Two and a half millennia ago, a new religion was born in northern India, generated from the ideas of a single man, the Buddha, a mysterious sage who famously gained enlightenment while sitting under a tree. This documentary tells the story of his life. These were questions which the Buddha asked, and which the film explores by giving an account of his spiritual journey. Directed by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin and narrated by Richard Gere. The documentary is woven through with animation and draws upon paintings and sculptures across 2 millennia by some of the world’s greatest.
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.