MovieChat Forums > Siddhartha (1974) Discussion > If the book touched you then you should ...

If the book touched you then you should see this movie

posted 16 years ago by sgraf_x
6 replies | jump to latest

Its been years and years since I read the book in school. Which for me was a big deal cause I never read any of the books they assigned. But for some reason I read this and it was probably the first book I ever read cover to cover that wasnt a comic. I can remember always liking the story and it has stayed with me all these years. I rented this as a DVD recently never knowing that there was even a film adaptation. Im glad I did. For me it was everything I remembered feeling when I read the book. I cant really speak to whether it is a faithfull representation of the book at this point but I can tell you that it is absolutely faithfull to the spirit of the it.

The film is very elegant and the story remains relevant and inspiring. It is beautifully shot and scored. The one problem with the film was the editing. It tends to be choppy and disruptive to the continuity of the story. It also jumps drastically forward in time at several points. If you have read the book than its not really a problem but for someone who has not it may be.

Even at 1 hour and 20 minutes the film still feels epic in scope as it explores Siddharthas lifelong journey to find lifes meaning and ultimately delivers a timeless message about the nature of the human condition.

There is No Gene for the Human Spirit.

I Can Think, I Can Wait and I Can Pray.

[–] BrohmaBull007 15 years ago

I did not like the book
I want to see the movie though

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[–] MonkeyIMDB 15 years ago

Why? No Football in it ?

[–] drGhostOrchid 15 years ago

To anyone who has read the book: Don't watch this film because it's a complete waste of time. The director has completely banalised the whole idea to please the wider audiences, he even changed some of the conversations which gave them completely different meaning, and is totally opposite of what was intended to be said. The only good side is interesting choice of music and pleasant cinematography. To anyone who hasn't read the book: read it! This is not the Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse.

[–] jorgefsrocha 9 years ago

I agree 100 % with you, don't waste your time watching this movie, it's a farse...

[–] Mr__Underhill 14 years ago

This film for me was odd but interesting if I look at it as a whole and a subject for contemplation rather than taking everything Siddhartha says at face value. This movie spouts a lot of fortune cookie philosphy (and told in a very preachy arrogant fashion), but the interesting part is how it is contrasted with the hash realities of life and the backdrop of the landscape and music. The words don't sum any of it up in a satisfying way, but I still came across feeling very content by what I experienced in the film. I also connected with the idea that your kids at some point will inevitably hate you inspite of everything you try to do or don't do for them. I'm not sure if the film has an andiquate answer intellectually, but it makes you think about these things.

[–] TheZoolooMaster 14 years ago

I found it wanting as well. From the first few scenes I gathered that Rooks was probably somewhat of an amateur filmmaker as well as an eccentric, perhaps drug-infused, character. This film is both flawed technically and in substance: the pacing is all wrong; the temporal ellipses are treated so badly that it is even confusing for someone who has read the book; the film starves from only a select number of musical track that appear to have been arbitrarily placed here and there -- there is no leitmotif here, just tedious repetition. Most critically, however, Rooks fails to translate the spiritual essence of the story that so enchants the reader.
I didn't hate this film, but I don't think anybody should go out of their way to watch it.