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In Little Buddha, a monk seeks the reincarnation of a lama in Seattle. The story explores spirituality and the connection between three children. 🎥✨ #Cinema #Buddhism #Spirituality #LittleBuddha 🌟 https://wp.me/p3JLEZ-7EO

The film Little Buddha is a cinematic work that touches on themes of reincarnation and spirituality. It also serves as a window into Tibetan Buddhism. The film highlights its relevance in contemporary society. The captivating story follows a monk searching for the reincarnation of a lama. Viewers are invited to explore profound concepts about life, death, and the connection between human beings. The narrative benefits from the direction of Bernardo Bertolucci. Vittorio Storaro’s cinematography enhances it further. Together, they offer a visual and emotional experience that goes beyond entertainment. The film also proposes reflections on spirituality. These resonate with the concerns of the modern world. Additionally, Little Buddha acts as a bridge between cultures. It facilitates a broader understanding. This leads to an appreciation of Buddhism in the Western context. This makes it a relevant and significant work for any lover of cinema and spirituality.

Little Buddha (original title in English: Little Buddha) is a Franco-British film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci in 1993. It was written by Rudy Wurlitzer and Mark Peploe. The productor is Jeremy Thomas, in a co-production between Italy, France, and the United Kingdom. The stars include Chris Isaak, Bridget Fonda, and Keanu Reeves as Prince Siddhartha (the Buddha before his enlightenment).

Plot

The film tells the story of a Tibetan monk named Lama Norbu. He and many of his aides search for the reincarnation in Seattle of a lama who died eight years prior.

They believe they have found his reincarnation in Seattle in a blonde boy named Jessie. They travel there from the monastery in Paro, Bhutan. They live in exile in Nepal, Bhutan, and India due to the invasion of China. The monk Champa shared his dream. In the dream, a very beautiful place appeared. There was a hill where Lama Dorje was situated. When they arrived at the address with the hill, they found Jessie’s house. It was on the hill he had dreamed of so many times.

The monks told the parents everything that had happened. The parents were stunned. They couldn’t believe that their son could be the reincarnation of Lama Dorje. Lama Norbu gifts Jessie the book of Buddha, which has several scenes recounting his life. When a business partner of Jessie’s father dies, he becomes deeply affected and starts changing his opinion about Buddhism. The monks tell the family that they need to go to Nepal because there are more candidates to be Lama Dorje. Jessie’s father decides to go to Bhutan. He believes that if there are more candidates, it is possible that Jessie is not the reincarnation of Lama Dorje.

Jessie and his father travel to Bhutan, but his mother cannot go. Once there, Jessie meets Rayu and a very kind Indian girl (Gipta), who are also candidates to be reincarnations. After undergoing several tests, Lama Norbu becomes increasingly convinced that the three children are connected to Lama Dorje. Jessie represents the mind. Rayu represents the body. The Indian girl (Gipta) represents speech or spirit.

After meditating for several days, Lama Norbu dies. His ashes are distributed among the three children to be scattered. Each child scatters the ashes in their place of origin in different ways: into water, air, and earth. In the end, the children return to their homes. Jessie returns to Seattle with his father, and they reunite with his mother, who is expecting a baby.

Filming

The film features three Tibetan lamas, also known as tulkus or rinpoche. Bertolucci stated that “he wanted something real.” The venerable Khyongla Rato Rinpoche plays the role of the abbot of the monastery in Bhutan. Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche appears near the end of the film. This occurs when Lama Norbu is shown meditating through the night. He also acts as a consultant, supervising every gesture and ritual performed by the Tibetan monks. Sogyal Rinpoche appears in earlier segments as Khenpo Tenzin. In a later documentary about Khyentse Rinpoche titled Words of My Perfect Teacher, the film analyzes his role. It also includes a brief interview with Bertolucci.

The flashback scenes of Buddha in Little Buddha were filmed in 65 mm Todd-AO by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. The rest of the film was shot in Technovision anamorphic 35 mm.

Jeremy Thomas later recalled making the film:

I was interested in the story of Siddhartha and what Tibetan Buddhism meant in Western society after the expulsion from Tibet. It was a very ambitious film, largely shot in Kathmandu and Bhutan. It was a pleasure to film in Bhutan… But, as with many things when looking back, trying to promote a film about Buddhism as an epic is perhaps a difficult task.

Thomas bonded with the Bhutanese Tibetan Buddhist Lama Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche. Lama Dzongsar was an advisor for the film. He later helped Thomas make other films like The Cup (1999) and Travelers and Magicians (2003).

In addition to Kathmandu, another notable location used in the film was the Nepalese city of Bhaktapur.

Soundtrack

The film’s soundtrack was entirely composed by Japanese pianist and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Premiere and Reception

The film had its world premiere in France on December 1, 1993. It received mixed to positive reviews. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes currently gives it a 65% approval rating. This is based on 26 reviews. The average rating is 5.9/10. The site’s critics’ consensus reads: “The narrative of Little Buddha may be too childlike to serve its bold premise better, but the direction of Bernardo Bertolucci and cinematography of Vittorio Storaro conspire to offer a visually strong epic.”

The film grossed $48 million worldwide, with a production cost of $30 million.

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