Please let me know what you thought of this week's film. Feel free to make connections between this work and the previous films of Martin Scorsese's that we've screened throughout the semester. Also, I mentioned in class what Bernardo Bertolucci called and asked Scorsese just as he was about to start shooting Kundun: "Have you learned that everything is form and form is emptiness?" If you can, consider how this question structurally and aesthetically applies to this very spiritual film.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
KUNDUN
Please let me know what you thought of this week's film. Feel free to make connections between this work and the previous films of Martin Scorsese's that we've screened throughout the semester. Also, I mentioned in class what Bernardo Bertolucci called and asked Scorsese just as he was about to start shooting Kundun: "Have you learned that everything is form and form is emptiness?" If you can, consider how this question structurally and aesthetically applies to this very spiritual film.
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This film for me was one of the most difficult Scorsese films to sit through out of all the films we have screened so far. I honestly found myself nodding off at times, hypnotized by the music, and lulled to sleep by the pace. Perhaps the film did to me exactly what it was supposed to do, place me in complete and overall peaceful state. I honestly wouldn’t hesitate to buy this film on DVD just for those frustrating nights where my mind is racing and I can’t calm down to get to sleep. This film was like a lullaby rocking me into a serene and complete state of relaxation.
It must have been the same sensation experienced my those people whom Dan spoke about in Millennium Park that went to see the Dali Llama and fell asleep in their seats not long after he began to speak.
The film did leave a dreamlike impression on me. Because I was in such a subconscious state during most of the film, the images in the story blended with my own that I dreamt in my head. Now I didn’t completely fall asleep to the point where I was out for any period of time, but I did experience brief moments of hypnotic imagery that I was creating in my head. It was almost as if my dreams were following the music, dialogue, and the sound in the film to create my own personal cut in my head.
It was only after the Chinese began to invade Tibet that I began to regain consciousness. It created an interesting effect to be jarred out of sleep when the violence and turmoil suddenly entered Tibet. I felt like my personal peace was broken and surprisingly, I actually felt some prejudice against the Chinese army because they woke me up and it pissed me off. In a way, because I had a broken viewing of the film, it had a much deeper and personal impact on me.
So one would ask whether or not I would recommend this film to others or maybe indulge myself with a second helping of the Dali Llama. No thanks, it’s a acquired taste and I’m stuffed, but I don’t regret having some.
Matt Fagerholm
A film like Kundun reminds me of just how great a director Martin Scorsese is. While his well-made, though derivative, work like The Departed rakes in the Oscars, it is his more audacious projects that truly illustrate his genius. Scorsese has always been an enormously perceptive filmmaker, always focusing his attention on little details and seemingly throwaway nuances. For every scene of bloody action in his films, there are at least two scenes of quiet—even meditative—observation. This makes the Dalai Lama a perfect subject for Scorsese.
If Scorsese creates art in search of spirituality, than Kundun is certainly his most blatant search for it. Having been disenchanted with Catholicism’s blatant emphasis on guilt and penance, Scorsese must have felt refreshed when studying a religion as serene and peaceful as Buddhism. His use of real-life Tibetan Buddhists in the cast truly creates a palpably contemplative tone for the film. Though it doesn’t grab the viewer with the choke-hold sustained by films like Goodfellas and Casino, it does have a visceral effect of its own kind. The hypnotic music by Philip Glass and the cinematography by Roger Deakins meld together in a way that is subtly spellbinding. Though there is a sense that Scorsese perspective of the Dalai Lama is one “from the outside looking in” (much like how the Dalai Lama peers through his telescope at Tibet in the final shot), it does not lessen the power of his passion for the subject.
Bertolucci’s quote that “everything is form and form is emptiness,” effectively articulates the philosophy of Buddhism. Life is literally everything to Buddhists, who believe that once life ends, there is nothing else (except reincarnation). The elegant imagery Scorsese uses of the glorious “sand paintings” as a visual metaphor for life’s fleetingly beautiful impermanence. To Buddhists, life is a momentary miracle in a sea of chance.
