Little Buddha 4K 1993

I saw this movie when I was 14 years old. Or 15. Whatever. Then, in the notoriously dashing 90's, being a rather gloomy and angular teenager, I was feverishly searching for The Self. And discovered Bertolucci. And Buddhism. Thanks to this desperately beautiful movie, I discovered not just a brilliant director and an actor who was unknown to me at the time, but who struck me with his oriental beauty - I discovered a whole WORLD!

The world of ancient, wise philosophy and a religion new to me, in which there was no fear of hell, but renunciation of all earthly desires. Two plot threads (the story of the reincarnation of the lama and the story of Sithartha himself) are ingenuously woven into the overall line of the picture. This is how Bertolucci managed to show the unenlightened (and enlightened too) viewer both the history of Buddhism and its current state. Charming Tibetan monks are looking for the reincarnation of the deceased Lama Dorje.

There are three contenders, although a certain spirit of rivalry between them, children of the same age, is absolutely not important here (the final answer will be more than diplomatic). The main thing is that they managed to convince the viewer that it's really real. I don't doubt it one bit - Bertolucci, if he doesn't believe in reincarnation, he definitely allows it.

A powerful visual contrast is stunning - a gray city of skyscrapers, leaden waters of the cold ocean, busy, polite and insanely lonely people inhabiting this metropolis, and the Eastern fairy tale, serene monks in orange, warm, bright tones of wild oriental nature and pretentious exquisite temples. The hustle and bustle of Asian cities and the true wisdom of its inhabitants. East and West - what do they have in common? Borders are blurring - the Lama can be reborn anywhere.