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.
Vanessa’s opinion: I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary. I love the story of the Buddha and I thought this partially animated telling was beautiful and magical. A very excellent tool for an introduction or re-introduction to Buddhism. 3 stars.
Ava’s opinion: I think the movie was okay. I liked the part when a man who is describing a glass , oh how the sun light shines through it and one day the wind blows it over or my elbow hits it and it is broken. It made me think some day that will be me and I still have a long time before I die but some day, it could even be tomorrow, that I get hit by a car or somebody shoots me. And the guy is saying Buddha thought everyone was selfish and did not love everyone around them and they where also greedy. Then I thought Buddha isn’t perfect either and he sounds like he thinks he’s perfect and he sounds kind of selfish. So all in all I think I would give it 2 1/2 stars.
Payton’s opinion: “The Buddha was a very enjoyable documentary. It explained the life of Buddha and his teachings. The animation and live scenery were spectacular. I now understand better how Prince Siddartha Gautama became the Buddha. The interviews with scholars from universities were very interesting. I really enjoyed this movie. I would rate this film 4 1/2 stars.”
Jack’s opinion: I thought the movie was pretty good. The tale of Buddha was a little too unrealistic for me. I still doubt that Buddha was a real person. The good part about it was the lessons he supposedly taught. I have learned that the lessons Buddha taught are every day lessons we hear from our moms and our dads. I would give the movie 3 3/4 stars.
Sean’s opinion:
The Galileo School 