Customer Reviews

Little Buddha (Widescreen)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a Bertolucci movie so it will naturally have his style. This is a different story so it should be told differently from his other films. In my opinion this is his best. It is based on a true story; this means he did not wake up in the middle of the night with a radical idea. The story is used not only for the individual incident but as an allegory for today's Tibetan (there are many other types) Buddhist way of thought.

These are not two parallel stories in contrast. With out one the other makes no sense. The section in Seattle is filtered in blue; I may have some deeper meaning; I see the blue filtered scenes as the superficial environment. These differences help with the description of impermanence.

The Selection of actors is excellent.. You do not want the actor personalities to overshadow the character. It is too late for me. I will always think of Siddhartha as looking like Keanu Reeves.

Just as with Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments ", the film story does not actually follow the written story of Siddhartha. However, as this is the one that I watch, therefore I will always think of this when some one mentions Buddha.

The juxtaposition between modern day life and that of the Buddha Siddhartha is subtly done. The plot is full of contrasts, such as, old Buddhist monks vs young children, modern Seattle vs. spiritual Tibet, modern building vs. temple, Buddhist spirituality vs. childhood fantasy, etc. While Dean Conrad (Chris Isaak) was an architect and his wife Lisa (Bridget Fonda)was a teacher, Buddha Siddhartha was also an architect and teacher as he founded Buddhism which flourishes to our present times. I have found this film well done as it enables us to understand Buddhism better.

I teach Philosophy in an Ontario high school and this film is great for teaching basic concepts in Eastern philosophy, particularly, of course, Buddhism. The East / West focus of the plot and the great visuals and storytelling quality ease students into what is, for most of them, a very different world view.

Bernardo Bertolucci attempts to mix Buddhist spirituality with childhood fantasy in Little Buddha. When Dean Conrad (Chris Isaak), a Seattle architect, comes home from work one day, he finds two robed Buddhist monks sitting in his living room talking with his wife Lisa (Bridget Fonda). Guided by a series of disturbing dreams, the monks have traveled from Nepal to Seattle because they believe that the Conrad's ten-year-old son, Jesse (Alex Wiesendanger) may be the reincarnation of a legendary Buddhist mystic. The Conrads are initially skeptical, particularly when the monks want to take their son back to Bhutan with them. But after Dean's partner commits suicide, Dean has a religious awakening ("I've been doin' some thinkin'," he says) and permits Jesse to go away with the monks. Then the Lama Norbu (Ruocheng Ying) gives Jesse a children's book about the Buddha Siddhartha (Keanu Reeves). Siddhartha leads a sheltered life until he comes upon a couple of all-knowing beggars who introduce him to poverty and hunger. After this revelation, Siddhartha decides that it is his destiny to relieve all human beings from pain and suffering. Back in present day, Jesse is now knowledgeable about the basis of Buddhism. Much to Jesse's and his father's surprise, however, they find that there are two other children at Bhutan who show signs of being the reincarnated Buddhist mystic.

"Little Buddha" is a wonderful family film that is entertaining and educating without being educational. It provides a view on Buddhist beliefs and explains the basis of this way of life.

Embedded in the main story of the film is the story of the Buddha's journey to enlightenment. It is told in a fashion that will be enjoyable to people of every age. This work is also filmed beautifully and shares with you life in many cultures.

Please take some time and enjoy this film!

PS - Keanu Reeves as Siddhartha (Buddha) - takes some getting used to...

The film is very interesting, and Reeves as Buddha is really great! The film would have been much more interesting if it had been only about the BUDDHA and not about a triple incarnation of a Lama Monk. That idea of a "man or a soul of a Lama" divided into three parts, and incarnated into three different children is not nice and practical at all. Life itself is a mess with a single body, I can't imagine a soul or a mind divided into three different human bodies: that would be a triple amount of suffering and masochism. But, anyway, everything should be forgivable. The sequences of the Life of Buddha are the most beautiful and the best of the film. I love them.

It seems to me that this movie was rushed through production. I feel that this movie could have gone deeper into the truth of Buddism and not lingered on the top of it. I don't understand how the parents of the little boy would just leave him with perfect strangers or let him run off by himself in Bhutan. There seemed to be no point with the fact that the fathers freind died, except that it showed connection between Siddhartha and the boy. In the end of the movie, I didn't understand how the kids ended up watching Siddhartha be temtped under the Bo tree and reach enlightenment. While many of the things shown about Buddism were true, they forgot some main ideas such as the four noble truths and the eight fold path.
In all, I feel this movie could have been taken more time on in the making and resulted in a pathetic movie that stretches the reality of our lives

I really love this film, it wasnt at all what I expected, and that is even more awesome.
I let my son watch this film and he enjoyed it so much he had a ton of questions regarding Buddha and the expeirences of all the children. No child is too young to develop an open mind.
I suggest this film for anyone interested in Eastern Philosophies and/or Reincarnation. Or if you have questions or uncertainities about Buddha, this film brings Buddha's teachings forward and expresses the compassion that his love had.

An excellent exploration into the story of Buddha and how it contrasts with our western ways of thinking. It touches on all the main points of Buddhist philosophy and our usual reactions to it. From a film making point of view, it is a masterpiece of cinematography. The lighting, direction and sound track take you away and lift you to a higher plane.
Watch for the symbolism in almost every shot.
Love it.

If you are interested in yoga, meditation, spiritual enlightenment or even you just trying to be happy. This is an excellent enlightening story. The movie is about a man pursue his true happiness. Giving up everything he has: physically, emotionally and mentary (attachments). When he attained indestructible being by any force, he became an Awakened One (Buddha). Filled with light, compassion and love.