Pluskylang Great Film overall

Senteur As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

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

Donald Seymour This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

John Foster 'Samsara' tells the story of Tashi, a young Tibetan Buddhist monk, who renounces monastic life in favour of a relationship with a beautiful young woman named Pema. Together they have a child and as the story unfolds Tashi's life in the material world becomes increasingly complex and difficult.The movie successfully captures the difference between the contemplative life of a Buddhist monk, and the worldly life of a husband. This is most clearly shown in the stark contrast between the opening sequence of the movie, where Tashi is in a long meditation retreat, and the sensual sex scenes later on.The majestic landscapes of Ladakh, one of India's most remote regions, provide a pristine Himalayan backdrop. And the original soundtrack and chanting is haunting at times.The movie has English sub-titles and moves along quite slowly with limited dialogue and many pregnant pauses. This may be disconcerting for some viewers, but to me this reflective mood seemed appropriate for the subject-matter.'Samsara' could be said to build on the groundwork provided by popular movies such as 'Seven Years in Tibet' and 'Kundun', to provide a more authentic and detailed portrayal of the vicissitudes of life and culture in central Asia. (If you enjoy 'Samsara' you may also like 'The Cup'.) This award-winning movie can only enhance a growing interest in Tibetan Buddhism in the West.

sitisapura Samsara is not your usual show. I will not attempt to tell the story here as many others have. But certainly, this is one movie that you need to have the time to calm down (perhaps in the quiet of the night) and watch it by yourself. It's not about emotions, it's not about the scandals and certainly not the sex scenes either. It's all about life, from a monk's view) and this show pulls it off well. Some parts get a bit slow but if you enjoy majestic splendour in the vastness of the mountainous regions of the Himalayas, this is one show you will enjoy. A little knowledge about the life of a Buddhist monk will help but it's not necessary. It may launch you to read all about it. Samsara is not just worth watching, it's just worth buying and leaving it on your video collection shelf for it talks about our inner selves, and attempts an answer at it. Leave your ego and personal philosophy about life outside your body when you hit that "Play" button on the videotape or DVD.

s_warissara I found this movie, a very interesting and meaningful. There were not more than 100 words went on in this movie but the picture itself, gave the viewer many things to think about. What Tashi really did was reversing the Buddha path. Buddha was the one normal human being before he realize the need to discover what life is all about, what he discovered was suffering in living one life. He tried to find the ways to settle with all the suffering, not by avoiding but realize that there are suffering and and he faced it in the noble way.Tashi, however, live his life in the monastery, believe in something he was told to believe not something that he discovered himself. Every human has the feeling of sexual awakening at one point of time, what Tashi did was that he quit the monk-hood, partly because the guiltiness of having such feeling but at the same time desire to discovered the reality for himself. HE entered into the life and began to discover with all the truth in the world, full with desire, anger, jealously, deception etc. but at the same time he discover love, caring, warmth, and happiness. The decision he chose, for me, he was running away from suffering by going back to peace and serenity of being monastery. What he did was not totally right or totally wrong but it does suggesting something. HE is avoiding all the desire that always backfire him throughout the movie. Pema came to him and enlighten him with her thought. Enlightenment does not mean that you have to quit all the normal life and being alone in the temple to cut all the desires. Maybe what make you enlightened is the fact that you stay in life and faced the suffering in the acceptable noble ways. Maybe it is satisfy most of the need but at the same time conquer your own self.

dennisyoon I was directed to this film after reading a review of "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring Again", directed by Ki Duk Kim which is highly recommended as well. The love scenes in Samsara are gorgeous to behold and the female love/sex interests are very seductive. Monk Tashi is very well portrayed as so human and fallible as he leaves the monastery to pursue sex or worldly life. He was raised in the monastery so as his sexuality awakened he had to find out for himself. He rationalized that even Buddha was married before he was enlightened and so Tashi felt he should be able to know this too before he devoted himself to monkhood. Little does he know what is in store for this desire he has to experience...The tale is more of the excursion of a Monk and his experience of marriage, sex and emotions that arise than of his enlightenment. He found out what he had to know and paid the price. The film is lush with Tibetan style dress, architecture and landscapes. The love scenes are a treat for the eyes and the lead actors are very convincing yet more subtle than raw.Check out "Kundun" and "Razor's Edge"(Bill Murray)and "Master of Zen" as well if you are interested in drama as well as spirituality.