Message from lsutton

[Anonymous]

PG13 and worth getting approvals, this Martin Scorsese film tells the true story of Tibet's Dalai Lama and the invasion and occupation of Tibet by Mao's forces in 1950 and the subsequent escape of His Holiness into India. The young Dalai Lama is shown in his early life in the Potala Palace in Llasa with his tutors and his strong interest in science and geography. As he turns 15, he is faced with assuming the political leadership of his country at the time the Chinese Communists invade Tibet under the guise of "liberating" it. For several years, he tries to accommodate the demands of the Chinese who are sent in to "modernize" his country. Finally, after a 1955 meeting in Beijing with Mao, he is told that "religion is poison" and he understands that Buddhism is under direct attack. He escapes over the Himalayan passes into India and establishes a Tibetan exile community at Dharmasala in the Himalayan foothills. No country would come to Tibet's aid against the Chinese aggressors.
The landscapes are very true to life and there are some extraordinarily well done scenes, especially the fish pond-to-monks sequence. Disney, under direct political pressure from China, cut back on the release of this film when it came out so it was not in theaters very long, and then, not very many. I snagged a copy of it in a video store and show it every year. Most of the students show good interest in it. There are some bloody scenes so parent signatures would apply.
Tibet is in the southwest part of China and represents approximately 1/4 of the area of the entire country. All modern maps show it now to be part of China, although there is a continuing effort to "Free Tibet." The Dalai Lama has never been allowed to return, but his exile has led to the spread of Buddhism throughout the West fulfilling the prophesy of eighth century master Padmasambhava that "Buddhism will go to the land of the red men when the iron bird flies." The book most closely associated with this film is "Freedom In Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama", ISBN 0-06-039166-2, 1990, HarperCollins publishers.
[Edit by="lsutton on Sep 11, 2:47:16 PM"][/Edit]