KUNDUN

I actually never meant true stories to become such a great feature of this blog. I mean, I love films based on true stories (and I incidentally have one relative who will watch nothing else) but still… I guess it was to be expected though. I guess it’s the voyeur in all of us – or to give it a better name, human curiosity. And then there are those stories that have to be told. History, great men and women, sad or magnificent (or indeed both) events that need to be told and heard…

Now, I have no idea what your take on religion or Buddhism is. Frankly, this is not what this entry is about. The current (14th) Dalai Lama is however in the center of a political debate that spans a few decades now. Watching his life story helps understand a philosophy and a way of life often quite foreign to us in the west; and in the meanwhile, learn about the history of a major political dispute that continues today – the status of Tibet as “discussed” by Tibet and China. Add to that the fact that a master director such as Martin Scorsese is at “the helm” of the film. This is why you should watch Kundun.

Now, what is the story, basically? Well, the current Dalai Lama was born close to Tibet’s border with China, in a small village. Not what you might think an auspicious start – but not the case. Because as soon as the Dalai Lama dies, monks set out searching for his re-incarnation, for according to Buddhism the Dalai Lama will be reborn again and again to lead the people until the end of time. When he is found, he is tested – to be sure the right child is found – then taken back to the palace to learn how to rule and the ways of a monk. Such was also the case for the current Dalai Lama. However, one thing was very different from his predecessors. Just before his 18th birthday, when he was due to take over the rule of the country, Communist China invaded Tibet. It was the series of events that followed that forced the Dalai Lama to take refuge in India, where he is today…

Now, you may well be tempted to ignore this film seeing as you can just as well read this story on Wikipedia. But I strongly discourage this point of view… For a start, the whole film is so wonderfully filmed and constructed that one is, in fact, transported to Tibet in the 30’s and 40’s. The palace the Dalai Lama lives / was brought up in is, in a world, magical. And the landscapes in Tibet are absoloutely breathtaking. Even though I had no prior plans to go to Tibet, this film has made me think in fact maybe I should make some time to go there… The whole thing, the whole philosophy and point of view are all so different from our day to day lives in the West, the atmosphere alone makes Scorsese’s Kundun almost a part of Asian cinema. It isn’t a typical “westerners” point of view, it doesn’t “marvel at the gold” and find the day to day life “quaint”. It is a sincere film, attempting to tell a story honestly and openly. Naturally, since the story and the country are both quite special, it makes for quite a special film… Do not miss…