Little Buddha

Rating:
Summary: Little Buddha
Review: I thought that this movie was very factual and informing. I did get alot of information from the movie about Buddhism and the Indian way of life. I thought that the information that was given was helpful even though at times hard to follow. I think its definetly one of those "watch twice" movies. All the story lines were too confusing to understand. I finally fiugred out how to follow the movie.

The acting was surprisingly very good. The "chosen " children were exceptionally great actors for their particular age. I also thought that the foreign poeple in the movie were good actors. They really made the movie have a more realistic value. They made the movie different from other Kong Fu movies featuring foreigners that you can't understand a thing they are saying. These actors had a good English background as well as a Buddhist background.

The music was very realistic as well, and it made the movie come together. Although, in some parts I think there was room for improvement, the whole production was truly helpful and interesting. I cannot say I would have gone to rent or to purchase this movie myself, but as a class activity and since we are studying this subject, I really did not mind at all.

My favorite part would have had been at the end when the "chosen" children let the ashes go. I thought it was interesting to see each child distribute the ashes in their own way. It was neat how the little girl lets hers go at the top of the tree with all the monkeys. It reminded me of "The Lion King"!

Overall, I think the movie was a great production. I would recommend anyone to watch this movie if they are studying Buddhism. It will help you to understand how different religions can be. Our religion will really seem quite different after viewing this movie. I have a much better idea of how things looked at those times and the rules and regulations put on a certain person.

Rating:
Summary: Buddha Review
Review: Little Buddha is a very religiously informative film. It takes place in both modern day Seattle and Katmandu, and also in ancient India. It is the alternating story of Jesse, a young American boy, who might be a "reincarnation", and also he retelling of the Siddhartha story. Lama Norbu believes his former teacher has been reincarnated into Jesse and travels to Seattle to find him. Norbu locates Jesse and begins to teach him about Buddhism and Siddhartha the first Buddha. Somewhat later in the story other candidates are found and Jesse and Norbu travel to Katmandu to see which is the real former teacher.

Here Jesse meets the other candidates and learns of Siddhartha's coming of age. He is taught the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and of Nirvana. Jesse learns how Siddhartha came to know pain and suffering and he himself along with the other candidates begin to experience life and death.

I would strongly recommend this video for all studying the Buddhist belief. It breaks it down into somewhat simple concepts and is very entertaining at the same time. The movie plot is wonderful and even if you don't find it interesting the scenery alone is enough to take your breath away.

Rating:
Summary: Little Buddha / Siddhartha
Review: I liked this movie. It was very interesting and helped me to understand Buddhism and Indian way of life. It, also, showed the importance of reincarnation in the Buddhist tradition.
Culturally, I learned how Tibetans lived; noble groups wore sandals on their feet and almost all of the rest were barefooted. Nobles dressed in highly colorful creations. The women had long dresses that went down to their feet. The men wore brightly colored clothing as well. Most of them, however, had long, red robes around their clothes. It really completed the movie. I liked the clothes a lot.
A monk, from Tibet, Lama Norbu recieves a letter that tells him his former teacher's reincarnation may have been found. He goes to Seattle, where he meets another monk that has had dreams about a hill and goes there over and over again. They leave to find this hill, and find out that a house is there and there is a family of only one child living there.
A Seattle school teacher found out that her son may be the reincarnation of Lama Norbu. Lama Norbu is there telling her about this Lama Dorje. While there, her husband comes home to find them in the living room. He doesn't like this too much. He doesn't want his son Jesse to have anything to do with this. They leave Jesse a book about Buddha. He learns everything about Siddhartha who becomes the Buddha. In the retelling, his mother gave birth to him and she found out that he was extremely special. Right after he was born, he could walk and behind every footstep there blossomed a flower.
When Siddhartha was older, he finally figured out that he wanted to see the world with his own eyes. His father doesn't want him to leave, but Siddhartha did any way. The night before his big adventure, he visited his wife and newborn baby. He looked at them and kissed them goodbye.
On his way out of the village, he noticed two very old men. He couldn't believe his eyes. He had never seen anything so horrible before. He walked into a place that was horrible. It had slaves working and people dying. He didn't know about sickness or death. He wants to do something that will help the suffering of people and goes off to reflect on this problem.
Meanwhile, Jesse and his father go to Bhutan. While on the plane, Jesse learns even more about Siddhartha. He also finds out that two other children, Raju and Gita, could be the reincarnation. Lama Norbu goes to the Oracle to find out which one is the real reincarnation because he is confused. You will have to watch the rest of the movie to find out the end.
I think that the movie was pretty accurate. It showed how the Tibetans practiced their religon and the way they lived. I liked the music. It was different types of instruments put together by one rhythm. A woman would sing, but it sounded like she was awwing. It kept you into the movie.
This was a well planned and well-written movie. A lot of thought was also put into this movie. It wasn't a really emotional movie. The movie leaves you on the edge of your seat because you always want to know what is going to happen next. The scenery in Seattle was done in cool colors. It showed a kind of gloomy feeling. In contrast, the flashbacks and stories were done in warm colors. It really made you spend more attention to it.
The acting was great. The children did an especially great job. Every actor did a wonderful job. Jesse's mother didn't want him to go without her for a week or more, but since he was with his father, she let him go, like most mothers today. I also think that the costumes were well created. It really looked like something the Tibetans would wear. The costumes of the Tibetan people had lots of warm colors, but the Seattle people had norml outfits, like we would wear, but in cool colors. This film was a great film, but sort of hard to understand because two plots were going on simultaneous.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful if you have an interest in learning of Buddha
Review: As a movie... pretty good. As a lesson on Siddhartha I think it is wonderful. Much to learn and be inspired by here.

