Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

kmeruerto The film "Samsara" of 2001 is an Indian, French, German, Swiss and Italian film created by Pan Nalin. The deep meaning and the Buddhist teaching is illustrated in the plot. Director has made a really tough work to make the basic religious concepts understandable to a general audience. Thus, it is not surprising that this work has got an award at Melbourne International Film Festival, and attained a place in a top ten rating in France and Italy. However, there were lots of terminology and core concept that would not be understandable for people with no background in religion. Moreover, the use of Tibetan language of the movie without scoring also complicates the attempts to concentrate on a picture. Nevertheless, to the audience with an interest and knowledge in Buddhism this movie will present different ideas regarding the monastic life, female role in a Buddhist society, and the core concept itself. It was clear from the beginning that there will be the lessons on the core concept of the Four Noble Truth. Here, we can learn that the life is suffering and the supreme goal is to overcome our cravings and reach Nirvana. However, it would be unclear for the people with no any knowledge in Buddhist teachings, thus this movie will not catch their interest. Director uses such terminology as Four Noble Truth, Khenpo, difficult names that make this movie complicated, thus centralizing not the general audience but an audience with a specific background knowledge. But, as the plot is about a life of a monk who escaped monasticism and chooses the ordinary life, because he fell in love with a young girl Pema, at least it will make the audience to think generally of a purpose of their lives. Personally, I found this picture to be similar to the story of Siddhartha Gautama at the end when he left his family to achieve a supreme goal. However, in the end, Pema founded his husband leaving the family, and her words were very deep. She was telling the story of Buddha, but from the perspective of Yasodhara, Buddha's wife. She said that Yasodhara was very compassionate to the sick one long before Siddhartha got to know about cravings and gained enlightenment. Furthermore, she also was passionate when her husband left their home. Those characteristics also may be seen in the main character- Pema. She, as well, is honest and solicitous. And her words that the only man can leave a child in the middle of a night, but mother can't made me think more deeply on a nature of mothers and wives, and made think about their ability to gain eternal peace. Secondly, at the beginning the words of Tashi; how we know that we are doing right choosing renunciation without trying it? Maybe if we try, it will lead us to enlightenment? Was also an interesting question to discover. As Buddha, himself, turned to seek enlightenment after his 29 years of worldly living, we might think it is a very logical question. Maybe what he made step by step led him to gain great knowledge of our human being. That was also rational for the main character. Tashi left monasticism in order to discover that. He marries his beloved, they have a child and make their own agricultural business. Craving after craving faces Tashi. A desire of making more money, a desire of consumptive goods that he also introduces to his son (electronic toys), and desire of a woman. After he cheated on his wife and got the letter from his dead teacher he realizes that suffers more than ever. He now intends to get a satisfaction for thousands of desires, instead of conquering one. Additionally, I realized for myself that if human being does not try something prohibited, he wouldn't believe to words that it hurts: "fruit often tastes sweeter when it's prohibited." Pan Nalin has clearly shown the main idea of Buddhist teachings that the life is suffering and to overcome suffering we should eliminate cravings. The story of a monk who questioned the rightness of the monastic teachings shows us that renunciation is rational. It will save from craving, thus from suffering. The core concept of Four Noble Truth and its application in everyday life is clearly illustrated in this movie. The main character experienced incredible suffering after losing everything he achieved while being an ordinary farmer. He even suffered less while meditating continuously three years than after losing his family because of his own fancy.

mk-148 This movie is merely a postcard for the Himalaya. Ladakh is a beautiful place which is currently spoiled by tourism. This movie shows it as an exotic paradise for monks, but has nothing to do with any life on this earth. the seducing concept 'the monks who breaks his vow for the worldly life' sounds like an appealing advertisement concept, to please the western audience in search of some wise spiritual adventure... How can one base a movie, a 'story', to express a message. It's so obvious, and doesn't give any space to the audience ; perhaps the director thinks most of the people are dumb and need a lesson about life. When I see that, I'm just feeling insulted, and sad to see all this money spoiled... The director didn"t take act of the responsibility that he had by deciding to build up this exotic story which gives a wrong impression of what is buddhism, Ladakh and being a monk. If at least there was an artistic interest, a cinematic point of view, but here, nothing, no trace of cinema, only a photographed story... To give an example of a movie which a complete mind-blowing movie experience, I think the movie 'Why did Bodhidharma leave for the east ?" gives it with a huge respect to its audience.

nishant_r What appears to be a complex exploration of spirituality is to put it mildly - a lame, half-baked con-job. Mind you, the film has very strong production values, it is a well-crafted film - those alone account for my 2 stars. But the questions it tries to raise are childish and the film falls completely flat in the last hour - the filmmaker's intellectual laziness shows through as it descends to melodrama. Not that there is anything wrong with melodrama - but the film sets out on a completely different tone in the beginning. The characters are decidedly stereotypical and the stories and events are particularly predictable and boring. Frankly, the intellectual/spiritual legitimacy that such films get is unnerving.

yramesh 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.