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Student's Name Professor’s Name Course Date Critical Evaluation of the Movie “Little Buddha” Introduction Bernardo Bertolucci’s movie “Little Buddha” is inspirational, especially for people interested in theological studies and inter-religious harmony; this movie’s storyline revolves around the theme of the intersection between traditions, cultural profiles, religious beliefs, and views of the East and the West. The pivotal point of the story is the elaboration of the concept of reincarnation, much celebrated in Buddhism; for the same reason, the protagonist, Jesse, a boy who lives in Seattle, is depicted as the reincarnation of the Lama Dorje, a great Buddhist monk and teacher who had died nine years before this discovery (Little Buddha). This discovery resulted from the dreams of a Buddhist monk, Lama Norbu. One of the prominent features of this movie is the depiction of the story of the life of the originator of Buddhism, Siddhartha. This phase of the story highlights the contrast between Jesse’s modern culture and his link with the ancient Eastern culture and accentuates the movie's central theme. Jesse’s parents' predicament is another important aspect of the movie that explores the effects and outcomes of the clash of modern and traditional thoughts and exemplifies the importance of intercultural harmony (Little Buddha). Despite its merits, the movie’s story fails to develop an in-depth understanding of Buddhism, as the depiction of the life of Siddhartha does not reflect the fundamental teachings of the religion. Collectively, the story does not successfully cover all aspects of the clash of civilizations, and the following paragraph substantiates this statement. Discussion One of the fundamental points that the director Bernardo Bertolucci attempts to make in the movie Little Buddha is the use of an important component of an ancient religious belief to display the complexities associated with the integration of an ancient and traditional domain of theology into the modern materialistic and practical way of life. The selection of a modern American family and their son as the central focus of the story and the extrapolation of it with the story of the reincarnation of a dead monk, the movie maker, creates a significant cause of tension and conflict to drive the story's plot. Despite a captivating and workable conflict, the execution of the plot of the story fails to make the desired impression. Despite having a purely American cultural and theological perspective, the boy Jesse does not offer much resistance to the idea of his being an incarnation of a Buddhist monk (Little Buddha). Instead of refusing to acknowledge this unacceptable reality, the boy willingly accepts this new reality only after reading a comic booklet about the life of Siddhartha (Little Buddha). This somewhat unrealistic and dramatic transition of a modern American boy does not fit the gravity of the reality of his life. The understanding of Buddhism's fundamental teachings further corroborates the fact that accepting Buddhism is not an easy task, even for an adult, let alone a teenager. For instance, Buddhism emphasizes accepting the four noble truths: living is suffering, desire and attachment generate suffering, eliminating desire ends the suffering, and following the right path is the only way to resolve life’s suffering (Chapter 6 Buddhism 104). However, the boy Jesse appears so inspired by Siddhartha's life that he willingly abdicates his modern luxurious life without knowing the details of the strict religion he may have to follow, accepting Buddhism (Little Buddha). This significant flaw in the storyline cripples the development of the conflict. The role of Jesse’s parents in the story further clarifies how the story fails to make a realistic impression on the viewers. The child’s father, Dean, appears generally as a tacit and mute individual incap...