grey1066

My actual rating of this film would be an 8 or perhaps 9 out of 10, but I gave it a 10 because I certainly feel it deserves better than it's current rating of 6. This is certainly not a film for everyone. As previous reviewers have noted, it has a very slow pace and it is not an action movie, but then it never claimed to be. Just because it is Asian does not mean it's going to have kung fu sequences.

This film is about a monk's journey. The why of the journey is really not the main focus, it's about the journey itself. It's about pilgrimage. One can learn about the historical Xuan Zang (and the subsequent fictionalized versions of his life) elsewhere. What this movie captures is more along the lines of films such as the 2006 Russian movie Ostrov (The Island). It is about the character's spiritual journey and the effects he has on those he encounters, as well as how his faith carries him through both hardships and triumphs.

Gorgeously filmed with a beautiful soundtrack, this is a quiet, reflective movie which will not appeal to everyone, and certainly not to people looking for anything fast-paced or action oriented.