Samsara (2002)

Samsara, written and directed by Pan Nalin, and released 2001, starts off with a young boy watching a herd of sheep when an eagle comes by and drops a rock on one of the cattle, killing it. With such a weird beginning, it is assumed that the main story line will follow the same suit, where in reality the whole movie is easy to follow and is actually quite pleasurable to watch as a whole. Of course, the little boy at the beginning, we discover to be the main character of the film whose name is Tashi. Tashi, starting at the age of five spends his entire early years in the presence of other Buddhist monks and learning their way of life. Eventually living the life of monks, although filled with exciting adventures like helping a man who has been meditating for a little over three years, takes a toll that is too big on Tashi and he is sent out into the world to experience the life that he dreams about having. Although the dreams that fill Tashi head are overexerted and idealistic he is convinced that they are real and to the viewer's amazement Tashi finds himself a perfect girl, perfect career, and all the money he could ever ask for. However, what goes around comes around, eventually, and Tashi's life begins to fall apart starting with the burning of half of his crop the next year. Soon after he falls for another woman, this time choosing a poor Indian girl, Tashi eventually discovers that the correct place to be the entire time is away from love, lust, and riches and decides to head back to the ministry he originated from to find the true life he has been missing the entire time. Overall, the best part of Samsara is the idea that to discover true enlightenment and direction a person must delve into the culture that is all around him and through that he/she will be made new, and open their eyes to the true meaning and way of life. Though even if one's personal opinion differs from that ideology, Samsara is a great movie to watch simply to increase one's knowledge of Buddhist culture and delve into new ideas of how to be a better and smarter human being.

A monk decides to leave the ashram to try live in the world as Buddha did before the age of 29, when he left his home and family and went into the world. He falls in love, marries, has a child, works hard for survival and encounters all the usual human hardships. Then, he decides to leave his family and come back to the ashram.This movie is perfect. It tells the story of eternal battle within human soul. Few lines and not one line out of place. Beautiful all the way. Music, cinematography, acting, script, directing... all perfect. One of the best movies I ever seen. It puts Hollywood to shame.

I loved everything about this movie, the story, the acting, the scenery and the love scenes. The raw passion that Tashi's character exudes throughout the movie and the tenderness that is Pema's character moved me.The ending was one of the best I've seen in any movie. The poignant and piercing questions that Pema asks reminded me of a monologue from a Indian art-house film from the eighties called "Nikaah". The monologue (at the start of the movie) so eloquently spells out the plight of women throughout history.The scene where the Sujatha lures Tashi, stands out in my mind as being very very sexy.

'Samsara' tells the story of Tashi, a young Tibetan Buddhist monk, who renounces monastic life in favour of a relationship with a beautiful young woman named Pema. Together they have a child and as the story unfolds Tashi's life in the material world becomes increasingly complex and difficult.The movie successfully captures the difference between the contemplative life of a Buddhist monk, and the worldly life of a husband. This is most clearly shown in the stark contrast between the opening sequence of the movie, where Tashi is in a long meditation retreat, and the sensual sex scenes later on.The majestic landscapes of Ladakh, one of India's most remote regions, provide a pristine Himalayan backdrop. And the original soundtrack and chanting is haunting at times.The movie has English sub-titles and moves along quite slowly with limited dialogue and many pregnant pauses. This may be disconcerting for some viewers, but to me this reflective mood seemed appropriate for the subject-matter.'Samsara' could be said to build on the groundwork provided by popular movies such as 'Seven Years in Tibet' and 'Kundun', to provide a more authentic and detailed portrayal of the vicissitudes of life and culture in central Asia. (If you enjoy 'Samsara' you may also like 'The Cup'.) This award-winning movie can only enhance a growing interest in Tibetan Buddhism in the West.