10 Best Movies Of 1998 (So Far)

By James Kirk / April 1, 2013

4. Kundun

The great Martin Scorsese, famous for dark, gritty material like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas and Casino, takes an interesting detour with Kundun. Not since 1988€™s The Last Temptation of Christ has Scorsese explored spiritual and religious material with such masterful filmmaking.

Kundun is the story of Tibet€™s fourteenth Dalai Lama, who as a mere child is forced to flee from his native Tibet after the invasion of Communist China. It almost goes without saying that the movie is well-made. Scorsese is a master cinematic craftsman. The film is beautifully photographed by Roger Deakins, and the script, penned by E.T.€™s Melissa Mathison, is superb. But Kundun is without a doubt Scorsese€™s lease accessible film. Audiences aren€™t exactly clamoring for movies about the Dalia Lama these days. It is, however, a good film, sometimes an exquisite film, and will no doubt garner a number of Oscar nominations.