Rating: 
Summary: THE LAST TEMPTATION OF MARTIN
Review: The great danger with filmed biographies is to present an hagiography which is more a documentary to the glory of the chosen one than a motion picture with artistic qualities. Martin Scorsese was well aware of this trap by presenting KUNDUN. So what ?Well, it's a Scorsese movie allright but, in my opinion, not so interesting than the other works of the italo-american director. Apart of the terrific cinematography and the pleasure we can have to follow the life of the reincarnation of " The Buddha of Compassion ", what's left of Martin in this movie ? Almost nothing. In fact, he is hidden behind his subject and leaves the keys of the house to the Dalai-Lama. That's respect, after all. And I respect it. A DVD dedicated to the silence.
Rating: 
Summary: Drama-less Propaganda
Review: Yes, it's pretty in a "Last Emperor" meets "Koyanisqaatsi" kind of way. Yes, Scorsese gets some points for daring to use authentic "non actors" in the roles. Yes, the Glass soundtrack is unique, even if (and I'm a Glass fan) it does err on the side of detachment overly much. But the problems are just far, far too large to ignore. First, we have the historical and political reality of Lama-ist Tibet that this movie barely even hints at. For all of you who think that Tibet was some sort of Shangri-La prior to the invasion of the Chinese, do a Google on 'Tibetan serf'. You'll quickly discover that Lama-ist Tibet was a feudal society, with 95% of the population living as illiterate serfs or slaves. The top 5% of society, who were more or less allowed to treat the commoners as disposable draft animals, consisted of landowners, the aristocracy, and....you guessed it.....monks. Add in the CIA funding of the uprising against the Chinese, and you quickly realize that the Dalai Lama can be seen as a well-heeled theocrat whose drive for Tibetan nationalism cannot be divorced from a retrenchment to an ancient despotic regime. Secondly, you have the portrayal of the Dalai Lama himself in the movie. To put it simply, he's flawless. He's not portrayed as a man so much as a demi-god. He can do no wrong, commit no evil. If he has a flaw, it's that in his purity and idealism he is a bit naive. This glossy cardboard rendition leads to a bland, flat, dramaless character with whom the audience cannot connect. Every great hero has tragic flaws, and every great villain has a kernel of sympathy. But not the Dalai Lama! Instead, we're given a spiritually perfect uber-being who, when all is said and none, comes across as pretty darn boring. Had Scorsese made a movie about a spiritual, idealistic man caught between defending a despotic, slavish regime and selling-out to aggressive, god-less, brutal Chinese communists...with a little international politics and CIA intrigue mixed-in...we could have had a very interesting movie. But, instead, he gave us Botoxified artprop: pretty on the surface, but only skin deep.
Rating: 
Summary: Astounding work of art
Review: I think this movie is simply astonishing. As most of the (positive) reviews have already mentioned, the stunning visuals, perfect musical score, and emphasis on religious pageantry are what makes this film great. However, I don't feel that these "take away" from the film or provide any sense of detachment, like some people have argued. Robert Ebert complained that the film provides no sense of the Dalai Lama as a man because it is so wrapped up in the myth of his reincarnation, but I disagree. Especially after the Chinese Communist regime gets involved, the Dalai Lama is depicted as very "human," as he is reluctant to abandon the Tibetan people, who revere him, but is forced to concede that Tibet cannot resist their more powerful adversary. And the Chinese aren't depicted as monsters either, for those who would argue that the film is too one-sided. Some have complained about the acting, since Scorsese casted all largely unknown Tibetans, but I couldn't detect any weaknesses in that area. What Kundun does is beautifully depict the tragedy of this isolated kingdom being coerced to abandon its way of life and time-honored traditions. This may not be Scorsese's best, but it ranks right up there, and is certainly better than the Last Temptation of Christ, which dealt with similar themes.
Rating:
Summary: Kundun
Review: I thought this movie was going to be a boring biographical film, I was wrong. Aside from missing some content I feel should be in the movie, this is one of the best biographical films I've seen. I feel there were parts excluded from the Dalai Lama's life that shouldn't have been. However, they covered the Dalai Lama's life from a baby until he moved to India very well. Judging from outside research they did a very good job "sticking to the script". I think they captured the setting and mood of the Dalai Lama and his people very well. I recommend this movie to anyone interested in Tibet and/or the Dalai Lama.
