There can be no doubt that Bertolucci made a beautiful and very stylistic portrayal of Siddartha (yes, Keanu does and looks very well in this part). There can be doubt though if these mystical and captivating scenes that play in the ancient (not necessarily historical!) India and the Far Orient are succesfully intermingled with the present day search for a reincarnated soul. I have seen the film several times and I am still not sure. Would this film have been better if it had only focused on the life and times of Siddartha / Buddha? Or would this just have made the film look "easier"? Present and past, reality and legend, magical scenery and modern city life continuously interchange. Each time the film shifted from Siddartha's "world" to Seattle I felt a little sorry. I wanted more and more of these silent, magic world. Bertolucci keeps us awake by going the other way. The things Siddartha learned can be applied, by us, the viewers, in what happens next. Let's just say Bertolucci's choice for dialectic film making was the right one. Final remark: the video / DVD cover is absolutely ridiculous. Surely the film company also wanted to attract young female Keanu fans by portraying him in a slightly romantic, counteropposing posture to Bridget Fonda. The two never meet in the film at all!

I don't know if this movie could be made like this nowadays. I had forgotten about the movie alltogether but even more so that Keanu Reeves was in it. And in a role that many nowadays would call culturally inappropriate. Now I am not saying I belong to one of those people, I was still surprised to see him play the character he did. He also did a decent job by the way. Even if at times the "Whoa Dude" seemed to shine through (especially when he realized certain things) - well he can't help himself.

That aside the movie moves along nicely but also in a slow pace. I am not sure if those already in the know when it comes to Buddhism will enjoy this - or if those not into it will enjoy it at all. You should not be totally against it, that is for sure. Or even hate it (though I wouldn't know why that would be the case). A nice overall movie/drama, with some really good performances and some insight into a religion and beliefs you may not have been aware of before ... not to that degree at least.