Kundun (1997)

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writer (WGA):

Melissa Mathison (written by)

Release Date:

25 December 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

The destiny of a people lies in the heart of a boy.

Plot:

From childhood until adulthood, Tibet's 14th dalai lama deals with Chinese oppression and other problems.

Plot Keywords:

Tibet | Dalai Lama | Chinese | Lama | Tibetan

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong	...	Dalai Lama (Adult)
Gyurme Tethong	...	Dalai Lama (Age 12)
Tulku Jamyang Kunga Tenzin	...	Dalai Lama (Age 5)
Tenzin Yeshi Paichang	...	Dalai Lama (Aged 2)
Tencho Gyalpo	...	Mother
Tenzin Topjar	...	Lobsang (5-10)
Tsewang Migyur Khangsar	...	Father
Tenzin Lodoe	...	Takster
Geshi Yeshi Gyatso	...	Lama of Sera
Losang Gyatso	...	The Messenger (as Lobsang Gyatso)
Sonam Phuntsok	...	Reting Rimpoche
Gyatso Lukhang	...	Lord Chamberlain
Lobsang Samten	...	Master of the Kitchen
Jigme Tsarong	...	Taktra Rimpoche (as Tsewang Jigme Tsarong)
Tenzin Trinley	...	Ling Rimpoche

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violent images.

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Tibetan | Mandarin

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Hungary:14 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #35670) | Norway:11 | Brazil:12 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:6 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | South Korea:12

Filming Locations:

Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate, Morocco

Company:

De Fina-Cappa

Trivia:

Martin Scorsese dedicated this film to his mother Catherine Scorsese who had died during the pre-production of this film, because "the Dalai Lama represents unconditional love, and to me my mother was the closest person with that kind of love".

Goofs:

Factual errors: For narrative purposes, the timeline is compressed. The Chinese invasion occurred in 1950; the Dalai Lama visited Chairman Mao in Beijing in 1954; and he ultimately fled Tibet in 1959.

Quotes:

Chairman Mao: Religion is poison.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004)

Another religious masterpiece from Scorsese

As "The Last Temptation of Christ" showed, Martin Scorsese is not a filmmaker interested in playing it safe when it comes to religion. Instead, he wants to get into the heart and soul of it. While that film was obviously closer to his heart, since he was raised Catholic, this one burns with the same conviction and passion. The difference is he and writer Melissa Mathison adjust themselves to the way of storytelling needed to tell the life of the Dalai Lama. Unlike say, "Little Buddha", though, where Bertolucci seemed to have no sense of distance from his subject, Scorsese does, so we are allowed to come to our own conclusions rather than having them shoved down our throats.

Visually and aurally, this is also a real treat, with the images being more powerful than anything Scorsese has done before. And while the music here is old territory for Philip Glass, he produces a stunning score which should have won the Oscar. The mostly non-professional cast(I did see a familiar face here and there, but I can't remember them) also does good work.