LITTLE BUDDHA
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1994 Michael John Legeros
Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci Written by Mark Peploe and Rudy Wurlitzer, based on a story by Bertolucci Cast Keanu Reeves, Chris Isaak, Bridget Fonda, Alex Wiesendanger, and Ying Ruocheng MPAA Rating PG Running Time 123 minutes
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"No room is empty, if your mind is full."
- Ruocheng to Fonda, upon entering
her character's spacious Seattle apartment.
LITTLE BUDDHA is a *great* chaser to the Summer Movie Memorial Day 500. Intriguing, entertaining, and ultimately relaxing, Bernardo Bertolucci's primer on Tibetian Buddhism tells the story of a 9 year-old-son Seattle son (Wiesendanger) who may bear the spirit of a great Tibetian lama.
When confronted by visiting Lama Norbu (Ruocheng), the parents (odd choices Fonda and Isaak) take the news surprisingly in stride. They allow their son to learn from the Lama, who tells the boy the storybook story of Prince Siddhartha (Reeves) and his search for enlightment in ancient Nepal. From this tale, the boy (and the audience) learns about the Buddist fundamentals of compassion, knowledge, and impermanence.
LITTLE BUDDHA is a two-tiered tale and both sides of the story are equally engaging. Fonda and Issak are both a bit stiff, but Wiesendanger is a find. His foil, best of the bunch Ying Ruocheng, is a calming presence if there ever was one. The gimme-a-break casting of Reeves is something to behold, though. Bronze, buffed, and beautiful, he makes a most excellent Enlightened Dude. Somehow, he works.
Of course, the *real* reason to watch this film is for Bertolucci's dynamic direction and Vittorio Storaro's prodigious photography. Together, they open the eyes as well as the mind. Best surprise: the multi-million dollar special-effects sequence of Reeves sitting under the spreading Bodhi tree.
There are a *couple* bumps on the road to enlightment. The plot is confusing now and zen, and the dialogue is often overpowered by the music. (Courtesy of Ryuichi Sakamoto, whose sweeping score, oddly, recalls the work of Vangelis in BLADE RUNNER.)
Grade: B+
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