Wheel of Time

Yet another recent documentary from the prolific Werner Herzog, this film feels like a timebomb for the brain. I’ll be honest -- watching it nearly put me to sleep and yet the next day I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The film follows thousands upon thousands of Buddhists on pilgrimage to a ritual at the site of the Bodhi tree under which Buddha found enlightenment. Some come across trackless wastes in trucks stacked high and tight with people and gear; some come on treks of unimaginable length, prostrating themselves at every step -- one took three years to come more than a thousand miles, an unhealable sore on his forehead from touching the ground a million times. The ceremonies also include the creation of a sand mandala representing the Wheel of Time, of which we do not get to see enough. One assumes Herzog has staked out a skeptical position in opposition to all forms of piety, and yet this film is not overtly critical of some rather extreme manifestations of Buddhist faith. Werner refrains from commentary, except for cracking wise with the Dalai Lama during an interview. It’s hard not to judge some of the behavior on view as crazy, and yet Herzog lets it speak for itself, and still ends the film with images of majestic, magical beauty -- if not nirvana, then at least a landscape transfigured. (2003, dvd, n.) *6*