Rating:
Summary: Little Buddha---Big Movie
Review: "Little Buddha" is a very interesting, educational, and well-made movie. It's not the best movie I have ever seen, but I can tell you that I thouroughly enjoyed it.

The story begins in modern-day Tibet. A monk, Lama Norbu, receives a letter telling him that the reincarnation of his former teacher may have been found. He goes to Seattle to pursure this great news, and another monk tells him that he had dreams that their old teacher led him to the same empty spot on a hill over and over again. One day, the monk came across teh very spot from his dream and finds a house there. A family with an only child lives there and the monks believe that Jesse, the child, is their teacher reincarnated. The monks visit Jesse and his mother at home and leave Jesse a book about Buddha.

Later, Jesse asks the monks about their teacher and takes them to the Seattle Fine Arts Museum to see a sculpture of Buddha. Jesse's mother takes him to the Dharma Center to visit the monk, where they continue to read to Jesse the story of how Siddhartha became the Buddha.

Jesse's father arrives to talk to the monks and calls the story of Buddha a myth and while he has plenty of respect for the Tibetan culture and religion he does not believe in reincarnation. The monks explains reincarnation to Jesse's father by breaking a cup full of tea. He says that the tea is still tea even when it's on the floor in in a rag. He says the mind and spirit are the same way after death. He goes on to mention that if Jesse goes to Nepal with the monks that he could be a powerful figure in Tibetan culture. Irritated, Jesse's father says it's gone too far, takes his son, and leaves.

He then gets a call on his cell phone and finds out that Evan, his business partner, died unexpectedly, causing Jesse's father a great deal of pain. Father and son stop to look over a bridge and watch the cars drive past, symbolizing life passing by. Jesse's father tells Jesse's mother that he has had a change of heart and that he thinks Jesse should go to Bhutan.

On the plane the monks explain more of Siddhartha's story. As it turns out, there are 2 more candidates for the reincarnated teacher, Raju and and girl named Gita. Lama Norbu goes to the Oracle to find out which child is really the teacher, because he is confused about it. I won't tell you what happens, but when Lama Norbu has a decision, he is at peace with himself and tells Jesse's father that his time is done.

Throughout the modern setting, there is a totally different plot going on, the retelling of how Siddhartha became the Buddha, which is always done in a flashback format.

Aside from both great stories that were told, "Little Buddha" is a very well-made movie. All of the present-day scenes from Seattle are done in very cool colors, almost making it seem like you are looking through blue glasses. In the present-day scenes from Nepal and the flash-backs to the story of Buddha, every thing is warm and done in oranges and reds. The costuming was excellent and communicated very well what people really wore in the time of Siddhartha and what peoploe wear in modern times also. I think that the actors were very well fitted for their roles and veryone involved in making this movie did a good job.

Rating:
Summary: A good historical movie
Review: This was a great movie to watch and I think the acting in it deserves an A+. I think that this movie did a very good job at introducing the viewer to Buddhism. This story goes between two plots in two different time periods. The two time periods are the present day and sometime in the past as the second time period. The present day time period tells of a monk searching for the reincarnation of his teacher. While the past time period tells of the life of Siddartha and how he becomes Buddha. This movie has a good story plot and shows how the Buddhist life is like. It also helps to show how Buddha came to be. In my opinion this movie was historically accurate the whole way through. The movie also showed how modern day monks live and gave us some information about where they live and why they live there. Overall this movie was great. The only problem is the plot changes got confusing after a while and made you think more. The costumes were great also. I think that they really made the movie more realistic and believable. This movie should be recommended to anybody who enjoys a relaxing history movie or if you just want to watch a good movie.

Rating:
Summary: Little Buddha
Review: I think that the movie Little Buddha is very good. I believe it portrays the image of Buddha very well. I liked who when ever they were in Seattle the colors were all blue. I think the director chose blue to portray Seattle as gloomy, cold and uninviting. Then when ever they were looking back into the time of Buddha the colors were very vivid and had a redish tint. I belive they were trying to portray Budhism as warm and inviting.

