Little Buddha (1993)

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci

Starring: Ying Ruocheng, Alex Wiesendanger, Keanu Reeves, Chris Isaac

Primary genre: Drama

Bernardo Bertolucci is a filmmaker who has been following his own impulses and artistic integrity without a care in the world. A renowned (and Oscar winning) director, he always spoke through a unique cinematic voice whether you liked it or not. Described occasionally as uneven, he swings from masterpieces to misconceived outputs that nonetheless lack the traditional filter of US cinema sensibilities.

A shame then as “Little Buddha”, the last of his “oriental” trilogy although is well intended, suffers from an unfocused storytelling that seeks to appeal predominantly towards the US audiences’ views and perception of what Buddhism is through a blond, blue eyed stereotypically looking (cinema wise) American avatar as the reincarnation of a great monk. With a foot already inside the mythological dilation of Prince Siddhartha’s story (basically Buddhism for dummies), the script hones a superficial exploration of the Tibetan culture through constant exposition for the American boy and his (unnecessary in the proceedings) father (played by a miscast Chris Isaac).

While Bertolucci’s effort to highlight some aspects of Buddhism is honorable, his camera fascinated by its mystical qualities and the inspiring locations of Nepal, the story quickly loses any steam. Alternating between an imaginary tale coming to life and a banal exhibition of reincarnation, we do not know much about Jesse. And in the opportunistic moment in which things seem to be delving deeper into this complex and simultaneously simple society, the script bypasses potential factors of discussion by introducing two more backstory-less candidates out of thin air.

The posters and title are definitely misleading hinting that a reincarnation of a great Buddhist teacher is found on the face of a boy in Seattle under privileged parents who although initially are reluctant about this type of “news” by a group of elder strangers, they embrace it as a catalyst for their own life and meaning but in the grand scheme of things, this matters for a few scenes only. As the film relocates to Nepal, at least we are presented with some sort of clues towards the Tibetan way of life through an authentic costume and production design and Bertolucci should be applauded for placing his cast in locations around the Kathmandu valley, the city of Bhaktapur and Bhutan.

Yet, it all feels very simplistic. Bertolucci is at his best in the flashback sequences that reveal Siddhartha’s early days, assisted by Vittorio Storaro’s (e.g., “Apocalypse Now” (1978)) cinematography. In a casting decision that could cause Twitter “noobs“ to lose their marbles, Keanu Reeves is surprisingly ok as the dumbfounded prince; the long hair and make up give him a mystical presence complementing the actor’s unique looks. Yet such a role would have benefitted from meat-ier moments to establish the conflict, pathos and finally the enlightenment of his character while most of the film’s action comes from Ying Ruocheng’s calm and warm-hearted monk who is tasked to find his old teacher but he also does not have much to work with besides providing constant interpretations and explanations for the uninitiated.

“Little Buddha” bears some sort of ambition but is nowhere near the scale of “The Last Emperor” (1987) lacking real thematic substance. It does not carry ill will towards its subject matter and such an attempt for the early 90s might have offered some sort of information path. However, these days is seen as a watered down version of intriguing aspects that deserve a far better story. And considering that one year prior, a far cheaper and infinitely more intriguing study of religion came in the form of “Baraka” (1992), “Little Buddha” feels like a toddler’s fairytale.

Well intended but devoid of substance

+Real locations are a must

+Keanu Reeves as Siddhartha

+Storaro’s cinematography

+Ruocheng brings warmth to his role

+Intriguing concepts

-That have no exploration

-Misleading title and poster

-Simplistic presentation of Buddhism

-Unfocused script