The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Way of Life (1994)
Narrated by Leonard Cohen, this two-part series explores ancient teachings on death and dying and boldly visualises the afterlife according to Tibetan philosophy. Tibetan Buddhists believe that after a person dies, they enter a state of "bardo" for 49 days until a rebirth. Program 1, The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Way of Life documents the history of The Tibetan Book of the Dead, tracing the book's acceptance and use in Europe and North America. Program 2, The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Liberation observes an old Buddhist lama and a 13-year-old novice monk as they guide a deceased person into the afterlife.
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I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.
Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.
Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.
There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
This was the companion piece to The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Liberation. I preferred it. First, I am a softy on grading films on Buddhism. This "Way of Life" had no cheesy special effects and used no obvious actors. It looked at the death of an old man in a village in Ladakh, has early footage of the Dalai Lama and a (somewhat) recent interview. Perhaps the best bit was the street interview with local citizens who, unlike most Westerners, are very accepting of death and suffering. Ram Dass and others share their ideas for use of the book in the West. I enjoyed the Tibetan Book of the Dead being read at a Western hospice. Again, a bit basic, but a good introductory piece. The Ladakh scenery, homes, etc. were fascinating when the film plodded along.