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Kundun

Kundun

Drama · History · 1997

From childhood to adulthood, Tibet's fourteenth Dalai Lama deals with Chinese oppression and other problems.

Movie details

Kundun

“The destiny of a people lies in the heart of a boy.”

1997 Drama · History 2h 14m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.8 / 10

Community rating

From childhood to adulthood, Tibet's fourteenth Dalai Lama deals with Chinese oppression and other problems.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Kundun?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Martin Scorsese

Written by

Melissa Mathison

Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong

Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong

Dalai Lama (Adult)

Tencho Gyalpo

Tencho Gyalpo

Mother

Tsewang Migyur Khangsar

Tsewang Migyur Khangsar

Father

Gyurme Tethong

Gyurme Tethong

Dalai Lama (Age 12)

Robert Lin

Robert Lin

Chairman Mao

Tulku Jamyang Kunga Tenzin

Tulku Jamyang Kunga Tenzin

Dalai Lama (Age 5)

Tenzin Yeshi Paichang

Tenzin Yeshi Paichang

Dalai Lama (Aged 2)

Court is in session

Put Kundun on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.