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Little Buddha is a 1993 drama film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, written by Rudy Wurlitzer and Mark Peploe, and produced by usual Bertolucci collaborator Jeremy Thomas. An international co-production of Italy, France and the United Kingdom, the film stars Chris Isaak, Bridget Fonda and Keanu Reeves as Prince Siddhartha (the Buddha before his enlightenment).
Jesse is fascinated with the monks and their way of life, but his parents, Dean and Lisa, are wary, and that wariness turns into near-hostility when Norbu announces that he wants to take Jesse back with him to Bhutan to be tested. Dean changes his mind, however, when one of his close friends and colleagues commits suicide because he went broke. Dean then decides to travel to Bhutan with Jesse. In Nepal, two children who are also candidates for the rebirth are encountered, Raju and Gita.
In Lumbini, Nepal, a prince called Gautama Buddha turns his back on his comfortable and protected life, and sets out on a journey to solve the problem of universal suffering. As he progresses, he learns profound truths about the nature of life, consciousness, and reality. Ultimately, he battles Mara (a demon representing the ego), who repeatedly tries to divert and destroy Siddhartha. Through the final complete realization of the illusory nature of his own ego, Siddhartha attains enlightenment and becomes the Buddha.
Sometime later, it is found that all three children are rebirths of Lama Dorje, separate manifestations of his body (Raju), speech (Gita), and mind (Jesse). A ceremony is held and Jesse's father also learns some of the essential truths of Buddhism. His work finished, Lama Norbu enters a deep state of meditation and dies. As the funeral ceremony begins, Lama Norbu speaks to the children, seemingly from a higher plane, telling them to have compassion; the children are then seen distributing his ashes.
In a post-credits scene, the sand mandala that was seen being constructed during the movie is destroyed with a stroke.
Jeremy Thomas later remembered making the film:
Thomas formed a bond with the Bhutanese Tibetan Buddhist Lama Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche who was an advisor on the film, and went on to help him make several other films such as The Cup (1999) and Travelers and Magicians (2003).
In addition to Kathmandu, other prominent Nepalese locations used in the film are the cities of Bhaktapur and Patan. Some scenes were filmed in and around Rinpung Dzong.
Roger Ebert gave the film only two stars, and called it "a slow-moving and pointless exercise by Bertolucci, whose The Last Emperor was a much superior telling of a similar story about a child who is chosen for great things."
Desson Howe of The Washington Post called the film "beguiling and unpretentious", adding that "Bertolucci intermixes high art with childlike wonder, blatant special effects with tacit spirituality."
Janet Maslin wrote in The New York Times:
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the film was entirely composed by Japanese pianist/composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.
One of the themes Sakamoto had composed for the film was refused by the director and became the title track of the 1994 album Sweet Revenge, a facetious allusion to Bertolucci's decision.
Release
The film had its world premiere in France on 1 December 1993, opening on 187 screens.
Reception
Critical reception
The film received mixed to positive reviews. It currently holds a 63% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 27 reviews with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads: " Little Buddhas storytelling may be too childlike to best service its audacious plot, but Bernardo Bertolucci's direction and Vittorio Storaro's cinematography conspire to deliver a visually strong epic."
Box office
The film was very successful in France, where it was the 19th highest-grossing film of the year, with 1,359,483 admissions. In its opening week in France, it sold 308,660 tickets for a gross of $1.52 million. The film opened on 6 screens in the United Kingdom and grossed £39,066 in its opening weekend. The film, against competition from such films as The Flintstones and Maverick, opened at number nine at the US box office. It dropped out of the top ten the next week, closing on June 16, 1994 at number 13, with a total of $4.8 million. It grossed $48 million worldwide against its $30 million budget.
Awards and nominations
The film was nominated for one Razzie Award, Worst New Star for Chris Isaak.
Year-end lists
See also
External links
Categories: Films Directed By Bernardo Bertolucci, Films About Buddhism, Films About Gautama Buddha, Metaphysical Fiction Films, English-language Italian Films, English-language French Films, Tibetan Buddhist Art And Culture, Films Set In Seattle, Films Set In Bhutan, Films Set In India, Films Set In Nepal, Films Shot In Nepal, 1994 Drama Films, Ryuichi Sakamoto Albums, American Drama Films, Fictional Buddhist Monks, Films Shot In Washington, Films Produced By Jeremy Thomas, Films Scored By Ryuichi Sakamoto, Albums Produced By Ryuichi Sakamoto, 1990s English-language Films, 1993 American Films, 1993 Films, Films With Screenplays By Bernardo Bertolucci, Miramax Films, Films With Screenplays By Mark Peploe, English-language Drama Films
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