TIBET: CRY OF THE SNOW LION — *** — Documentary on Tibet; narrated by Martin Sheen and featuring voice-overs by Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Ed Harris and others; not rated, probable R (violence, gore); see "Playing at local movie theaters" for theater listings.
While it's true that "Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion" often feels like a filmed history or sociology lesson, at least it's an interesting one. Especially to those who want to know more about this human-rights hot spot.
Since the subject has received so much attention lately, for some this feature-length documentary is nothing new. And it's true that some of the storytelling techniques here are fairly clumsy (especially using some pretty well-known Hollywood actors to serve as the "voices" of the Tibetan people). Worse, it's so absolutely one-sided that it verges on becoming propaganda.
Still, there's no denying that at least a few of filmmaker Tom Peosa's points are well-made. And if you're not at least a little bit moved by some of the more heart-rending stories told here, you might need to have your (metaphorical) heart checked.
"Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion" gets its title from the legendary animal totem of Tibet, which has, ironically, been banned by the Chinese government forces that now occupy the country.
The film attempts to describe nearly a century of Tibetan history to show how the peaceful, pacifistic views of its rather spiritual people have allowed its militaristic neighbor, China, to seize control. There is a convincing case here that the Chinese occupation has taken a horrible toll (in terms of the numbers of people killed and imprisoned), and their attempts to "remake" the country have robbed Tibet of much of its cultural identity.
But the presence of such outspoken celebrities as Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and Ed Harris — who read statements recounting the experiences of the Tibetan people — is a bit of overkill. On the other hand, Martin Sheen's no-nonsense narration is effective. And there's just enough in the way of actual interviews — both with Tibetans, as well as political experts and other interested parties — to get the ideas across.
"Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion" is not rated but would probably receive an R for archival footage of violence (shootings, explosive mayhem), gore and frank descriptions of atrocities (some sexual). Running time: 100 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com