Dogen: The Movie

Last night we watched Zen, the Japanese-made movie about the life of Dogen and I’ve been crabby about it ever since.

First, though, the positive: T liked it, “Just a movie,” she said and I did manage to stay awake, although it was a struggle.

Now the negative: the plot line vaguely resembles the life of Dogen as does the teaching. It’s an Oliver-Stone-ish effort, seeming to be historical but far from the mark in crucial details, like the movie’s Dogen repeatedly espousing an “innate” Buddha when the man’s writings assail such a dualistic view. Further, the limited passages from Dogen and the words of Rujing are dumbed-down to the absurd. Stories from the Buddha’s life are transposed to Dogen’s. Sex and violence are added where we have no evidence that such occurred.

I wonder how much Soto headquarters was involved in this because it seems to be directed more toward shoring up the sect’s wavering base than delivering a movie that is true to one of the great practitioners and Buddhist writers in history.

Look for my copy on e-Bay.