Budhism is still hot in Hollywood. Although the newest religious hype is the Kabalah, it is a fact that several actors and actresses, directors, scenarists, music composers and many more others have converted to the ancient religion which Budhism is and that's probably also the reason why the subject Tibet has been used a few times in the movies. In the same year, 1997, we got Jean-Jacques Annaud's "Seven Years in Tibet" with Brad Pitt and Martin Scorsese's "Kundun" with no known professional actors.
It's not easy to tell which movie of the two was the best, because each of them has some good and lesser things to offer and both have a completely different approach to the subject. While "Seven Years in Tibet" told the story from the perspective of an Austrian mountain climber, who got stuck in Tibet after the Second World War broke loose, met the young Dalai Lama and became friends with him, you'll not find anything of that in "Kundun" even though both movies are said to be based on real events.
"Kundun" tells the story of Tibet's fourteenth Dalai Lama, from childhood until adulthood. In 1937, in a remote area of Tibet close to the Chinese border, a two year old child is identified as the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and is taken to Lhasa two years later. Here he is schooled as a monk and thought how to be a good head of state. When he's only 14 years old, the Chinese invade Tibet, claiming that it has always belonged to China and that they only come to help the Tibetans to reform their country. In reality they enforce an oppressive regime upon the peaceful nation and the Dalai Lama is forced into a shaky coalition government. He travels to China where he meets chairman Mao and returns to Tibet afterwards, confident that he can stay with his people. But in 1959 he sees no other option, but to flee to India. He's ill, has a lot of difficulties to make it to the border and has visions of his people being slaughtered by the Chinese, but eventually makes it to safety.
I'm sure that what is told and shown in this movie all is very accurate and that the Chinese really oppressed (and still do) the Tibetans and their culture. Of course the Chinese government isn't too happy with that and they would like to see a different story, because this doesn't belong in the perfect image they want to show to the world. But apparently the truth hurts and that's why the people who made the movie were banned from China (as were the people who made "Seven Years in Tibet"). I guess this only proves how historically accurate this movie actually is. But next to the historical accuracy I also liked the nice costumes, the buildings with their beautiful interiors,... It's very clear that they have put a lot of effort in it to make it all look realistic and believable and that certainly adds to the value of this movie. Also the fact that the actors were real Tibetans is nice, although I don't really understand why they had to speak English in about 99% of the time. Only a couple of times you get to hear them speak in their native language. Is that because this movie was shot by an American director, for an American public who isn't used to read subtitles while watching a movie? I don't know, but I believe that it would have given an extra touch of realism to this movie if they had chosen to let them speak Tibetan all the time or, if that wasn't possible, not to use Tibetan at all.
And the language wasn't the only thing that 'bothered' me. This movie is very detailed, but also very slow. Especially during the first 1.5 hours the movie sometimes seems to drag on for an eternity. Perhaps that's the way the life of a holy man like the Dalai Lama should be told, or perhaps it is a part of the Budhist culture that for everything you should take your time, but sometimes I really wanted that it all went a bit faster. Also the fact that it wasn't filmed in Tibet, but in Morocco is sometimes very obvious for the keen observer. I'm not saying that it isn't well done, but the Atlas mountains can't be compared to the Himalayas in structure and scenery.
Nevertheless, I must say that this is a movie that certainly deserves to be seen by a large audience. Even when you aren't very familiar with the Tibetan and Budhist culture (like me), this movie is worth a watch. Only when you aren't interested in it at all, you better leave it alone and go for another movie. Personally I give this movie a score somewhere in between 7/10 and 7.5/10.
It's not easy to tell which movie of the two was the best, because each of them has some good and lesser things to offer and both have a completely different approach to the subject. While "Seven Years in Tibet" told the story from the perspective of an Austrian mountain climber, who got stuck in Tibet after the Second World War broke loose, met the young Dalai Lama and became friends with him, you'll not find anything of that in "Kundun" even though both movies are said to be based on real events.
"Kundun" tells the story of Tibet's fourteenth Dalai Lama, from childhood until adulthood. In 1937, in a remote area of Tibet close to the Chinese border, a two year old child is identified as the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and is taken to Lhasa two years later. Here he is schooled as a monk and thought how to be a good head of state. When he's only 14 years old, the Chinese invade Tibet, claiming that it has always belonged to China and that they only come to help the Tibetans to reform their country. In reality they enforce an oppressive regime upon the peaceful nation and the Dalai Lama is forced into a shaky coalition government. He travels to China where he meets chairman Mao and returns to Tibet afterwards, confident that he can stay with his people. But in 1959 he sees no other option, but to flee to India. He's ill, has a lot of difficulties to make it to the border and has visions of his people being slaughtered by the Chinese, but eventually makes it to safety.
I'm sure that what is told and shown in this movie all is very accurate and that the Chinese really oppressed (and still do) the Tibetans and their culture. Of course the Chinese government isn't too happy with that and they would like to see a different story, because this doesn't belong in the perfect image they want to show to the world. But apparently the truth hurts and that's why the people who made the movie were banned from China (as were the people who made "Seven Years in Tibet"). I guess this only proves how historically accurate this movie actually is. But next to the historical accuracy I also liked the nice costumes, the buildings with their beautiful interiors,... It's very clear that they have put a lot of effort in it to make it all look realistic and believable and that certainly adds to the value of this movie. Also the fact that the actors were real Tibetans is nice, although I don't really understand why they had to speak English in about 99% of the time. Only a couple of times you get to hear them speak in their native language. Is that because this movie was shot by an American director, for an American public who isn't used to read subtitles while watching a movie? I don't know, but I believe that it would have given an extra touch of realism to this movie if they had chosen to let them speak Tibetan all the time or, if that wasn't possible, not to use Tibetan at all.
And the language wasn't the only thing that 'bothered' me. This movie is very detailed, but also very slow. Especially during the first 1.5 hours the movie sometimes seems to drag on for an eternity. Perhaps that's the way the life of a holy man like the Dalai Lama should be told, or perhaps it is a part of the Budhist culture that for everything you should take your time, but sometimes I really wanted that it all went a bit faster. Also the fact that it wasn't filmed in Tibet, but in Morocco is sometimes very obvious for the keen observer. I'm not saying that it isn't well done, but the Atlas mountains can't be compared to the Himalayas in structure and scenery.
Nevertheless, I must say that this is a movie that certainly deserves to be seen by a large audience. Even when you aren't very familiar with the Tibetan and Budhist culture (like me), this movie is worth a watch. Only when you aren't interested in it at all, you better leave it alone and go for another movie. Personally I give this movie a score somewhere in between 7/10 and 7.5/10.