Kundun, 1997
Kundun was film directed by Martin Scorsese and was released in 1997. I first watched this film as a pre-teen; I don't remember exactly what year but I reckon it was some time in late 90's. The remarkable thing about this film is the personell behind it: Scorsese was its director. I became a fan of his when I first saw GoodFellas earlier in the decade (the first film to truly "shock" me, the little inexperienced kid that I was then).
Kundun was Scorsese's film after 1995's Casino, another mobster epic akin to 1990's GoodFellas, but the style of Kundun is totally unlike those movies. And unlike Scorsese himself, for that matter. For starters, none of the primary cast members are professional actors. For a directing career full of star-studded films, Scorsese's approach with Kundun seemed risky in a good way, almost admirable. But that's the thing: the movie wouldn't have been half of what it was if it full of Hollywood. This gives the movie a more honest heart about its subject matter.
Kundun is a visual and meditative film. Its hypnotic narrative style, fittingly, feels like a manifestation of the Tibetan Buddhist theme. It tells the story of the 14th Dalai Lama, the current one we know today, from his holy anointment as a child to being a marked man in exile. While most movies explicitly talk you through the story and the characters, Kundun makes you feel the story and characters. It puts you in the heart of Tibet's struggles with change, with grisly dream-like sequences that evoke the young Dalai Lama's worries and fears about his people.
One of the the film's beloved qualities is its grand musical score, which was composed by minimalist titan Philip Glass. Glass (a Buddhist, by the way) injected his trademark musical style with Buddhist instrumental and vocal influences. The resulting effect is genius; a match made in heaven. The music is exotic, reflective, and tragic, like the story itself. It's difficult to imagine the movie without Glass's music, and vice-versa. The music certainly made half the movie.
Kundun isn't a film for everyone, but I still say give it a shot. Not only is it a haunting historical tale of one of mankind's most intriguing figures, it's also a love letter to Tibetan Buddhism and it shows in the feel and presentation. You won't find many movies where sound and picture come together so brilliantly. I don't mind if it's one of Scorsese's less popular films; hidden treasures tend to be more cherished when not as exposed.
