Something Cult, Foreign-Language or Indie #153: Kundun (1997).

When you think of Martin Scorsese, you probably wouldn't imagine him telling the story of the young Dalai Lama, what with his track record of violent movies about inner-city American criminal life. But amongst all those bloody, obscene sagas he's also made several films very much out of his niche that thoroughly demonstrate his range, like The Age of Innocence (1993), Hugo (2011) and this one, 1997's Kundun.

Set between 1937 and 1959, it's a dramatisation of the young life of the 14th Dalai Lama, born Tenzin Gyatso (played at various stages by Tenzin Yeshi Paichang, Tulku Jamyang Kunga Tenzin, Gyurme Tethong and the real DL's grandnephew Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong), growing up in rural Tibet. As a boy he has to complete several journeys and missions to prove and enhance his mental and physical strength and enlightenment. During one journey he grows homesick and frightened, but is comforted with the tale of the first Dalai Lama, who was called "Kundun." The film then follows Tenzin as a young adult undertaking a diplomatic visit to China, where he meets and negotiates with Chairman Mao (Robert Lin) and his forces, before heading home to assume his position as Tibet's spiritual leader.

Working from an erudite screenplay by Melissa Mathison, who interviewed the Dalai Lama before writing it, Scorsese treads this very delicate territory (especially delicate for a white American director) with admirable patience, objectivity, lucidness and attention to detail for a result that's thoroughly absorbing despite the slow pacing. However, it's worth noting that this was his second film focusing on faith or a religious figure after The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) (he's since made another, 2016's Silence), and as a young man he seriously considered becoming a priest. At his disposal here are the striking visual design, lush photography and exquisite score, all of which were Oscar-nominated. Probably the only flaw here is some of the acting; the cast are all professional indigenous (albeit English-speaking) actors, but the child actors playing Tenzin are never quite convincing; quite frankly, Tulku Jamyang Kunga Tenzin is very inexpressive.

But overall, Kundun is a beautifully intimate, and powerful mix of faith and coming of age. Even for a white, Australian atheist like me.