This really was unlike Scorsese's other films, even with his slower paced AGE OF INNOCENCE and LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST, there's still an explanation of what is going on; at least some indication as to what we are seeing on screen. But in KUNDUN, there is no explanation, there is no exposition for the audience alone. There were huge chunks of the film where I really didn't know what was going on, I'd know if it was good or bad by the tone, but I had no idea what it was besides that.
I think if I'd relate this to any other Scorsese pic, it'd be LAST TEMPTATION, but really only because of their similar values and beliefs. They both believed in a peaceful resolve and wished only good things for everyone around them. The difference seemed to be with The Dalai Lama being more gullible; more innocent. He had more of a childlike quality to his way of life and in the end, losing his land is almost sadder than Jesus' sacrifice, only because the Dalai Lama doesn't understand why he loses it, he can't understand the actions or thoughts of his enemies because they are so unlike his own.
The film has a kind of hypnotic quality to it, I was never really entertained by it or enthralled in it, and I was very tired, but I just kept watching. When the film ended, I didn't know how to feel. I felt like I had gone through something that maybe years later I'd figure out. And I do think that it is a good film, but I can't see myself watching it again anytime soon.
The thing about Kundun that amazed me that I believe Scorsese caught perfectly was when the Dalai Lama made the growth from a child to an adolescent. Usually in life, we, people that is, are never as mature or “adult” as we claim to be. As teenagers we always strive to look and be as sophisticated and urbane as we possibly can be, even though we really don’t know squat. It’s the same thing when we’re children, yet with children, they don’t intentionally know they’re doing it like teenagers do. It’s amazing in Kundun because you see the Dalai Lama doing the same thing, trying to act and be this sophisticated person that he was taught and raised to be. The thing Scorsese is able to convey so well though that through his direction of the child actor’s mannerisms and behavior, that the Dalai Lama is still in fact a child! I almost laughed when he told one of the monks he was going to write a letter to Harry Truman because it reminded me of a child saying they were going to write a letter to Santa Clause!
The child eventually does grow up to become a man… and it’s not the teaching or the education that gets to make the next step to adulthood. It’s death. (A little morbid. I know, but stay with me!) The death of his mentor. The death of his father. The death and destruction the Red Army’s invasion brings with it. After all of this, we finally see the Dalai Lama turn to his monks and say, “I am a child no longer” or of such. This part of the film grabbed me pretty well because it’s so true. It’s amazing how quickly deaths among friends and family will root your eyes to open a little larger and your mind to think a little wider. This is all something I’ve learned through personal experience and something that I identified within the Dalia Lama in Kundun. And trust me! I didn’t expect to walk into this film and connect with the Dalia Lama at any level! Yet Scorsese is able to connect a twenty three year old south Chicago film student/dock worker with the Buddhist reincarnation of Buddha by focusing aspects of the film on very simple, yet brilliant plane of keeping the Dalia Lama in Kundun something to what we can all relate to…human.
I think one of the things that made music from Charlie Parker or the Jimi Hendrix Experince is that they were able to break musical borders by breaking away from the twelve bar blues or the I/IV/V progression and try new things that weren’t conventional or proper when it comes to writing jazz, blues, or rock music. The Doors, Miles Davis, Led Zeppelin, and a host of others would follow suit and break these barriers also by doing the same thing. They’d all do this by subconsciously taking a look at the same question Bertolucci proposed to Scorsese: Have you learned everything is form and form is emptiness? By doing this, you’re able to get yourself and the audience of your art thinking and absorbing things on a very different plane. Kundun’s directrion, editing, and sound all show Scorsese breaking away from a structured “form” and more over going what feels right to him. It’s no wonder the editing was hell because when your striving to rebel against set structure and form, you really don’t know exactly what your striving for, yet you sort of have an idea locked somewhere in the pit of your gut and the nether regions of the mind. Truthfully to me, this is my exact definition of what art, all art is? Tapping into “your” unknown and coming back creating something that is frightening and beautiful and perhaps spiritual at the same time. Well spiritual to yourself and perhaps others! Anyways, this is what it seems Scorsese was attempting with how the film is structured and approached. Whether or not he succeeded is as always up to the eye of the beholder. However after viewing Kundun, comparing it to the rest of Scorsese’s catalog, and setting aside whether or not you thought the film was a success, it cannot be contested that Bertolucci’s question for Scorsese does not have relevance to Scorsese and to Kundun.
