Seven Wonders of the Buddhist World (2011 TV Movie) User Reviews

Don't watch this with my oldest daughter!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 25 August 2019]

I am a hard person to watch historical movies with, as I was a history teacher and OFTEN find mistakes in the films. So, to avoid me lecturing you on the inaccuracies of such films, just don't see a historical with me! The same can be said of my daughter, as she was NOT a great person to watch "Seven Wonders of the Buddhist World" with...unless you wanted her to complain about the mistakes or odd choices the documentary made. Again and again, she questioned the choices of the seven places...such as why it was so heavy on Southeast Asia, why Japan was never mentioned or why a brand new statue in Hong Kong was given so much attention!

As for me, I enjoyed the show and felt it was a nice overview of Buddhism and its history for the average person. Is it exhaustive? Hardly....and I did agree with some of my daughter's criticisms...but for the average person, it's still well worth seeing.

Perspective is key

[buylocallyproject · 3/10 · 6 January 2024]

Beautiful scenery and some good information. Buddhism is an Eastern practice, yet 70% of the interview time is given to white Westerners. The film describes itself as a view of the most remarkable Buddhist sites in the world, but is really more of the host's own interpretation of the merits of Buddhism as viewed through a Western gaze. All of the scholarly analysis is by white male professors. The film doesn't even end in the East, and its purpose seems to be to leave the viewer with a sense of wistful hope that this beautiful cultural practice can lend "character" and "color" to our sad, materialistic lives here in the West. Thus, it's not really about the East at all.