The juxstaposition was very good. I think it really helped you to get the meaning of Little Buddha, with the scenes switching back and forth from the present to the ancient past. I also liked the costumes very much. I think the costumes really help you get an idea of how life was like in the times of Buddha. I also think Keanu Reeves was the perfect actor to play Siddhartha.

I really enjoyed the movie Little Buddha, it helped me get a very good understanding of what Buddhism is all about.

Rating:
Summary: Buddha in the Beginning
Review: I think that the movie, Little Buddha was a great way to learn about Buddhism and their beliefs. Those who are Buddhist believe that everyone is reborn again and again. It is probably difficult to tell others about your religion and for them to take you seriously. However, in these circumstances, Jesse's family seems very open-minded and takes everything into consideration.
The monk, Norbu tells Jesse the story of Siddhartha in a flashback format. Jesse's father tells the monk that he and his wife don't believe in reincarnation. The monk doesn't seem discouraged at all and explains to him that "tea" is the same whether it is in a cup, on the floor, or in a rag that absorbs it. Jesse's family and the monk have a few more encounters, and he invites them to Tibet. Jesse's father having had a deep personal crisis himself, thinks that it would be a great opportunity. So, Jesse and his dad depart for Tibet with the monk to see whether the young boy is the reincarnation of his former teacher.
While in Tibet, Jesse meets other kids his age. They quickly develop a great friendship. These are other children who might be the spirit of Lama Dorje. It turns out that each of these kids are Lama Dorje. One of them does not exist without the other and they all feel a compassion for all beings.
After a moving experience in Tibet, Jesse and his father return to their home in Seattle. They share their understanding of Buddhism with Jesse's mother. They spread the ashes of Lama Norbu at sea. Their family learned a lot about his culture and it seemed ot open doors in their life.
I think this movie provided a great introduction into the life of the spirit in Buddhism. It showed a true representation fo Buddhism The special effects of the movie were great. The background colors emphasized the different feelings throughout the movie. I would recommend this movie to anyone. It is an enlightening film that I believe everyone can get somthing out of.

Rating:
Summary: Nirvana?
Review: This is the story of Siddartha. This is the story of Buddha.
Siddartha was born on 2 legs - that is, he could already walk. He could also already talk, and was born with very little pain, or so the legend goes. His father, the king, was very proud of his son. At Siddartha's birthday celebration, an old man who had not been seen in the village for something like 9 years appeared and prophesied that Siddartha would become a great teacher. His father became worried and decided that his son would become a prince, not a teacher. He watched Siddartha grow into fruition and made sure that he would not have any desire to leave the temple. This, however, was not his destiny. Siddartha traveled beyond the walls of safety and peace. He saw death and disease, suffering and loss. It was not difficult for him to make his decision to leave royalty. From here he begins his journey toward nirvana, towards become the Buddha, "the enlightened one."

As this story is being told, another is unwinding. A Tibetan monk by the name of Llama Norbu is seeking the reincarnated form of his teacher. There are three possible "candidates" for the reincarnation. 1 of them is a little boy named Jesse, who lives in Seattle. He goes to Butan and meets the other 2 candidates. A boy about Jesse's age, and a ... girl? Yes, the possibility exists that Llama Norbu's teacher (who was a man) could have been reincarnated as a female. Who it turns out to be I will not say. You're going to have to watch it yourself. You'll be surprised in the end, though.

I was satisfied with the ending of the movie - actually, I liked the whole thing. The color choices were interesting. All of the Seattle scenes had a very blue tint to them, and none of the lights in the house were on. On the contrary, all the Tibet scenes (and the Siddartha story) are shown with bright colors and intricate costumes. Many full reds and oranges were used to heighten the sense of power and vibrancy. Also, the story line itself: that was pretty good. I liked the tale of Siddartha's journey to find awakening. The part where He does battle with Mara, god of evil, death, etc. is really cool. I think that it even had a sort of educational ring to it. While educational films may not be the best thing to get someone excited, it is still a good movie, and you should see it if you can.

Rating:
Summary: Good and simple introduction to Budda and Buddhism
Review: The Little Buddha has done a wonderful job in introducing life of Buddha and Buddhism as well as Tibetan Buddhism. Even though it is very simple, and I already know the story about Buddha and the Middle way, still I learn something each time I watch this movie. This is because the movie has taught us the essential teachings of Buddhism - to have unbiased love and compassion for all living beings, we are interdependent of one anther, and the ego self is merely an illusion.
There was one scene where Siddhartha was sitting under the Bodhi tree and meditating. That image of him and the big tree looked very realistic to me. I just thought that that was exactly how Siddhartha should be when he mediated and obtained enlightenment that day. It seems that the director really had done his study and picked the right man. Keanu Reeves has played his role as Siddhartha well. The serenity and the equanimity that Keanu exuded in this movie are beyond my expectation. I think he was wonderful in this movie.