Milarepa (2006) is an interesting Tibetan film chronicling segments from the life of a Tibetan yogi, Thopaga / Milarepa, who lived in the 11th century in western Tibet, who was born into a wealthy family but on the death of his father, was robbed of his inheritance by his father's greedy family. His mother complains about suffering throughout the film but to the viewer, she really doesn't have it that bad, it seems like she only longs for more wealth. Hence the universal themes of vengeance and yearning dictate her motives and disposition. She influences her son Thopaga / Milarepa to study sorcery to inflict revenge on his father's greedy family, leaving his female companion, who is quite beautiful.
The first half of the film is quite good and simple in nature, familiar conflicts play a vital theme. The landscape is absolutely stunning and the low key, natural realism of the actors is very momentous.
The film loses some of its impetus when it delves into silly Computer-generated imagery during the sorcery scenes. These could have been left out altogether, and insinuations, inferences, and basic camera tricks would have sufficed much better to keep it resembling an elementary human drama. The silly Computer-generated imagery knocks the sorcery scenes down to a "sword and sorcery" Hollywood look-alike.
I enjoyed it though and it was capable if you are intrigued by foreign films. In all, it is an above average film that imparts a universal common, human leitmotif, that is of human meaning and human predicaments.
The first half of the film is quite good and simple in nature, familiar conflicts play a vital theme. The landscape is absolutely stunning and the low key, natural realism of the actors is very momentous.
The film loses some of its impetus when it delves into silly Computer-generated imagery during the sorcery scenes. These could have been left out altogether, and insinuations, inferences, and basic camera tricks would have sufficed much better to keep it resembling an elementary human drama. The silly Computer-generated imagery knocks the sorcery scenes down to a "sword and sorcery" Hollywood look-alike.
I enjoyed it though and it was capable if you are intrigued by foreign films. In all, it is an above average film that imparts a universal common, human leitmotif, that is of human meaning and human predicaments.