---
title: "Kundun"
year: 1997
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/kundun"
fi1m_id: "kundun"
imdb_id: "tt0119485"
tmdb_id: 9746
wikidata_id: "Q944291"
fi1m_score: 73
critics_score: 59
critics_reviews: 10
published: "2026-09-26T02:54:12.371726+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-26T02:54:12.822540+00:00"
region: "FR"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Kundun (1997)

Directed by Martin Scorsese · 2h 14m · CNC 12 · Drama, History

## Identity

Kundun

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/kundun
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** kundun
- **IMDb ID:** tt0119485
- **TMDB ID:** 9746
- **Wikidata ID:** Q944291
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119485/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9746, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q944291

**Fi1m score: 73** · Critics 59 from 10 reviews

*In a sentence:* Philip Glass does quite a lot of the talking for the Dalai Lama

> Martin Scorsese’s *Kundun* is absorbing when it trusts pictures and music to convey the Dalai Lama’s unease. The dutiful dialogue and reverence can be tiring, but there is enough feeling here to reward patience.

## Synopsis

*Kundun* follows the Dalai Lama from early childhood, with Tenzin Yeshi Paichang playing him at two and Tulku Jamyang Kunga Tenzin at five. His mother (Tencho Gyalpo) and father (Tsewang Migyur Khangsar) place family life alongside the religious leadership that will define his adulthood. The story stays close to the child’s understanding, allowing political events to emerge through his limited view. Gyurme Tethong plays the Dalai Lama at twelve, before Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong takes the adult role in Martin Scorsese’s account of his formative years.

## Review

Martin Scorsese’s *Kundun* is worth seeing for the feeling it finds in a life its screenplay often treats too respectfully. It asks us to stay near the Dalai Lama’s understanding of events, accepting that much will remain beyond his knowledge and ours. That restricted view gives the historical drama a useful uncertainty, even if the dialogue seldom does. The film holds our attention most securely when its images suggest something its central figure cannot comfortably express.

Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong plays the adult Dalai Lama with a restraint that suits this approach. His composure allows us to watch without being told at every moment what he is thinking, and the performance benefits from that freedom. The difficulty comes when the writing relies on the actor to supply almost everything that might distinguish a person from a revered public figure. He remains an absorbing presence, though we sometimes want a less carefully protected acquaintance with him.

The dream passages give Roger Deakins’s cinematography a purpose beyond making the film handsome: they allow anxiety to disturb its otherwise respectful account. Dante Ferretti’s production design rewards attention, with a degree of care that sometimes makes the surroundings more absorbing than the conversations. He also designs the costumes, contributing to the film’s unusually coherent appearance. The richness of that visible world helps sustain passages in which the storytelling becomes thin, although it cannot make every exchange interesting.

Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing does more to bring us close to the central character. Its impressionistic movement between images suggests an unsettled mind beneath his outward calm, making his composure feel like something that requires effort. We were moved by the private strain that the cutting makes perceptible. Philip Glass’s score strengthens that feeling, supplying emotional pressure without requiring another explanation from the screenplay. These passages make quiet attention feel worthwhile, and they linger longer than the spoken exchanges.

Melissa Mathison’s screenplay is the persistent weakness. Its episodes do not always build on one another, and too often a scene establishes its place in the biography without making the next scene feel necessary. The dialogue can also be commonplace, leaving the actors to deliver information rather than discover anything through an exchange. A historical drama needs some explanation, but here the writing repeatedly interrupts work that the images and music are doing more effectively.

The reverence is harder to overlook because it restricts our acquaintance with the person at the centre. Keeping political events within his understanding is a defensible choice; it does not account for every unanswered question about his character. We wanted more room for awkwardness and contradiction. Still, the agitation conveyed through the dreams and editing gives us enough to care about, and keeps the film from settling into a succession of respectful illustrations.

At 134 minutes, this needs an evening when patience is available. Anyone expecting a historical drama driven by confrontation should allow for a slower, less direct experience, with stretches when the dialogue offers little help. We recommend it to those willing to give music, faces and the connections between images their full attention. Expect a biography that thoroughly explains its subject, however, and there is a fair chance of leaving frustrated.

*Fi1m score 73, published 26 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews of Kundun are mixed, with praise clustering around its images and music rather than its storytelling. Roger Deakins’s photography and Philip Glass’s score draw admiration even from critics who find the drama unpersuasive. Several reviews also praise the production design or performances. The broad agreement is that Scorsese creates a richly detailed film; there is much less agreement about how much it reveals about the Dalai Lama.

Reservations centre on a simplistic, episodic script, emotional distance and a reverence that limits scrutiny of its subject. The spread is wide: Slant Magazine reads the impressionistic editing as a way into the Dalai Lama’s inner turmoil, where less persuaded critics find him underdeveloped. Notably, Keith Phipps supplies two sharply different assessments: at The AV Club he finds the approach detached and aimless; at The Ringer he praises the dreamlike imagery and the portrayal of a leader whose understanding of political events is limited.

## Straight answers

**Is Kundun worth watching?**

*Kundun* is worth watching for patient admirers of historical drama, and we score it 73 out of 100. We find its strongest feeling in Philip Glass’s music, the dream passages and the editing; the dutiful dialogue and protective reverence make it less rewarding for anyone seeking confrontation or a fuller understanding of the Dalai Lama.

**How long is Kundun, and what is it rated?**

*Kundun* runs 2h 14m and is rated 12 by the CNC in France. It is a drama and history film.

**Where can I watch Kundun in France?**

*Kundun* is not on any streaming or rental service in France at the moment. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Kundun, and is it suitable for children?**

*Kundun* has a US rating advising parental caution for children under 13, rather than unrestricted family viewing. Its dream passages convey anxiety, though that alone does not establish how violent or frightening it is; the slow pace and 134-minute running time make it better suited to patient teenagers and adults than younger children.

