martin scorsese 's films used to intimidate me .
because of his reputation , i felt obligated to appreciate them as deep film art rather than as great flicks .
as much as i enjoyed them
, i usually felt like i missed something .
i learned from scorsese 's casino that whatever techniques he uses are merely there to enhance the story .
no mystical interpretation is required to appreciate his movies .
for example , in casino he uses subtitles when robert deniro and joe pesci are using code words with each other .
there was no meaning more exotic than that subtitles were the most succinct way for him to tell the audience what was really going on .
or toward the end , when he uses three quick dissolves to compress a scene of a car backing away from a building .
again , the simple , mundane explanation is that it helped the pacing .
i do n't mean to say that his techniques are not creative or good - looking .
but he simply uses the best tool for the job .
it should n't have surprised me , then , that kundun , a film about a mystical religion , actually turned out to be quite straightforward .
the movie follows the life of the 14th dalai lama , the spiritual and political leader of tibet .
the movie 's title is another name for the dalai lama which means " ocean of wisdom .
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his story is told in strict chronological order and there are only a few cinematic visions to embellish the literal story .
( one of which makes an interesting statement : pay attention to the film 's opening shot and watch where it is repeated . )
we first glimpse the dalai lama when he is two years old .
his curiosity and self - assuredness capture the attention of a monk wandering in search of the new lama .
a test is arranged to see if this boy really is the reincarnation of the 13 dalai lamas who have gone before .
several items belonging to the previous dalai lama are laid before the boy alongside some other items .
the child is asked if he recognizes any of the items as his own .
the boy picks correctly , proving that he is the new , and the old , dalai lama .
scorsese and long - time editor thelma schoonmaker were kind enough to allow the possibility that the child was taking his cues from the monk .
before selecting an item , he would look at the monk , perhaps for some sort of confirmation .
sometimes he picked right the first time , and sometimes he made a second choice .
either way , whether through reincarnation or quick human perception , the tibetans were assured of choosing a boy who could be a wise , perceptive leader .
> from this point on , the boy is raised as the reincarnation of the lama 's spirit and the future leader of a nation .
it is a great weight to put on the mind of a child .
in the u. s. it might be grounds for a call to social services .
but the young lama accepts his destiny without any apparent emotional damage .
neither the great power nor the awesome responsibility keeps him from becoming a genuinely likeable , well - rounded person .
certain patterns take shape over the years .
for example , the dalai lama is fascinated by technology .
radios , clocks , and telescopes are some of his favorite toys .
when he is old enough to accept his leadership , he makes plans to modernize isolated tibet .
he also has a soft spot for creatures who are suffering or in pain , including herd animals .
it 's nearly a running gag that he will buy sheep to keep them from being herded to slaughter .
but the most ominous constant throughout his life is the presence and threat of tibet 's gigantic neighbor , china .
tibet and its leaders prove correct in fearing china , as , first the propaganda , then the political pressure , and finally the armies , come across their common border .
the chinese invasion is so successful that the lama 's life is in danger if he stays .
the movie ends when , after much agonizing , the dalai lama leaves tibet for india .
the story does n't lead up to a cinematic climax as strongly as most feature films do .
it just does n't fit that mold . if it were forced into such a shape it would have been a completely different movie ( perhaps more like seven years in tibet , which is good in its own right ) .
the pacing of kundun is more calm and level than that .
the structure of the film is made to fit the characters and events , not vice - versa .
perhaps because the pace is slower , we have more time to notice the beautiful art , vestments , and architecture of tibet .
a mandala , ( tibetan sand painting ) with beautiful , vibrant colors is shown throughout the movie .
the robes and hats of state are bright red and gold .
the bricks are a rich reddish brown , not unlike the skin tone of the tibetans .
even the touchstone pictures logo before the movie ( which is usually light blue ) is the red and gold of tibet .
philip glass composed the music for kundun ,
and he was the perfect choice .
for those who do n't know of glass , his music is like a tibetan mandala .
his building blocks are lots of small notes , tiny grains of music , which are first grouped , then repeated in patterns .
these patterns create interesting textures which are themselves part of a larger composition .
people wo n't be flocking to kundun for
it 's great ending , or talking about its outstanding plot , but it does have a lot to offer : an interesting lifetime , exotic sights , rich cinematography , and innovative music .
it gives interesting insight into tibetan buddhism and takes a warm look at the dalai lama as a person .
on top of it all is the cinematic mastery of martin scorsese , who gives the film a strong , beautiful , consistent look .
Output: P