Kundun

Starring: Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong, Gyurme Tethong, Tulku Jamyang Kunga Tenzin, Robert Lin, Tencho Gyalpo, Tsewang Migyur Khangsar
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
1997

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Follows the 14th Dalai Lama from childhood to adulthood when he must decide whether to stay or flee Tibet as Chinese forces arrive.

Review:

Tim: Kundun feels like a slightly strange movie to me. It doesn't seem like a Martin Scorsese movie. It's a quiet, intimate look at the Dalai Lama's life. It feels more like a meditation than an actual movie- the plot is surprisingly weak. It's different enough and Scorsese was interested enough in it to manage to make a good movie, but there's something that didn't quite work with the movie. It's a good film, but never more than that. Having seen what Scorsese is capable of, this feels like an obviously lesser work.

I actually enjoyed learning more about the Dalai Lama. This movie is more informative than Seven Years in Tibet, a movie also featuring the Dalai Lama and released shortly before this one. I felt like I had a better understanding of the character. This is somewhat due to Scorsese's approach, and some due to the fact that he's the protagonist here, verses a supporting character in the Brad Pitt movie. Still, there's no doubt this movie dives deep into the character. At 2 hours, 14 minutes, the movie is clearly too long, but the run time does allow Scorsese to dig deeply into this manifestation of Chenrezi. The problem with all of this is that Scorsese is able to create this interesting moments that shine a light into his life, but never tells a compelling story. That was one of the most troubling aspects of the film. The narrative is quite weak here. That gets even more exposed because of the overly long run time. I was bored at various stages of this film. Scorsese is talented enough that he never loses the audience's attention for long, but there were too many pockets of time that felt unnecessary. This is the kind of movie you watch once and then never, ever again.

There are truly great sequences. I loved the early scenes of the people searching for the reincarnated Dalai Lama. The process to confirm it's really him was so intriguing- I loved the scene of the boy having to select which items "belonged" to him. There's some compelling scenes of the training of the Dalai Lama, as well as some interesting ones of him formulating a plan to address the Chinese. The scenes between the Dalai Lama and Chairman Mao of China were quite intriguing. There's no doubt that this movie is filled with strong moments- but it's the story as a whole, the weaving together of these moments that doesn't quite work as well as it should.

It's interesting that this film was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, although it didn't win any. That felt appropriate to me. Roger Deakins' cinematography is one of the great strengths of the film- many of the shots are simply beautiful. The movie deserved the Best Cinematography nomination. Best Art Direction-Set Direction made sense, as did Best Costume Design (impressive work was done here). Best Original Dramatic Score felt deserved, too. The technical aspects of this movie are stronger than the people and plot, for sure.

The cast is good. I appreciated that Scorsese didn't populate the film with famous actors. Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong did a good job as the adult Dalai Lama. He was believable in the role. I enjoyed the work of the other actors playing the younger versions of this person. Each brought something unique and critical to the portrait of this more-than-man. I'm not sure anyone was truly a standout, but the cast was fine.

While there's some things to like about Kundun, this felt like a second-tier effort from Scorsese. It's not a great movie and it's not even close. It's a well-made movie from a technical standpoint, but seriously lacking in the narrative and connecting the characters with the audience emotionally. I'm glad I watched this movie, but it wasn't nearly as good as I'd hoped it would be.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Seven Years in Tibet