Zen (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Japan Version) DVD Region 2
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Customer Review of "Zen (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Japan Version)"
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Kevin Kennedy
See all my reviews
August 26, 2009
See all my reviews
August 26, 2009
Attractive biopic of Zen master
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"Zen" tells the story of Buddhist monk Dogen (Nakamura Kantaro), credited in the film with bringing Zen Buddhism to Japan. Nakamuro does a remarkable job of depicting the kind-hearted and pious monk from callow youth to aged ascetic. The movie's first half is a bit of a slog. Its story is too unnuanced and it is saddled by too many Japanese actors pretending to be Chinese while speaking absolutely atrocious putonghua. Couldn't they find any Chinese actors to cast in those roles? The second half is much more interesting and compelling, as it grapples with a prostitute (Uchida Yuki) who wishes to leave her old life behind and become a nun, a fledgling monk (Kora Kengo) tested by his physical attraction to the prostitute, and Dogen's attempt to counsel the regent (Fujiwara Tatsuya) to the shogun who, as a consequence of his grasping at the reins of power, suffers from horrifying delusions. The film is beautifully lensed and somehow manages to lend drama to scenes of monks simply sitting and meditating. It certainly succeeds at demonstrating the power and attraction of intense Zen meditation, although the nature of the enlightenment said to be obtained through that process remained elusive. As a Christian, I found it interesting to see some parallels between Zen philosophy and Christ's teaching, while at the same time I found Zen's intense inward focus disturbing. As both an attractively filmed and well-acted life story and as an introduction to Zen Buddhism, I can recommend "Zen". |
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United States - English