martin scorsese's films used to intimidate me . because of his reputation , i felt obligated to appreciate them as deep film art rather than as great flicks . as much as i enjoyed them , i usually felt like i missed something . i learned from scorsese's casino that whatever techniques he uses are merely there to enhance the story . no mystical interpretation is required to appreciate his movies . for example , in casino he uses subtitles when robert deniro and joe pesci are using code words with each other . there was no meaning more exotic than that subtitles were the most succinct way for him to tell the audience what was really going on . or toward the end , when he uses three quick dissolves to compress a scene of a car backing away from a building . again , the simple , mundane explanation is that it helped the pacing . i don't mean to say that his techniques are not creative or good-looking . but he simply uses the best tool for the job . it shouldn't have surprised me , then , that kundun , a film about a mystical religion , actually turned out to be quite straightforward . the movie follows the life of the 14th dalai lama , the spiritual and political leader of tibet . the movie's title is another name for the dalai lama which means " ocean of wisdom . " his story is told in strict chronological order and there are only a few cinematic visions to embellish the literal story . ( one of which makes an interesting statement : pay attention to the film's opening shot and watch where it is repeated . ) we first glimpse the dalai lama when he is two years old . his curiosity and self-assuredness capture the attention of a monk wandering in search of the new lama . a test is arranged to see if this boy really is the reincarnation of the 13 dalai lamas who have gone before . several items belonging to the previous dalai lama are laid before the boy alongside some other items . the child is asked if he recognizes any of the items as his own . the boy picks correctly , proving that he is the new , and the old , dalai lama . scorsese and long-time editor thelma schoonmaker were kind enough to allow the possibility that the child was taking his cues from the monk . before selecting an item , he would look at the monk , perhaps for some sort of confirmation . sometimes he picked right the first time , and sometimes he made a second choice . either way , whether through reincarnation or quick human perception , the tibetans were assured of choosing a boy who could be a wise , perceptive leader . >from this point on , the boy is raised as the reincarnation of the lama's spirit and the future leader of a nation . it is a great weight to put on the mind of a child . in the u . s . it might be grounds for a call to social services . but the young lama accepts his destiny without any apparent emotional damage . neither the great power nor the awesome responsibility keeps him from becoming a genuinely likeable , well-rounded person . certain patterns take shape over the years . for example , the dalai lama is fascinated by technology . radios , clocks , and telescopes are some of his favorite toys . when he is old enough to accept his leadership , he makes plans to modernize isolated tibet . he also has a soft spot for creatures who are suffering or in pain , including herd animals . it's nearly a running gag that he will buy sheep to keep them from being herded to slaughter . but the most ominous constant throughout his life is the presence and threat of tibet's gigantic neighbor , china . tibet and its leaders prove correct in fearing china , as , first the propaganda , then the political pressure , and finally the armies , come across their common border . the chinese invasion is so successful that the lama's life is in danger if he stays . the movie ends when , after much agonizing , the dalai lama leaves tibet for india . the story doesn't lead up to a cinematic climax as strongly as most feature films do . it just doesn't fit that mold . if it were forced into such a shape it would have been a completely different movie ( perhaps more like seven years in tibet , which is good in its own right ) . the pacing of kundun is more calm and level than that . the structure of the film is made to fit the characters and events , not vice-versa . perhaps because the pace is slower , we have more time to notice the beautiful art , vestments , and architecture of tibet . a mandala , ( tibetan sand painting ) with beautiful , vibrant colors is shown throughout the movie . the robes and hats of state are bright red and gold . the bricks are a rich reddish brown , not unlike the skin tone of the tibetans . even the touchstone pictures logo before the movie ( which is usually light blue ) is the red and gold of tibet . philip glass composed the music for kundun , and he was the perfect choice . for those who don't know of glass , his music is like a tibetan mandala . his building blocks are lots of small notes , tiny grains of music , which are first grouped , then repeated in patterns . these patterns create interesting textures which are themselves part of a larger composition . people won't be flocking to kundun for it's great ending , or talking about its outstanding plot , but it does have a lot to offer : an interesting lifetime , exotic sights , rich cinematography , and innovative music . it gives interesting insight into tibetan buddhism and takes a warm look at the dalai lama as a person . on top of it all is the cinematic mastery of martin scorsese , who gives the film a strong , beautiful , consistent look .
