H-Squared

As Buddhists and fans (if not followers) of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, we were of course interested in Kundun (1997). Strangely, we are more or less neutral on its director Martin Scorcese.

It tells the story of the childhood, recognition, and eventual struggles with China of H-Squared, 14DL. It shows him as a child, son of a farming family, with an older brother who was a monk. He is shown to be a bit of a brat - demanding the seat at the head of the table. He knew his destiny? Or was just a kid? 

Then some wandering monks showed up and he greeted them as friends. Presented with some random objects, he identified those belonging to the previous incarnation. He is confirmed to be the Dalai Lama.

He is sent to Lhasa to grow up. Lonely at first, he makes friends with another monk. He grows up to be interested in gadgets as well as Buddhism, but as a young man, has to become a politician as well. When China threatens Tibet's independence, he tries everything he can, short of violence to stay free. In the end, he must flee to India.

The story is a good one, but not really the focus of the movies. For us, it seemed to be more about the spectacle - the beauty of Tibet (filmed in Morocco) and the pomp and ritual of Tibetan Buddhism. The Philip Glass score supports this - strange and enthralling music. The deep tenets of Buddhism were not so much in evidence, except in contrast to the materialistic (as in dialectic) of China.

So, perhaps not as successful as, say, Little Buddha (how can you beat Keanu Reeves as Prince Siddhartha?), but a pleasant watch, with some tension at the end. And it leaves you with the fervent wish that His Holiness will one day be able to return to Tibet, and that Tibet will be free to follow its own path.