Samsara
by Pan Nalin
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Actor: Christy Chung, Shawn KuDirector: Pan Nalin
Audio: English (Subtitled); Tibetan (Original Language)
DVD Reviews of Samsara
DVD Review: Modern problems in an ancient country
Summary: 5 Stars
Himalaya is a perfect set for every movie. The landscapes, the colours, probably due to the rarefied atmosphere, the costumes and the intriguing faces of these people are worth alone a whole film. Samsara is a European-Asian co-production that has come out in 2005, with a good success especially in Europe. It is the story of a monk, Lashi, that after recovering from a state of meditation that lasted three years, three months and three days, finds himself attracted/distracted by human (sexual) stimuli. He first attempts to put his instincts in a religious perspective, meditating on the similarity between sex and death, but then gives up and goes back or better goes into the world, since he had entered the monastery at five years of age. In the village closest to his monastery he is attracted to a beautiful young girl, Pema, that reciprocates his passion. Pema and Lashi get married and have a child and Lashi works with his father in law and fights against a tyrannical and dishonest grain intermediary, contesting long lasting traditions and habits of the village. He shows his bravery by going to town to sell on his own the wheat, defends his land from a fire, and also gets beaten up by the intermediaries guards. Life goes on and Lashi finds himself attracted by a beutiful and saucy Indian girl and has an intercourse with her. This experience deeply disturbs him and makes him reflect on the sense of desire. He is again attracted by monastic life and prepares himself to give up his family life. He identifies himself with Siddharta and finds no guilt in leaving his wife and son. But at this point the story comes to its climax, because the gentle, patient, witty, intelligent Pema rebels and shows all her rage at being abandoned.
The films message is in its way revolutionary, the traditional buddhist way of life is questioned and contested. A woman discusses the belief that personal salvation and personal well being are the ultimate goal of the existence. Pema doesn't say it the way an occidental woman would but she clearly states that a family is a responsibility and there is a price to pay for sexual satisfaction, a family life and children.
I found this movie very interesting because in a rural society, with ancient ways and in the complete respect of tradition a woman makes herself heard. This is not a feminist work, far from it, but it is modern and true and very up to date because in many circumstances it is evident that personal satisfaction seems to be the only driving force in many kinds of society. Also the return towards religiosity that we are assisting to must not be at the price of family and child neglect.
The contrast between the ways of life and the moral of the story is striking and genial.
The picture is a little slow going in the first part, but the simple observation of the the costumes and colors is of the greatest satisfaction. The story differently from "Himalaya" is not out of time, because we see the town, the cars, the multiethnic society (the Indian girl, the Chinese intermediary)and this helps to contextualize. The country we see is Laddak which is probably the closest remaining to a pre-Chinese Himalayan society.
Backround music, especially the woman chants, are fantastic and give an added value to the picture.
The actors are perfect and the inexpressive face of Lashi really explains us his character. Pema is beautiful and very convincing from her first moments of passion to the battling conclusion.
I highly recommend this movie to all "himalayanophilies" like me but also to anyone interested in a beautiful and deep reflection on "self" and family.
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