Kundun (1997)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writer (WGA):

Melissa Mathison (written by)

Release Date:

25 December 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

The destiny of a people lies in the heart of a boy.

Plot:

From childhood until adulthood, Tibet's 14th dalai lama deals with Chinese oppression and other problems.

Plot Keywords:

Tibet | Lama | Dalai Lama | Chinese | Escape

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong	...	Dalai Lama (Adult)
Gyurme Tethong	...	Dalai Lama (Age 12)
Tulku Jamyang Kunga Tenzin	...	Dalai Lama (Age 5)
Tenzin Yeshi Paichang	...	Dalai Lama (Aged 2)
Tencho Gyalpo	...	Mother
Tenzin Topjar	...	Lobsang (5-10)
Tsewang Migyur Khangsar	...	Father
Tenzin Lodoe	...	Takster
Geshi Yeshi Gyatso	...	Lama of Sera
Losang Gyatso	...	The Messenger (as Lobsang Gyatso)
Sonam Phuntsok	...	Reting Rimpoche
Gyatso Lukhang	...	Lord Chamberlain
Lobsang Samten	...	Master of the Kitchen
Jigme Tsarong	...	Taktra Rimpoche (as Tsewang Jigme Tsarong)
Tenzin Trinley	...	Ling Rimpoche

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violent images.

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Tibetan | Mandarin

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Hungary:14 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #35670) | Norway:11 | Brazil:12 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:6 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | South Korea:12

Filming Locations:

Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate, Morocco

Company:

De Fina-Cappa

Trivia:

Filming in Tibet was not possible; Morocco was used instead.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Kundun is dreaming that he is surrounded by monks slaughtered by the Chinese, the "dead" monk closest to him moves his eyelids.

Quotes:

Indian: Are you the Lord Buddha?
Dalai Lama: I believe I am a reflection, like the moon on water. When you see me, and I try to be a good man, you see yourself.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Holiday (2006)

You can not liberate me, only I can liberate myself...

"Kundun" is Martin Scorsese's most underrated film. It's something quite fantastic to watch such an amazing film about the early years of the Dalai Lama and the plight of Tibetan Buddhists knowing that it comes from a man who has long wrestled with his own religious ghosts (witness the still hotly debated conundrum that is his "Last Temptation of Christ"). With probably only "The Age of Innocence" to compare to in Scorsese's now hallowed canon, "Kundun" is a breathtaking work of art--visually sumptuous (with beautiful work from cinematographer Roger Deakins), hauntingly transcendental, and deeply symbolic.

As an outsider looking in, Scorsese manages to create an intimate level of detail that someone who lives and breathes Buddhism might have overlooked. Many rituals and practices are presented exactly as they are with no attempts to explain their purpose or translate their meaning to Western culture. This allows them to keep their rich symbolism, which translates perfectly to Scorsese's visual palette. From the rich colors of meditative sand art to the bright red blood spilled during China's unlawful occupation of Tibet, everything takes on a deeper meaning that leaves much to the imagination and higher mind.

Wisely, Scorsese follows the same template of Richard Attenborough's equally resonating Oscar winning epic "Ghandi" by adapting a straight forward approach to his presentation of the Dalai Lama's most tumultuous years. Except for a few dreamlike vision sequences, he stays mostly out of the man's head, and instead shows his power through his actions and dedication to his people and the practice of non-violence. "Kundun" is as near perfect a biopic as one can make.