Rating:
Summary: Kundun
Review: This movie was astonishingly good. I'd seen the movie box constantly when visiting the video store and thought it looked like a boring biographical film. I was wrong. The movie
was not what I thought it would be. It represented the
Dalai Lama's life from when he was born to when he moved to
India. I felt there could have been more in the movie. More
accounts of his life, the transitions between each age were
too quick and I feel there should've been more. As far as
biographical movies go, I feel this is one of the best I've
seen, and from other research I found that it is very historically accurate (aside from missing certain events).
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie. Watch it again.
Review: I found this this film quite astonishing. The way the Dalai Lama is presented from its early childhood discovery of Reting Rinpoche, and how the costumes are just beautiful. What stood out most in my mind was the Oracle scenes, and how the beauty of the Potala palace in Tibet. The acting of Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong is amazing, I fell in love with the compassion, thoughts and lines in this movie. The music is neither disturbing nor irritating, it simply was perfect. I recommend this video for anyone who want to catch a glimpse of tibetan buddhism imagery and just have a great time watching a film about the Dalai Lama.
As for the truthfulness of this film, since I'm aware of the dramatic licenses made here, I really could care less. Scorcese directing is superb, and I would sure hell watch this film again.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Scorsese's Best Work, But Still A Good Movie
Review: The costumes are beautiful, the cinematography is excellent, and this movie is visually breathtaking. However, a personal story about the Dalai Lama it is not. Buddhists are gentle and mild-mannered by nature, and this might have something to do with the fact that this movie lacks the emotional depth that we are accustomed to seeing in Martin Scorsese's movies. The movie starts off with the discovery of the 14th Dalai Lama as a young boy in a distant village in Tibet. He is taken from his home in order to be groomed to be the leader that he is destined to become. He is taught the ways of the religion that he is to lead, and then he is forced to confront the tyranny of Chinese rule. Since this movie is based on the life of the real Dalai Lama, it isn't too much of a spoiler to reveal that in the end he is forced to flee Tibet and seek refuge in India. Frankly, I was expecting more out of this movie. After all, a young boy is taken from his family and has the weight of an entire religion and country put on his shoulders, and all of this is narrated in a largely dispassionate and uninteresting way. The audience is never able to feel the Dalai Lama's pain because we never really get to know him, and so we're left feeling a numb sort of apathy throughout the movie. While I might have problems with the script and the way in which it is performed, I don't think I've ever seen a movie with better costumes and camera angles. It's worth watching just for these reasons.
Rating:
Summary: All Dressed Up But Nowhere to Go
Review: This is a gorgeous, reverential acount of the Dalai Lama's life that airbrushes out any real dramatic conflict for the sake of the pretty colors. In the early scenes this underscores Kundun's remoteness from the secular world, but as the movie rolls on, Scorsese's eye for Eastern splendor overtakes the story of Tibet's struggle and the 18-year-old Kundun's growing response to it. I share Scorsese's respect for the Dalai Lama, but I think there's a crippling Orientalist romance at work in this movie. Would he treat a Western leader so uncritically? A lot of love and passion clearly went into this production; I wish it had dropped the dreamy filters and done justice to a very human tragedy.
Rating:
Summary: Honest and useful
Review: It's wonderful that a director of Scorsese's caliber decided to make a movie that attracts attention to the terrible demise of Tibet. Beautifully filmed, with utmost respect to the culture so few really understand here in the States
Rating:
Summary: perhaps the worst film ever?
Review: well, Nair's Kama Sutra might be worse, but this is a remarkably bad, racist film. It is also poorly shot, even for an amateur, let alone for a Martin S. Visually flat and uninteresting. The script is stupid, and falsifies much of the history of China's Tibet. The brutal poverty, corruption, starvation and illiteracy of Lama-ist Tibet is not even hinted at. Nor is the CIA's involvement in the failed, stupid and irresponsible "uprising" of the Monk-caste-- the one that led to that fraud, the DL's, flight to India. For a better take on Tibet's historical status as a province of China, the incredible, 4th-world status of Tibet's "development" prior to its liberation by the Red Army, as well as the lamas ties to the CIA, check out T Grunfeld's (sp.?) book, The Making of Modern Tibet. Hell, for a more visually appealing, orientalist film, check out the old Lost Horizon flick.
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