's. No dreams are shown, the viewers are not aware that the monks who have come to test him are actually in disguise, and Kundun is not required to identify the monks. I don't think this is beyond the comprehension of the viewers. People aren't *that* dumb! They can recognize incredible feats of spirituality when they see it.

Incidentally, the Dalai Lama was constantly tested upon his arrival in the Potala Palace and he was given extensive tests to prove he was indeed the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama on almost a daily basis (even years after it had been established he was indeed the 13th reincarnation) but this was not covered in the film.

None of this is was really that important though. I really wanted to see the Dalai Lama, the future Nobel Peace Prize Winner. The Spiritual Leader of Tibet. I wanted to get to know HIM. I wanted to know what he liked, what he didn't like, was he a brash kid or a rebellious teenager? It would have been nice if they had gotten some stories from the monks about any special relationships he had with other people. I wanted to learn something about him that I didn't know before. There was nothing in the film about this.

Scorsese did an outstanding job in using real monks during Buddhist Ceremonies. I'm Buddhist and I can appreciate what goes on here. I knew he was using real monks because I have participated in many ceremonies myself.

Scorsese also does an outstanding job depicting the Chinese cruelty that went on during the invasion of Tibet in which millions of people were killed. I've seen some of the real life footage that was smuggled out of Tibet and can tell you that the sheer terror depicted in the movie was no fluke. The Chinese were savages and beat monks to a pulp, they showed no mercy whatsoever. It makes me sad because when I see the Potala Palace and all the people who visit there on a yearly basis, they think, "Oh how cool! How nice! This is the place where the Dalai Lama used to live!" But they don't realize the Dalai Lama *SHOULD* still be living there. It's still HIS home! They have no more business being there than the Chinese do. It's a holy, sacred place.

That's why this film is such a let down for me is that Scorsese went through such tremendous pains to make things as realistic as possible. The Dalai Lama is a very down to earth man and is fairly accessible. There have been many books written about him. It would not have been difficult at all to get detailed information on his life. Scorsese could have made the film infinitely more interesting if he had covered perhaps a special relationship the Dalai Lama had or something funny happening to him rather than portraying the kid as a nerd, tinkering with clocks and radios all the time.

Great Movie. Watch it again.
I found this this film quite astonishing. The way the Dalai Lama is presented from its early childhood discovery of Reting Rinpoche, and how the costumes are just beautiful. What stood out most in my mind was the Oracle scenes, and how the beauty of the Potala palace in Tibet. The acting of Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong is amazing, I fell in love with the compassion, thoughts and lines in this movie. The music is neither disturbing nor irritating, it simply was perfect. I recommend this video for anyone who want to catch a glimpse of tibetan buddhism imagery and just have a great time watching a film about the Dalai Lama.
As for the truthfulness of this film, since I'm aware of the dramatic licenses made here, I really could care less. Scorcese directing is superb, and I would sure hell watch this film again.

Skewed vision.
A lot of criticism levelled at 'Kundun' seems to fall into 2 categories. For some purists the movie is far too Hollywood, while for a lot of movie-goers, it's just not Hollywood enough. For one not familiar with Tibetan history, 'Kundun' gives a very one-sided view of events that occured at that time. The Tibetan hierarchy are portrayed as predominantly passive and peace-loving, seemingly free from any kind of authoritarian thinking. This may have been misleading. Martin Scorsese has admitted himself that he is not an authority on Tibetan history and the fact that the production of the film was overseen by the Dalai Lama himself gives some indication as to how the film was to convey a very specific outlook.

One could be forgiven for thinking that Tibet had all the vastness of Rhode Island, so centered is the film on the small, enclosed world of the Dalai Lama's upbringing. Bernardo Bertolucci's 'The Last Emperor' was much more successful at conveying the political intricacies that surrounded it's subject. For an objective viewpoint 'Kundun' is not the film to see.

On the other hand you have to ask yourself would the same amount of cynicism be aroused if this film was based around a major figure in Judaism, Christianity or Islam.

Having said all that, from a purely cinematic point of view 'Kundun' glows with beautiful cinematography, a spellbinding score by Phillip Glass and some pretty believable performances by previously non-actors.