In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

This documentary was quite light on information and expertise - one of the main speakers had a byline that just said 'poet' - but I guess this is meant as a first introduction to Buddhism so that is understandable. On the other hand, the visual background consists of beautiful art and well chosen images that made this an enjoyable watch even if the viewer doesn't learn very much.

It's the rare documentary that is a therapeutic experience but I felt soothed and comforted by this gentle examination of the life of Buddha, the young Indian prince who abandoned a life of privilege to seek enlightenment. It surprised me to learn that, according to legend, the young prince Siddhartha had a kind of immaculate birth -- springing from his mother's side!Narrated by Tibet advocate Richard Gere and the actress Blair Brown, whom I had not heard about since her "Molly Dodd" days, this film offers all manner of colorful and thoughtful commentary from a variety of monks, scholars, and writers. In one segment, an impressively agile practitioner of yoga -- a means of "harnessing the energies of the body to tame the mind," which can be "as restless as a monkey" -- performs stunning breathing exercises and some impressive physical contortions.The Dalai Lama explains how enlightenment can be the hard work of each one of us, with the Buddha a presence to light our way.In all, this was a tranquil and thought-provoking excursion.

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.

I found this documentary very instructive. I saw it on PBS, which is very well known for its high quality documentaries. And this one just follows that tradition. Buddhism is a beautiful religion/philosophy and was portrayed in the documentary in a simple and easy to understand manner. The music adequately accompanies the narration and the beautiful animations.The Buddha's story is very touching and reflects the endless quest of humanity for peace. Peace starts with one's self, to be able to reflect it on the outside world.Personnaly, it opened my eyes and heart at life. Will definitely meditate more often now. Highly recommended.