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Reviews
Samsara (2001)
Post card for Himalayas
This movie is merely a postcard for the Himalaya. Ladakh is a beautiful place which is currently spoiled by tourism. This movie shows it as an exotic paradise for monks, but has nothing to do with any life on this earth. the seducing concept 'the monks who breaks his vow for the worldly life' sounds like an appealing advertisement concept, to please the western audience in search of some wise spiritual adventure... How can one base a movie, a 'story', to express a message. It's so obvious, and doesn't give any space to the audience ; perhaps the director thinks most of the people are dumb and need a lesson about life. When I see that, I'm just feeling insulted, and sad to see all this money spoiled... The director didn"t take act of the responsibility that he had by deciding to build up this exotic story which gives a wrong impression of what is buddhism, Ladakh and being a monk. If at least there was an artistic interest, a cinematic point of view, but here, nothing, no trace of cinema, only a photographed story... To give an example of a movie which a complete mind-blowing movie experience, I think the movie 'Why did Bodhidharma leave for the east ?" gives it with a huge respect to its audience.
Dharmaga tongjoguro kan kkadalgun (1989)
One of the best movie of the last 20 years
How to express the deep gratefulness I feel for this unknown and yet fantastic director, Bae Yong Kyun ; this movie offers an experience that makes you feel that a director is considering you, the audience, as a very refined person ; unlike most of the movies which put you down, this one shows you the deep impact of one's life. This is one of the only movies settled in a Buddhist context which doesn't show any spirituality or doesn"t give any message ; but is a pure and direct experience of sanity through this misused medium which is cinema. I put him on the same level as Ozu and Bresson, which is nowadays not happening anymore... Everything is like a product like "Samsara" which gives you a spiritual message, but has any cinematographic interest except being a post card for visiting Himalayas. So when someone like Bae Yong Kyun, who respects his audience enough not to show something (but gives to watch), doesn't use music to pull emotions out of you, doesn't deliver any message, doesn't try to charm your eyes with beautiful landscapes, this deserves to be acclaimed. He shows us that cinema can be an art as valuable as the others, the source of beauty that poetry has always captured in life for the readers. Thank you mister Bae Yong Kyun.