I found it very hard to sit through this film. Not only could I not relate to it, but it was also very slow paced. If that was Scorsese's intention then great, but to me to intentionaly make a movie slow and boring is just, well plain boring!
I appreciated the beautiful set and costume designs. As in all his films he always has detailed and eccentric sets/wardrobes. One thing that can be said for sure is that Scorsese attempts each film with his utter most authentic, honest, and driven heart. Regardless of the fact that I did not like the film, I can appreciate his process and good will. He is much more than just a director, he is an inspiration to all. He purporsely does not catergorize himself as only being able to direct mafia movies or male actors. He continues to prove to us that he can do anything he wants and develop a very genuine piece of work.
I'm not quite sure what to say about Bertolucci’s quote. If everything is form and form is emptiness then everything is empty. Doesn't sound to joyous to me. Sounds like he's having a bad day. I'd like to say everything is form and form is fullfillment.
I have to say, it’s got to suck to rule over any group of people. Presidents, monarchs, managers at Jimmy John’s. I really don’t envy anyone who has to deal with the biggest decisions and the most annoying assholes. I usually question the motives for most anyone running for a position like that, especially the presidential candidate frontrunners. Also, I wonder if Bush had seen this movie when he gave the Dalai Lama that Medal of FuckYouChina. By the way, I’m going to ignore those various angry web sites and go with Scorsese in assuming that the Dalai Lama is not, nor has even been, a fascist pig.
I couldn’t get into Last Temptation because I’m not spiritual at all. Still, I could get into this movie, partially because Buddhism is wonderfully different from some deist religion, partially because it’s interesting to watch someone faced with a series of painful choices, and, of course, the imagery is gorgeous.
Kundun reminds me of The Queen here and there. Both have protagonists who refuse to make a choice that goes against tradition and principle during times of strife. I sympathize with Queen Elizabeth, but I sympathize a little more with Kundun because, say what you will, but at least England wasn’t being invaded by a bullshit-selling fascist with a horrible haircut.
I loved the subjectivity. Scorsese never waivers from the world through the eyes of his main character. From the Nicholas Ray-esque shot that establishes our protagonist to the intense moments of sound and frantic editing to show inner pain, we always feel Kundun’s mood. When he sees the mouse drinking from the chalices, he’s the only one, as his are the only eyes open. When Mao is smiling for the camera, he spots the excessive polish on his shoes. When he attempts to see the upcoming journey of those around him, he sees either peaceful scenery or bloody horses sans riders. And maybe it’s cheesy to do the thing at the end where the main character remembers scenes from the opening of the film, but, fuck, if I were Kundun, I’d probably be doing a little reflecting.
The premonitions suggest that Scorsese does believe, to a degree, in the spiritual ability of Kundun.
I’m not so sure about the music in some places. If the music were the narrator, it’d be saying stuff like “HOLY SHIT HE JUST PICKED THE RIGHT PAIR OF GLASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” But, you know, I guess I’d be pretty psyched if I came across the manifestation of a spiritual force on earth.
I liked it, but, you know, I wasn’t blown away. And I get the feeling the movie was trying to blow me away.
I really enjoyed this film. Unlike others in the class, who have admitted falling asleep, I found myself becoming more and more interested in this world that Scorsese was depicting. I knew almost nothing about this place and I think the subject matter alone made the film compelling. I am impressed by the scope of this film as well. I was expecting something more like LAST TEMPTATION, a film that in many ways can be dated as an 80s film. KUNDUN felt timeless and on the verge of epic.
Of Scorsese’s films, KUNDUN also had that amazing soundtrack. I sat through the film speculating if it was Philip Glass and wouldn’t you know. Some people in the class expressed unhappiness with it. I thought it was a major, and pleasing, change for Scorsese. With an epic-like film there needed to be an epic soundtrack. This really made a lot of the scenes effective, especially when they first find the Dalai Lama and those deep horns.
