Little Buddha

1993

Action / Drama

29
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 53% · 27 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 53% · 10K ratings
IMDb Rating 6.2/10 10 19071 19.1K

buddhist tibet reincarnation buddha siddhartha enlightenment

Plot summary

After the death of Lama Dorje, Tibetan Buddhist monks find three children — one American and two Nepalese — who may be the rebirth of their great teacher.

Director

Bernardo Bertolucci Photo
Bernardo Bertolucci

Top cast

Keanu Reeves Photo
Keanu Reeves as Siddhartha
Surekha Sikri Photo
Surekha Sikri as Sonali
Kiran Rao Photo
Kiran Rao as Passenger
Sadiya Siddiqui Photo
Sadiya Siddiqui as Temptation Girl
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
929.37 MB
1280*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
2 hr 3 min
Seeds 3
2.05 GB
1920*1080
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
2 hr 3 min
Seeds 22

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by gjlmovie4711 7 / 10

Buddha like you never saw him before

There can be no doubt that Bertolucci made a beautiful and very stylistic portrayal of Siddartha (yes, Keanu does and looks very well in this part). There can be doubt though if these mystical and captivating scenes that play in the ancient (not necessarily historical!) India and the Far Orient are succesfully intermingled with the present day search for a reincarnated soul. I have seen the film several times and I am still not sure. Would this film have been better if it had only focused on the life and times of Siddartha / Buddha? Or would this just have made the film look "easier"? Present and past, reality and legend, magical scenery and modern city life continuously interchange. Each time the film shifted from Siddartha's "world" to Seattle I felt a little sorry. I wanted more and more of these silent, magic world. Bertolucci keeps us awake by going the other way. The things Siddartha learned can be applied, by us, the viewers, in what happens next. Let's just say Bertolucci's choice for dialectic film making was the right one. Final remark: the video / DVD cover is absolutely ridiculous. Surely the film company also wanted to attract young female Keanu fans by portraying him in a slightly romantic, counteropposing posture to Bridget Fonda. The two never meet in the film at all!
Reviewed by kosmasp 7 / 10

Different Buddhas

I don't know if this movie could be made like this nowadays. I had forgotten about the movie alltogether but even more so that Keanu Reeves was in it. And in a role that many nowadays would call culturally inappropriate. Now I am not saying I belong to one of those people, I was still surprised to see him play the character he did. He also did a decent job by the way. Even if at times the "Whoa Dude" seemed to shine through (especially when he realized certain things) - well he can't help himself.That aside the movie moves along nicely but also in a slow pace. I am not sure if those already in the know when it comes to Buddhism will enjoy this - or if those not into it will enjoy it at all. You should not be totally against it, that is for sure. Or even hate it (though I wouldn't know why that would be the case). A nice overall movie/drama, with some really good performances and some insight into a religion and beliefs you may not have been aware of before ... not to that degree at least.
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