''The Life of Buddha'' ( th, ประวัติพระพุทธเจ้า, ''Prawat Phra Phuttajao'', or simply ''The Buddha'') is a 2007

Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

about the life of

Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...

, based on the '' Tripitaka''. The film was released on December 5, 2007, in celebration of Thai King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...

's 80th birthday.

Plot

Production

Production of the film started in 2004 as a personal project by Thai businesswoman Wallapa Phimtong, who was beset by financial difficulties and delays. Initially, Wallapa sought backing and expertise through a Thai government agency, but the funding never came through, and Wallapa become embroiled in a lawsuit over the production. Wallapa continued with the financing of the film on her own, and at first estimated the cost of making the film at 50 million baht, but those costs doubled. She then sold off her cars, land and personal assets to make the film. Wallapa said a businessman offered to buy the rights to film for 200 million baht but she refused the offer. "My ultimate goal, after the film has been screened in theatres, is to distribute free copies to schools nationwide. If I sell the project to the firm, that won't be possible," she said in an interview.

Critical response

Bangkok Post The ''Bangkok Post'' is an English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. It is published in broadsheet and digital formats. The first issue was sold on 1 August 1946. It had four pages and cost one baht, a considerable amount ...

'' film critic Kong Rithdee said ''The Buddha'' was well-meaning, but lacked depth and would appeal mainly to children. "

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

means that ''The Buddha'' mirrors the national climate of institutional worship and the indifference, if not the ignorance, to how modern society has twisted Lord Buddha's teachings into something much less pure than their original meanings." A

Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...

scholar contributed a critique of the film to ''

Prachatai ''Prachatai'' ( th, ประชาไท, ''Free People'') is an independent non-profit online newspaper in Thailand. Focusing on news from and commentary on NGOs, social movements, and human rights issues, the website became an alternative sour ...

'', in equal parts excoriating and lamenting the film's lack of historical accuracy or even dramatic coherence.">Be warned: Thai film: "The Life of Buddha" « Article « www.prachatai.com/english
/ref>

References

External links

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The Buddha
' at SiamZone 2007 films Thai animated films Thai-language films Buddhism in Thailand Films about Gautama Buddha Buddhist animation 2007 animated films Films set in India 2000s children's animated films Thai children's films {{Thailand-film-stub

Plot

Production

Critical response

See also

References

External links