I sat through the film knowing that it took place within the century, but I kept thinking it took place hundreds of years ago. When they suddenly started mentioning America and Pearl Harbor and they listened to the radio I was thrown off. This film felt so timeless because of this. This film was a great choice for Scorsese. It was silent a lot of the time and not too dialogue heavy which I felt AGE OF INNOCENCE was. It was also made to reflect the time. No modern dialogue or music which I feel dated and made LAST TEMPTATION a little cheesy.
I’m not sure what to think about Bertolucci’s comment to Scorsese. Aesthetically, I thought the film had a lot of form, or else I wouldn’t have enjoyed it so much. However, possibly the strange blowing away of the sand sculptures could represent this statement. These art pieces take so long to make and look so intricate and elegant, yet they are blown away by the wind into nothingness. Perhaps this represents Tibet. Perhaps this represents the life of the Dalai Lama, who lives and dies and is reborn into another form, kind of like the sand sculptures that Scorsese references.
I didn’t fall asleep at all. My head didn’t even start bobbing like when you’re trying to stay awake but just can’t because everything is just not interesting. During the Age Of Innocense, that was it for me. I gave up, rolled up my coat and passed out. I wasn’t even going to attempt to stay awake. This one however, I was sitting at the edge of my seat demanding to know what’s going to happen next. I’ve been trying to figure out what it was, maybe it was the 20oz bottle of Mountain Dew I had just drank, or maybe it was the fact that the whole spiritual thing spoke to me. I’m by no means religious. Yes, I am Catholic by name, but that’s it. I would never stray from my upbringing on the account that my family would kill me.
I thought the movie looked great. You could tell on a few parts that it was a Scorsese film, like when the water pouring out of the fountain turns to blood, or when they talk about and show the kids killing off their parents. I was like yep, there’s that abundance of red we were missing. That sort of drove me away from the movie a bit, because I was really getting into the whole peaceful, non-violent, loving of all life kind of movie. It was okay though, in the end we came back to it and it all came together.
I have tons of questions about the movie. I have to assume that the movie is based completely on true events that took place because frankly, I don’t know any better. So, he is the reincarnation of the previous Budda and that is why he knew about all of those things and where they were. So, why would they be looking for one to replace him now, if he isn’t dead yet? Was some parts of this movie added for effect? Or are they just not caring now about the soul reincarnating itself into another person? By the way, it sort of gave you this Science Fictiony feel to it when that all happened. Maybe that’s why I liked it? If it all happened though that would be different.
You had told us that all of the actors were people who really hadn’t done anything before. I thought that was a great idea for this movie. It gave it a more real sense, which also is easier for me to get into. I’m always into movies that seem realistic and have that feel to it as well.
Two thumbs up for this week’s film. Being compared to “The Last Temptation of Christ” I was afraid Scorsese would go too deep into the lives of Buddhists and their whole struggle with China and stir up things he’d better left alone, but quite the opposite occurred. At least for me, the film was a meditation in itself. Being prepared by the readings on Scorsese and the making of “Kundun” I was able to follow the story and inhale the cinematography that shaped and reflected the life of the Dalai Lama and his people.
Having a neo-realistic approach to it the characters felt authentic and honest, and as mentioned by Scorsese in the handout, the shots that would last on the characters faces just a little bit longer were the ones that made this piece human, approachable and friendly. While Scorsese in my eyes failed to build that approachable bridge between Jesus and an audience from the twenty-first century, in “Kundun” he reached out and connected patterns and behavior that every human being can relate to. Working with non-actors and non-celebrities, this bonding process was possible and allowed for a fresh and unbiased experience.
The colors, the scenery, the shots and the music help create a piece that gives an insight to a world we seem to be so very far away from. The creating of the sand sculptures, in my eyes a great example and metaphor for the Buddhists’ life, stands as well in vast contrast to the ideas and goals in the western world. Why build something if the very next “minute” the wind blows it away? In our terms, this would be a waste of time with no profit and nothing left at the end. I think the Buddhists see it differently.
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