Herman Hesse’s 1922 novel is brought to the screen with the reverence of a true devotee by American writer/director Conrad Rooks.
However, such is the unquestioning dogmatism of the screenplay, the lushness of Sven Nykvist’s Indian landscapes and the stylised earnestness of Bollywood icon Shashi Kapoor in the title role that instead of a moving journey to spiritual enlightenment, this comes across as a glossy promo for Buddhism, in which self-discovery is trampled underfoot by clumsy symbolism.
Bypassing life in its quest for significance, this is an airless adaptation of an obdurate text.
Canterbury Tales, The (1972) Coming between The Decameron and Arabian Nights in Pier Paolo Pasolini's classic tales trilogy, this bawdy adaptation of Chaucer's 14th-century…
Sweet Kill (The Arousers) (1972) Former 50's teen idol Tab Hunter plays Eddie Collins, a handsome milk-drinking highschool gym teacher living at a beach house…
Buttercup Chain, The (1970) A lovely, melancholy little gem about lost love and fleeting friendships from director Robert Ellis Miller. The Buttercup Chain stars 60s…
Superfly (1972) Directed by Gordon Parks Jr - the son of the man who directed Shaft (1971) - this superb Blaxploitation film starred…
Godfather: Part II, The (1974) Relieved of the need to be faithful to Mario Puzo's novel, Director Francis Ford Coppola embarked on a sequel with…
Tommy (1975) Director Ken Russell was the perfect choice to direct The Who's landmark rock opera Tommy, transforming it into a stream-of-consciousness catalogue…
All The President's Men (1976) Based on their own book, All The President's Men told the tale of Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward - the two junior…
