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Best Buddhist Movies

ImperishableNightImperishableNight
edited August 2011 in Arts & Writings
Are there any movies truly Buddhist in spirit? There are, and many! Here's my top 5 list.

1) Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring ( South Korea, 2003, Kim Ki Duk)
This one has it all. My #1 pick.

2) Zen ( Japan, 2009, Banmei Takahashi )
The story of perhaps the most important Buddhist in Japanese history, Dogen.

3) Samsara ( 2001, Pan Nalin )
Explores especially the concept of attachment and how it's linked to suffering. Highly recommended.

4) Amongst White Clouds ( documentary 2005 E.A. Burger )
Documentary about Chinese monks who decided to live a ascetic life completely cut off from society.

5) Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left For The East? ( South Korea, Yong-Kyun Bae 1989 )
This is not simply a "Movie with Buddhist ideas" but a truly Buddhist movie. You need patience with this one. If there was ever an opposite to a "popcorn flick", this is it. But highly rewarding experience

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Comments

  • genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
    I liked "The Cup."
  • MindGateMindGate United States Veteran
    Rubber.
  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    Not strictly a Buddhist film, but a good one none the less.... "Mind Walk", 1991
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    "Travelers and Magicians".
  • MindGateMindGate United States Veteran
    The whole Rubber thing was a joke, btw. :buck:
  • YishaiYishai Veteran
    The whole Rubber thing was a joke, btw. :buck:
    tires that can kill telepathically... Lol

  • StaticToyboxStaticToybox Veteran
    Out of those I've only seen 'Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East'. Need to rewatch it.
  • DaltheJigsawDaltheJigsaw Mountain View Veteran
    edited August 2011
    Are there any movies truly Buddhist in spirit? There are, and many! Here's my top 5 list.

    1) Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring ( South Korea, 2003, Kim Ki Duk)
    This one has it all. My #1 pick.

    2) Zen ( Japan, 2009, Banmei Takahashi )
    The story of perhaps the most important Buddhist in Japanese history, Dogen.

    3) Samsara ( 2001, Pan Nalin )
    Explores especially the concept of attachment and how it's linked to suffering. Highly recommended.

    4) Amongst White Clouds ( documentary 2005 E.A. Burger )
    Documentary about Chinese monks who decided to live a ascetic life completely cut off from society.

    5) Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left For The East? ( South Korea, Yong-Kyun Bae 1989 )
    This is not simply a "Movie with Buddhist ideas" but a truly Buddhist movie. You need patience with this one. If there was ever an opposite to a "popcorn flick", this is it. But highly rewarding experience

    Amazing!: 1) Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring ( South Korea, 2003, Kim Ki Duk)
    This one has it all. My #1 pick.
  • jupitermadcatjupitermadcat
    I liked Kudan.
  • zenmystezenmyste Veteran
    edited August 2011
    Little buddha - keanu reeves as buddha!!
    When I visited thailand last year, a monk told me to watch it.
    Good film!!
  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    Little Buddha is good, but kind of campy in places (the "historical" stuff).

    Seven Years in Tibet is also quite good.
  • RyuRyu
    Great thread! Thanks all for the recommendations, I'll need to look up some of these.
  • VincenziVincenzi Veteran
    Matrix! // half-serious
  • zenmystezenmyste Veteran
    Matrix! // half-serious
    ditto, Not half serious. FULL SERIOUS.
    its very very buddhist. Good shout vincenzi.
  • tammtamm
    Does "The Fountain" count? It has nuances in there...
  • YoungBuddhistYoungBuddhist
    Ninja Assassin...just kidding of course :) , but 'The Fountain' is a pretty good one, as tamm suggested
  • StaticToyboxStaticToybox Veteran
    Seven Years in Tibet is also quite good.
    I liked it a lot, and I realize that it's Hollywood, not history, but still I felt the filmmakers were a little unfair towards Ngawang Jigme. The movie paints him as a cowardly traitor only interested in his own advancement, but what I've read of the real man it seems like he earnestly tried to do what he could to benefit Tibet while appeasing the Chinese.
  • newtechnewtech Veteran
    I like pretty much every buddhist film iv watched..but still havent found a movie that shows the teachings in a profound way.

    I recommend "Un Buda" (2005) (argentinian) very good one.

  • rapidxrapidx
    "Fight Club" if I remember correctly has a lot of Buddhism references and ideals. But I can't talk about it :)
  • LesCLesC Bermuda Veteran
    The Buddha's Lost Children - Documentary About a Buddhist monk in the Golden Triangle who rescues children.

    http://www.buddhaslostchildren.com/

  • tjampeltjampel
    When I watched "Little Buddha" the scene I most remember was when Keanuu Reeves, as The Buddha was about to set off to live the life of a mendicant. His faithful servant and charioteer (Channa, I think) had just helped him escape from his father's palace and they embraced each other, tears flowing from poor Channa's eyes. It was at that moment that the audience in NYC burst into laughter. It was downhill from there, unfortunately.

    Spring, Summer, etc. was/is a great movie in every respect---we admire beings with great will, great determination, great faith.

    But my faves:

    American Beauty...the moment when Kevin Spacey watches the plastic bag floats around aimlessly in the air in front of him, caught by the currents in the wind, and he realizes a great truth of dependent origination...the absolute perfection and infinite depth of that moment.

    Black Orpheus...have a soft spot for those beings literally willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause, and...in the middle of Carneval, in Rio, to boot. The passion, the drama, the dark and powerful energy of the revelers (as it's portrayed by Marcel Camus, at least)

    Central Station...Kind of a remake of Black Orpheus only one which explores the very strange but ultimately heart-wrenching relationship between a woman and an orphan that she ends of essentially adopting; which is a truly amazing thing considering that her initial contact with the orphan was for the purposes of illicitly obtaining his organs as part of an organ-smuggling ring in Rio. She too must be willing to sacrifice her life for this boy.
  • tjampeltjampel
    Good strictly Buddhist movie---"The Unmistaken Child", a documentary about the search for the rebirth of a renown Tibetan yogi by his young attendant. It was really incredible to watch as the most promising candidate (age 3 or so) was led up to the place where his previous incarnation used to practice for 12 years or so ....a small hut in the mountains; he strode right in and sat down and announced that he knew this place and that the things in it were his, displaying perfect confidence. That moment was just priceless.
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