**How does Kundun compare to The Last Emperor?**

*Kundun* shares [*The Last Emperor*](https://film.one/film/the-last-emperor)’s interest in a ruler’s childhood and restricted viewpoint, but we recommend the latter more readily as an absorbing historical drama. Both keep their central figures somewhat remote; *Kundun* particularly rewards viewers willing to let music, faces and editing carry feelings that its dialogue struggles to express.

**What should I watch after Kundun?**

After *Kundun*, try [*The Last Emperor*](https://film.one/film/the-last-emperor) (1987, Fi1m 80): A ruler’s childhood and restricted viewpoint shape another carefully composed historical life. Then [*Of Gods and Men*](https://film.one/film/of-gods-and-men) (2010, Fi1m 84): Patient attention to religious community makes difficult choices feel personal and immediate.

### Reviews we read (10)

- **Slant Magazine**, Jake Cole (4.5/5): Cole argues that Kundun is an underappreciated, standout entry in Scorsese’s work. He praises its impressionistic editing, which conveys the Dalai Lama’s inner turmoil beneath his outward calm. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/review-martin-scorseses-oft-overlooked-kundun-on-kino-lorber-blu-ray/)
- **Empire**, Ian Freer (70/100, inferred): Freer finds the film difficult and demanding but ultimately thrilling, while noting it falls short of Scorsese’s highest standards. He praises Philip Glass’s score and the haunting beauty of the richly textured images. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/kundun-review/)
- **The New York Times** (65/100, inferred): The page identifies this as a film review, but its text is unavailable. The critic’s verdict and specific praise or complaints cannot be verified. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/24/movies/film-review-the-dalai-lama-toddler-to-grown-man-in-exile.html)
- **Time Out**, TCh (64/100, inferred): The page presents the film as an unusually simple and strange Scorsese work. It characterizes the film as an act of self-imposed exile, but the available text gives no further verdict or specific praise. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/kundun)
- **Total Film**, Total Film (3/5): The review finds Kundun ambitious and reasonably absorbing, but weighed down by storytelling problems. It praises the visual splendour and performances, while faulting the simplistic script and episodic narrative. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/kundun-review/)
- **Variety**, Emanuel Levy (50/100, inferred): Levy finds the film hypnotic and visually stunning but ultimately not compelling or illuminating. He praises Roger Deakins’ imagery and Philip Glass’ score, while faulting the routine screenplay and commonplace dialogue. [Read](https://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/kundun-1117339899/)
- **The Independent**, Matthew Sweet (35/100, inferred): The critic finds Kundun visually impressive but ultimately too reverential, with its critical edge giving way to hagiography. He singles out the exquisite production design and Roger Deakins’s photography for praise. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/the-critics-it-s-a-bit-of-a-con-this-kundun-1154571.html)
- **The AV Club**, Keith Phipps (30/100, inferred): Phipps finds the film ultimately unsuccessful, despite its heartfelt intentions, because its detached, aimless approach leaves the Dalai Lama underdeveloped. He praises the visually stunning moments and the mystery of the opening scene, but says the film cannot sustain that beauty. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/kundun-1798195127)
- **The Ringer**, Keith Phipps (85/100, inferred): Phipps argues that Kundun is a major, essential work in Scorsese’s filmography. He especially praises its dreamlike imagery and the way it conveys the Dalai Lama’s limited understanding of political events. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2023/10/18/movies/kundun-movie-review-martin-scorsese)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (40/100, inferred): The critic finds the film visually impressive but ultimately hampered by limited scope and a lack of objectivity. The review praises the look of the film and the amateur cast’s acting, while faulting the dream sequences and the portrayal of Tibetans speaking pidgin American. [Read](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/kundun-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

## Details

- **Director:** Martin Scorsese
- **Director:** Martin Scorsese
- **Screenplay:** Melissa Mathison
- **Cinematography:** Roger Deakins
- **Editor:** Thelma Schoonmaker
- **Music:** Philip Glass
- **Production design:** Dante Ferretti
- **Costume design:** Dante Ferretti
- **Producer:** Barbara De Fina
- **Cast:** Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong as Dalai Lama (Adult); Tencho Gyalpo as Mother; Tsewang Migyur Khangsar as Father; Gyurme Tethong as Dalai Lama (Age 12); Robert Lin as Chairman Mao; Tulku Jamyang Kunga Tenzin as Dalai Lama (Age 5); Tenzin Yeshi Paichang as Dalai Lama (Aged 2); Tenzin Topjar as Lobsang (5-10)
- **Runtime:** 2h 14m
- **Certificate (CNC):** 12
- **Release (France):** 19 March 1998
- **Genres:** Drama, History
- **Budget:** $28 million
- **Box office:** $6 million

## Where to watch in France

Not streaming, renting or buying in France at the last check.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1998: Best Cinematography (nominated); Best Costume Design (nominated); Best Original Dramatic Score (nominated); Best Production Design (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *The Last Emperor* (1987), Fi1m 80: A ruler’s childhood and restricted viewpoint shape another carefully composed historical life. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-last-emperor.md)
- *The Gospel According to St Matthew* (1964): Religious conviction expressed through faces and images, with little patience for decoration.
- *The Colour of Pomegranates* (1969): A poet’s life told through concentrated images rather than the usual biographical checkpoints.
- *The Burmese Harp* (1956): Music and Buddhist faith carry a sober account of war’s human cost.
- *Of Gods and Men* (2010), Fi1m 84: Patient attention to religious community makes difficult choices feel personal and immediate. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/of-gods-and-men.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/kundun