Really Surprised!

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Kundun, Martin Scorsese's beautifully realised story of the Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, is possibly his most divisive amongst fans. Directed by the guy whose specialities are wiseguys in sharp suits and dazzling camera-work, Kundun is a remarkably subdued tale. Scorsese had tackled religion before with the controversial The Last Temptation of Christ, but his version of the story of Jesus also came with a recognisable edge. Yet even his roughest and toughest movies come with a sense of spirituality - Mean Streets in particular - and Kundun has this in abundance, so Scorsese isn't exactly far from safe ground. Spirituality is woven into the movie's very fabric, as is the idea of watching a ready-made saint in action.A saint is precisely how Scorsese views the Dalai Lama, and Melissa Mathison's script paints him like a key religious figure whose teachings can now only be read in scripture. As of 2017, Gyatso is still alive and reigning, although the film begins in 1937. This almost mythical presence does work in the context of Buddhism however, as if their beliefs in reincarnation are true, then Gyatso is just another body containing a soul hundreds of years old. As a young boy (played by Tenzin Yeshi Paichang at 2 years old), he is shown various objects, some of which belonged to the previous Dalai Lama, by some Tibetan monks. He chooses correctly, and is taken away to lead, but as to whether this was the expression on the monks face as he fondled the items or genuine reincarnation, Scorsese lets you ponder. He grows old and wiser, and faces difficult decisions as Imperial China invade to claim Tibet as their own.This is undoubtedly Scorsese's most beautiful picture, and he takes his time to admire the lavish golds and reds of the ceremonial robes, as well as the intricate creation of Bhavachakra and its inevitable destruction, all backed by Philip Glass' haunting score. The decadence comes at a price however, as although we spend near enough the entire screen time with the Dalai Lama, we learn little about Gyatso. He must suffer his decisions in relative silence, or in hushed utterances to his trusted council. The refusal to follow a traditional narrative makes for a slow-moving if never boring movie, with the drama punctured by a powerful sequence depicting Gyatso standing in a sea of slaughtered monks. While it may leaving us questioning who this man truly was, I can only admire Scorsese's insistence on making the movie he wanted to make. Movies like Kundun are the reason why the director will always be remembered as a true master of his craft.

Well-intentioned, but dull. Seven Years in Tibet gave a good and interesting account of the life of 14th Dalai Lama, particularly the Chinese invasion, capture and oppression of Tibet. I was expecting the same of Kundun. I was overly optimistic.Martin Scorsese does capture the outrage and injustice of China's invasion of Tibet, but only to small degree. Too much time is wasted on scenes and sub-plots that go nowhere. The movie moves at a glacial pace.However, cinematography is great. Some amazing landscapes. Sadly, not actually of Tibet. Strangely, the Chinese wouldn't let Scorsese film there.... However, you wouldn't know the difference, showing how well the locations were chosen.Performances are very flat, and contribute much to the dullness of the movie.Watch Seven Years in Tibet instead.

The tale of the 14th Dalai Lama is very much like the story of the Last Emperor of China, Pu Yi. A boy handpicked to be a ruler of a country, grown up within confined solitude, kicked out of reign from Communist China, and then labeled as a criminal. The only real significance is that Pu Yi faced years in a concentration camp while the Dalai Lama managed to escape to India. That aside, it is not surprising to find in Scorsese's "Kundun" that he was heavily inspired by Bernardo Bertolucci's epic film "The Last Emperor". There were times when I was watching "Kundun" that I could not help wonder if this was an unofficial sequel. The costumes, techniques of candle lit lighting at night, story arc, and overall biography character-type was similar. I am not claiming Scorsese a copycat at all. It's just these two films are so alike. Just one happens to be about China's ruler and the other Tibet's. What worked so well for "The Last Emperor" is that despite its fancy set pieces and costumes, Bertolucci punched good in character drama and an overall intriguing plot. "Kundun" lacks both of these. Each scene in this movie drifts from one part of the Dalai Lama's life to another chronologically and in a sort of schizophrenic nature-the movie itself does not seem to know what it is really about. This is the biggest danger a filmmaker can fall into in making a bio-pic film, trying to cover too much ground without enough time nor interest to piece it all together. The acting suffers not from bad actors, but bad writing. Every moment is devoid of emotion, depicting every Tibetan character in a careless monotone. Then again, most characters are Buddhist monks and emotion is not their strong point. When I watch a movie, however, I expect to be engaged by an actor's talent. This magic is lost in this movie."Kundun" does succeed at least in the technical aspects. Roger Deakins cinematography is stunning to watch and almost pushes the barrier on what can be done with a camera, whether it be an elaborate steadi-cam shot or a detailed close-up. Philip Glass's score creates a sort of mood that hints to an ethereal supernaturalism, combined with a brooding choir, a lush percussion, and bombastic brass. It supports the visual images nicely. I admit that it seems to take over the movie to the point that there is no other sound present, especially with the horn blasts of flatulence caliber. The one factor that presented mild interest for me was how fair Scorsese treated the Tibetan culture. Little nuances like the funeral rites, the teachings of Buddha, and the Dalai Lama's philosophy are interesting. Yet great cinematography, a sublime soundtrack, and a good treatment of a lost culture cannot save a film. It is a bit disheartening since Scorsese has made some very good movies outside of the gangster genre (ex: Hugo, Shutter Island). While he kept his visuals and artsy elements at full throttle, all other elements are at a loss. This kind of movie is clearly not his cup of tea.

The use of minimalist Philip Glass's music brings alive the sense of other-worldliness required to understand this young man's search for knowledge of his job as the Dalai Lama, in what is to us all, a very far away other world. Beautifully shot, with fantastic photography, sets, and costumes, it is one of those rare moments in the cinema where you become so engrossed you feel the heat, and the heartache behind this story of one of the world's great men. Scorsese and his team are to be praised for their refusal to be dragged into showing the ghastly harrowing of the Chinese in Tibet, rather to stay with showing the greatness of the Tibetenese in Tibet.