The Buddha

2010 "The Story of Buddha"

The Buddha

7.6 | 2h0m | en | Documentary

This documentary for PBS by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin and narrated by Richard Gere, tells the story of the Buddha’s life, a journey especially relevant to our own bewildering times of violent change and spiritual confusion. It features the work of some of the world’s greatest artists and sculptors, who across two millennia, have depicted the Buddha’s life in art rich in beauty and complexity. Hear insights into the ancient narrative by contemporary Buddhists, including Pulitzer Prize winning poet W.S. Merwin and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Join the conversation and learn more about meditation, the history of Buddhism, and how to incorporate the Buddha’s teachings on compassion and mindfulness into daily life.

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7.6 | 2h0m | en | Documentary | More Info

Released: April. 17,2010 | Released Producted By: David Grubin Productions , Country: Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website: http://www.pbs.org/thebuddha/

Synopsis

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Cast

Richard Gere , Blair Brown , Tenzin Gyatso

Director

David Grubin

Producted By

David Grubin Productions ,

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Trailers & Images

Cast

Richard Gere

as Narrator

MotherFatherSon Three Christs The Dinner The Benefactor Time Out of Mind The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Henry & Me Movie 43 Arbitrage

Blair Brown

as Narrator

Limitless The Speed of Thought The Buddha The Jewish Americans Dark Matter Andrew Jackson: Good, Evil & The Presidency Griffin & Phoenix The Sentinel Loverboy

Tenzin Gyatso

as Himself (as His Holiness The Dalai Lama)

Never Forget Tibet An Officer & His Holiness: The Dalai Lama's Secret Escape into Exile Tibetan Warrior Nelson Mandela: The Myth and Me Happy The Last Journey Compassion in Emptiness The Buddha The Invocation

Reviews

evening1 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.

JacBur I watched this great documentary about the Siddhartha life titled "The Buddha". This movie wasn't terrible, however it wasn't fit for me. The pictures and real paintings they showed really helped narrate the story of the Buddha's life and the explanation of the people who were being interviewed too. As well the music fit perfectly and really set the mood. I really think the overall production of the movie was fantastic. The disadvantages were the story went into so too much depth for me, because I just needed a basic understanding. I recommend this movie to people who really want to have a deep understanding and a thorough history of his life.

buggs 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.

unlovbl In great contrast to the previous review shredding this documentary apart, I (as a Buddhist) feel that this documentary was profound in its execution and content for both Buddhists and non-Buddhists. Considering the vast complexity of a faith that has evolved and differentiated itself many times over the centuries, this documentary made a valiant and successful effort in presenting the core story and principles of the life and teachings of the Buddha. It is presented with animations and interviews that are easily identifiable without going deeper into more complex principles of Buddhism that would alienate the viewing audience of lay Buddhists and non-Buddhists. I highly recommend watching it and respectfully disagree with the previous reviewers points of contention about the documentary.