O Buda

This documentary was quite light on information and expertise - one of the main speakers had a byline that just said 'poet' - but I guess this is meant as a first introduction to Buddhism so that is understandable.

On the other hand, the visual background consists of beautiful art and well chosen images that made this an enjoyable watch even if the viewer doesn't learn very much.

This is a well-designed and paced documentary on the life of the Buddha (I have read a few and this is a great synopsis.) It is presented through soundbites from artists, poets, monks, and others. We also get the stories augmented with drawings or watercolors. The narration is by Richard Gere. This is a short review but it is not easy to include the details of the presentation without giving a presentation. Besides the different insights into Buddhism, the thing that I took away was the different locations where Buda was born, died, and received enlightenment.

I only saw the Blu-ray version so I cannot compare. However, there is a small documentary on the making of the documentary. You will need to rewatch the presentation as it is packed with information and ideas that do not give you too much time to think in-between.

This is a beautiful and poetic production covering who the Buddha was and why we should care. In particular, I love the tone of this documentary, which avoids the flash and quick pacing of so many productions and instead opts for the qualities that may be ascribed to the Buddha himself.

I just finished watching the movie titled "The Buddha" a two hour documentary about the life of Siddhartha Gautama who was also known as The Buddha. To be honest, this movie really didn't appeal to me whatsoever, and I found myself falling asleep at parts. I would suggest this movie to people who really want to learn more about Buddhism in depth, for someone like me who just needs the basics this was a little too much. It didn't go into extreme depth but it just took a long time to say the basic fundamentals of the Buddhist teachings and the Buddha's life. However, the artistic style of the movie was quite interesting and very well done. It was told a lot in paintings, and the music in the background really fit the mood of the movie. There were also multiple interviews with different people including the Dalai Lama which made the movie slightly more engaging. I didn't feel like the movie was really trying to force the Buddhism beliefs on you which I really liked, because I find that sometimes movies like this will try and do that. It wasn't an awful movie, and I really appreciated the artistic side of it, but I won't be watching it again.

Just as the core of Buddhism is centered on very simple principals,this documentary attempts to convey the life of the founder of this mindset,way of life;(religion)in an unobtrusive way, much as the man himself may have wanted it portrayed, I should think.

The story is portrayed simply as a fable, but since it is about a real man with real ideas that have helped billions, it is treated with dignity and restraint because of the sensitive nature of modern society when it comes to the nature of our existence,and personal religious beliefs.

The glowing faces and tone of the monks and HHS Dalai Lama are vivid reminders of a simple monk with a simple recipe for a higher existence on this earth that is still available for all.