Zen (2009 film)
| Zen 禅 | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Banmei Takahashi |
| Screenplay by | Banmei Takahashi |
| Based on | A novel by Tetsuo Ōtani |
| Starring | Nakamura Kantarō II Yuki Uchida |
| Edited by | Junichi Kikuchi |
| Music by | Ryudo Uzaki |
Production companies | Kadokawa Pictures Twins Japan |
| Distributed by | Kadokawa Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 127 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Languages | Japanese Mandarin |
Zen (禅) is a 2009 film directed by Banmei Takahashi and starring Nakamura Kantarō II as Dogen, and Yuki Uchida as Orin.[1][2] The story is based on the novel Eihei no kaze: Dōgen no shōgai written by Tetsuo Ōtani in 2001.[3]
The film is a biography of Dōgen Zenji, a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher. After travelling to China to study, Dogen founded the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan. The Buddhist Film Foundation described it as "a poignant, in-depth, reverent and surprisingly moving portrait of Eihei Dogen."[4]
Reception
[edit]Russell Edwards of Variety described it as "The origins of a spiritual tradition are depicted with prerequisite solemnity and a pleasing veneer of arthouse showmanship."[5] Mark Schilling, writing for The Japan Times, gave the film three and a half stars and described it as a "rare serious film about this form of Buddhism, which has had a huge cultural influence but is little understood — let alone practiced — by ordinary Japanese."[6]
Release
[edit]The film premiered in Japan in 2009. The following year, it had its US debut at the International Buddhist Film Festival.[7] The film was released on DVD and includes a short documentary entitled The Zen of Dogen with Kazuaki Tanahashi.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Zen - Reviews, Movie Trailers, Cast & Crew. Movies at Film.com". Retrieved 27 July 2010.
- ^ Ouellette, Kevin (15 May 2009). "DVD release - Zen (Amuse Soft Entertainment) available on 6/25/2009". Nippon Cinema. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
- ^ Giuliano Tani (2018). Cinestoria del Giappone : il Sol Levante attraverso i suoi film. Kappalab, 2018. ISBN 9788885457102.
- ^ "Zen". The Buddhist Film Foundation. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ "Zen". Variety. January 25, 2009. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ "Zen". The Japan Times. January 16, 2009. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ "IBFF Showcase 2010". The Buddhist Film Foundation. 30 November 2010. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ "New Film Zen, Now on DVD". The Buddhist Film Foundation. 21 October 2011. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
External links
[edit]- Zen at IMDb
- Zen at Rotten Tomatoes
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- 2009 films
- Films directed by Banmei Takahashi
- Films about Buddhism
- Biographical films about religious leaders
- Japanese biographical films
- Films set in China
- Films set in Japan
- Films set in Kyoto
- Films set in feudal Japan
- Films set in the 13th century
- Dōgen
- 2000s biographical films
- 2000s Japanese-language films
- 2000s Japanese films
- Films scored by Ryudo Uzaki
- 2000s Japanese film stubs