Zen

I just finished watching this movie at the UW screening before it is released nationwide. I have to say that I am deeply moved by it despite the fact that some of the Chinese characters are played by Japanese.There are several scenes that are so captivating, leaving my heart filled with excitement, joy and at the same time sorrow. The last few scenes really made this movie stand out. I especially enjoyed the little girl's explanation of what she is doing and how this is reflected in the Buddha in her heart. I believe that the Buddha in everyone's mind might be different from one another. The pursuit of the truth, tranquility and beauty might take different pathways. But what this movie reveals is the eternal power of what a man can achieve and what a man should give up. I strongly recommend this movie to anyone who is interested in some of the concepts conveyed so beautifully and profoundly.

From my experience movies on the lives of spiritual masters, saints etc. tend to be dry with poor actors, dull photography and boring scores. This is clearly an exception to the rule. Yes you do need to be a little interested in the topic and it certainly helps to have a little Zen background to really appreciate it in it's entirety. That said I'm pretty sure that any true movie lover will thoroughly appreciate the breathtaking scenery, exquisite photography and acting. The main actor who plays Master Dogen is truly amazing. I don't think it's simple task to portray the life of a spiritual master with such power and realism (starting from early monk-hood all the way to enlightenment). The story itself is quite fascinating and could even serve as an introduction to Zen and the concept of enlightenment. Nine out of Zen stars :)

The story is about the life and times of the great (perhaps the greatest) zen monk in Japanese history: Dogen.

Dogen's origin is not well known, but what he's become in his later life is part of the Japanese history and culture. The movie is an attempt to portray his life. I'm not sure how much of this story is based on fact. Dogen is the founder of Japanese Soto zen sect which he brought back from China. None of these background information are elaborated in this movie which I think makes this movie miss its point.

It's based on a biographical novel of Dogen by Tetsuo Ootani who himself is a Soto zen monk. I don't know anything about the novel, but since it's supposed to be the life story of Dogen, I believe this movie should reflect that also. However, perhaps the producers have bit off more than they can chew because I find this movie very incomplete whether looking from Buddhistic point of view, or biographic point of view.

How did Dogen arrive at his view of zen Buddhism should at least be highlighted, but none of that is shown in this movie. I believe that the producers didn't know anything about the subject that they were putting on the big screen. It shows on the choppy way the story advances.

The producers, and also the actors were not the caliber that could describe a story of this magnitude.

Good attempt but fail of a production from the aforementioned reasons.

There is something completely and blatantly wrong-headed about this film. That's the case with many religious films (and way more non-religious films than you'd ever think).

The whole story is about a chatty, bubbly monk who tries to get buddhism but constantly gets trolled by older monks who do anything but telling him what actual buddhism is supposed to look like.

Then a prostitute appears and is the new main character all of a sudden. She is nasty and petulant but also self-pitying and whiny and - more than anything - a woman, so she is the perfect victim and mc you'd emphasize with (for whatever reason).

The problem is not so much the conventional, boring cinematography or the below-average acting but the story and characterization in particular.

For some reason the female mc has to be a prostitute at all cost and her mistakes aren't reflected in the slightest. She's literally buying herself out of her "sin" with dirty money.

The films stance on prostitutes is genuinely patronizing and at the same time it falls into every possible cliche about the "holy prostitute" and generally seems to think of women as either holy or full of sin/dirty.

I strongly doubt that so called buddhists around the globe approve the films depiction of buddhism and I also doubt the directors/screenwriters credibility about depicting buddhism.

Being partially a biopic that barely conveys anything about the person except the generalized platitudes he lived by and after his death, you can still understand by the end that expecting something grandiose from a movie about Zazen would be a contradiction to the whole concept. So it goes: a rough chronology of how he brought his knowledge from China to Japan, mixed with morality tales, with some being straight up from Buddha lore itself. As for actually understanding the advantages that the act of sitting and thinking about nothing and sipping boiled water brings to one's existence, well, no comfort here. Being poor, miserable, or disenfranchised in the 13th century could drive a person anywhere to seek purpose.

The atmosphere is exceptional. You can really immerse yourself in Dogen's meditative perspective thanks to long contemplative scenes of essentially nothing but his surroundings. A lot of scenes of "unrealistic beauty" just add to how he sees the world on this path to enlightenment. The score is fantastic as well. Especially the ending track.

The supporting characters exist solely to provide a layman's viewpoint and range from mildly interesting to bland. With some truly awful scenes of physical acting that significantly take away from immersion in the supposed drama the movie tries to showcase.