By Mike Faloon
I went into this one blind. It was the first day of summer vacation and it had been weeks since I'd been to Film Forum; I wanted to go to a mid-week matinee simply because I could. A documentary about Buddhism? Let's go! I'd heard of the director, Werner Herzog, but never seen any of his movies, and knew even less about the subject matter. I topped it off by stumbling into the theatre five minutes late. I had my work cut out for me but found Wheel of Time to be a near-perfect experience. It doesn't set out to tell us about Buddhism, instead showing us the awe-inspiring devotion of which Buddhists are capable. The main event is a gathering in the spring of 2002 for an initiation ceremony to be led by the Dali Lama. Nearly half a million people came together, forming an impromptu city of tents. Some traveled thousands of miles to attend, many walked the entire way. I was just starting to think how much grumbling my 40-minute commute induces when Herzog interviewed a Buddhist who spent three years crawling to the gathering ("I measured the Earth with my body.") Then, as if their faith had been insufficiently tested, the Dali Lama's health forced him to cancel the main portions of the ceremonies. The sights and stories in Wheel of Time mesmerized me. I daydreamed throughout much of the movie--there were long stretches without speaking and just as many scenes without subtitles--and still know nothing about Buddhism, yet recommend Wheel of Time to anyone in search of a unique movie experience.
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