KUNDUN
SYNOPSIS:
Kundun is based on the life of the Dalai Lama, who helped the
filmmakers in telling his own story. The film begins in 1937,
with a group of Tibetan holy men on a quest for a very special
child: the 14th Dalai Lama, the reincarnation of the Buddha, god
of compassion. In a remote village near the Chinese border, they
find him, an inquisitive two-and-a-half-year-old (Tenzin Yeshi
Paichang) who correctly identifies artefacts from the previous
Dalai Lama. The boy is brought with his family to the city of
Lhasa, where his instruction begins under Ling Rinpoche (Tenzin
Trinley). Unfortunately, it is a time of conflict between Tibet
and China over Tibetan sovereignty, forcing the teenage Dalai
Lama (Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong) to deal with difficult, delicate
matters of state. With China invading, massacring and destroying
Tibet in its brutal embrace, the Dalai Lama must decide whether
to stay or flee into exile, to best protect his people.
"The chill of the snowy peaks generate goosebumps as the
first sounds of Philip Glass’ extraordinary score begins -
first chants, then violin phrases, while colourful images explode
on screen. How rare it is that the visuals and music erupt as
one, glorious artistic accomplishment. Kundun is a triumph for
Martin Scorsese, whose inspired direction captures the very
essence and complexities of the Tibetan culture, the ornate, rich
colours and exotic textures. Authenticated by the effective
participation of non-professional Tibetan actors, the players are
mesmerizing. From the very beginning when we are introduced to
the two year old Dalai Lama, we are captivated by huge, black,
almond-eyes, rosebud mouth and a mop of unruly hair. His gentle,
questioning nature unfolds as he grows older and develops an
inner peace and serenity. Scorsese canvasses the superstitions,
rituals and customs of Tibet, in a feast of colours and visual
imagery. And throughout, Glass’s repetitious phrases and
jolting intervals pound magnetically and compellingly, bold,
delicate and confronting. Exquisite cinema, Kundun is a journey
into the soul, a marvelous celebration of screen artistry, a
satisfying sojourn into an exotic land and culture, where
spirituality reigns supreme over political greed and aspiration.
This must be that spiritual oasis that James Hilton called
Shangri-la in his book Lost Horizon. Beautifully shot in warm,
glowing tones, Kundun is cinematic poetry - a mesmerising journey
not to be forgotten."
Louise Keller
"There are ample reasons to see Kundun, not the least its
fabulous look and sensational music score. More profoundly, it
covers some crucial political ground from the middle of this
century, and upsets the Chinese in the process. They are shown to be the ugly bully boys that the communist party state always
becomes, a complete contrast to the spirit of communism. But it
is not only the Chinese that stand shame faced: the West, its
collective back turned, allowed Tibet to be trodden under the
Chinese heel. The film offers little on a more personal scale,
even though its focus is a single individual, a unique individual
and one that deserves love and respect. The script fails to
ignite emotions on a scale to match the story, and there is the
nagging problem of reflecting an ancient, Asian culture through
the English language for a wider (lazy) western audience.
Performances are generally good to very good (amateur actors
notwithstanding), with the sole exception of Robert Lin’s
Chairman Mao, a cardboard job that defies belief."
Andrew L. Urban
"There's a lot to admire about Martin Scorsese's somewhat
by-the-book treatment of the life of the Dalai Lama. There's no
denying the director's skills as a filmmaker, and indeed on a
cinematic level, the film is awash with glorious streams of
colour, stunning cinematography and some grand ideas. The main
trouble with the film is that it's far too reverential for its
own good, and clearly Scorsese, an obvious devotee of the
legendary monk, is too frightened here to take risks. The film
suffers from being too thoughtful and certainly too
sanctimonious. Another problem lies in the casting, with a number
of actors signed on to play the Dalai Lama, none of whom really
allow us to see inside this ethereal figure, and one is left
curiously dissatisfied. There is no real sense of drama here, no
urgent connection with the audience, but rather a series of
beautifully structured vignettes which somehow remain distantly
connected both from each other and the audience. Scorsese is a
director who often overpowers his audience, but there's none of
that in a film that is worthy and glorious to the eye, but lacks
a dramatic core, resulting in a regrettably plodding work that is
interesting but strangely simplistic."
Paul Fischer
 |
|
|
CRITICAL COUNT
Favourable: 2
Unfavourable: 0
Mixed: 1
 TRAILER
See Andrew L. Urban's SOUNDTRACK REVIEW
KUNDUN (PG)
(US)
CAST: Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong, Gyurme Tethong, Tulku Jamyang,
Kunga Tenzin, Tenzin Yeshi Paichang, Tencho Gyalpo, Tsewang
Migyur Khangsar, Sonam Phunstok, Gyatso Lukhang, Robert Lin
DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese
PRODUCER: Barbara De Fina
SCRIPT: Melissa Mathison (based on the life story of the Dalai
Lama)
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Roger Deakins
EDITOR: Thelma Schoonmaker
MUSIC: Philip Glass
PRODUCTION AND COSTUME DESIGN: Dante Ferretti
RUNNING TIME: 134 minutes
AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR: New Vision
AUSTRALIAN RELEASE: June 18, 1998
VIDEO DISTRIBUTOR: 21st Century Pictures Video
VIDEO SELLTHROUGH RELEASE: June 13, 2001
|
