Kundun

Martin Scorsese’s Kundun is about the early part of the life of the 14th Dalai Lama. It begins some years after the death of the 13th, when the new incarnation of Buddha is “discovered” by a travelling monk in the form of a four year old boy. The boy demonstrates an uncanny knack for identifying the previous Dalai Lama’s possessions, selecting them among other similar items and saying: “mine, mine”. The film is not hugely satisfactory as a narrative, but it is rewarding as an insight into Buddhism and the trials of Tibet. It is lovingly shot with incredible attention to detail. I was struck by the scene of monks creating a sand painting, a large and intricate design, painstakingly created from different coloured sand. The creating of the painting is weaved into key scenes at the beginning and end of the film and at the end it is swept away. The perfect art form for a religion which so strongly embraces that nothing is permanent.