Kundun

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Kundun

PG-13

Released Dec 6, 1997

2h 14m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

75%

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63 Reviews

78%

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10,000+ Ratings

In 1937, a two-and-a-half year old boy from a simple family in Tibet was recognized as the 14th reincarnation of the Buddha of Compassion, and destined to become the spiritual and political leader of his people. Director Martin Scorsese brings to the screen the true story of the Dalai Lama. Told through the eyes of His Holiness, Kundun brings to life the account of the Dalai Lama's early life, from childhood through the Chinese invasion of Tibet and his journey into exile.

Critics Consensus

Hallucinatory but lacking in characterization, Kundun is a young Dalai Lama portrait presented as a feast of sight and sound.

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Mike Clark

USA Today

The film is, in many ways, a remarkable achievement but also a singularly undynamic entry in the director's canon.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 9, 2018

Full Review

Jason Bailey

Vice

It's not exactly 'Goodfellas.' But it's not every filmmaker who can create works as divergent as 'Goodfellas' and 'Kundun,' either.

Dec 15, 2017

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David Edelstein

Slate

The music ties together all the pretty pictures, gives the narrative some momentum, and helps to induce a kind of alert detachment, so that you're neither especially interested nor especially bored.

Feb 1, 2010

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Julian Singleton

Cinapse

It’s fascinating to see how Scorsese explores the Dalai Lama’s faith...reckoning his steadfast belief in non-violence with the encroaching non-religious, unapologetically brutal forces that approach Tibet in the wake of World War II.

Jul 12, 2025

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Mesmerizing as visual pageantry but anemic when it comes to allowing access to this man or his religion.

Rated: 2.5/4

Nov 10, 2019

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Pico Iyer

The New York Review of Books

The effect is to make one feel as if one is seeing Tibet's recent history through the Dalai Lama's eyes.

Aug 17, 2018

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thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/11/25

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Goose R

Biopic of the 14th Dalai Lama from his a little boy up to his exile to India. Pretty interesting but the film does not explain a lot of the customs that are portrayed on the film. Still pretty interesting story 🍿🍿🍿🍿/5 on YouTube

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/20/25

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Antonella P

A beautiful, somber meditation on impermanence, the inexorability of change, and the disruptive effects of the violence of material power against spiritual wisdom. Kundun follows the 14th Dalai Lama from his childhood to his escape to India in 1959.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/23/24

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Ewa K

An overlooked movie that time has left behind. China wants you to forget about it. Do not help China to reach there goal. Watch it!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/24

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Alec B

Unfairly regarded as "Lesser Scorsese" as I think people generally missed the point of the movie. It's not really an examination of Buddhism or Tibetan culture but rather an attempt to place the audience directly in the shoes of the Dalai Lama. In a way it's sort of a spiritual sequel to Scorsese's adaption of "The Last Temptation of Christ", by asking what is truly the role of being not just a spiritual leader but a Holy Man in a world filled with doubt, hypocrisy, and complexity.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/09/24

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steve d

You have seen it all before.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Synopsis

In 1937, a two-and-a-half year old boy from a simple family in Tibet was recognized as the 14th reincarnation of the Buddha of Compassion, and destined to become the spiritual and political leader of his people. Director Martin Scorsese brings to the screen the true story of the Dalai Lama. Told through the eyes of His Holiness, Kundun brings to life the account of the Dalai Lama's early life, from childhood through the Chinese invasion of Tibet and his journey into exile.

Director: Martin Scorsese
Producer: Barbara De Fina
Screenwriter: Melissa Mathison
Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
Production Co: Refuge Productions Inc., Touchstone Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, De Fina-Cappa
Rating: PG-13 (Violent Images)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 6, 1997, Wide
Release Date (DVD): Oct 13, 1998
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.7M
Runtime: 2h 14m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, SDDS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)