Zen (2009 film)
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]
| 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 company | |
Release date | 2009 |
Running time | 2h 7m |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese language |
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