- Actors: Uwe Ochsenknecht, Gustav-Peter Wöhler, Petra Zieser, Ulrike Kriener, Anica Dobra
- Directors: Doris Dörrie
- Writers: Doris Dörrie, Ruth Stadler
- Producers: Franz X. Gernstl, Karl Neubert, Louis Saul
- Format: Colour, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Language English, German, Japanese
- Subtitles: English
- Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 1.78:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: Unrated (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: Capitol Home Video
- DVD Release Date: 12 Aug 2003
- Run Time: 109 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00006JL2T
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 143,077 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A story of two German brothers,both of whom you might well instantly dislike, who go to a monastery in Japan for a retreat.
One has been planning this for years, the other decides to go in a drunken moment brought on by his wife leaving him. They hate each other,they screw up, they get lost in Tokyo, they argue, they steal and, eventually, they wind up in the monastery. By the end of the film they have learned to like themselves and each other, you will have learned to like both of them, the monastery life will seem as attractive as it does strange and you will have giggled, tittered and laughed out loud through about half of the scenes in the film.
The film is well made, well acted and a lovely example of gentle humour combined with a real sympathy for everyone concerned.
At no point did it fall into the trap of caricature. The two brothers are real (if odd) and the monks at the monastery are never more than ordinary people doing something that is very ordinary for them. The things that happen in the monastery are either completely incomprehensible ritual or simple domestic chores.Mostly simple domestic chores. Yet by the close of the film the brothers have clearly been saved by their experience. The one from the arrogance which forced his wife away from him, the other from the desparate need to hide from his real nature that (ironically) persuaded him that he should go to Japan. And all of this is very believeable.
My Japanese wife loved the portrayal of Japan in this as much as she hated that of Lost in Translation (which I liked), but both of us thought that the film makers had put the two foreigners into the same alien world and made it as funny or funnier, without any cheap shots at the Japanese. The cinema full of people I watched this with clearly agreed and a friend who saw it commented that she opened a napkin in a restaurant three days later and found herself laughing as a scene replayed itself in her mind. Watch it and you'll understand why.
One has been planning this for years, the other decides to go in a drunken moment brought on by his wife leaving him. They hate each other,they screw up, they get lost in Tokyo, they argue, they steal and, eventually, they wind up in the monastery. By the end of the film they have learned to like themselves and each other, you will have learned to like both of them, the monastery life will seem as attractive as it does strange and you will have giggled, tittered and laughed out loud through about half of the scenes in the film.
The film is well made, well acted and a lovely example of gentle humour combined with a real sympathy for everyone concerned.
At no point did it fall into the trap of caricature. The two brothers are real (if odd) and the monks at the monastery are never more than ordinary people doing something that is very ordinary for them. The things that happen in the monastery are either completely incomprehensible ritual or simple domestic chores.Mostly simple domestic chores. Yet by the close of the film the brothers have clearly been saved by their experience. The one from the arrogance which forced his wife away from him, the other from the desparate need to hide from his real nature that (ironically) persuaded him that he should go to Japan. And all of this is very believeable.
My Japanese wife loved the portrayal of Japan in this as much as she hated that of Lost in Translation (which I liked), but both of us thought that the film makers had put the two foreigners into the same alien world and made it as funny or funnier, without any cheap shots at the Japanese. The cinema full of people I watched this with clearly agreed and a friend who saw it commented that she opened a napkin in a restaurant three days later and found herself laughing as a scene replayed itself in her mind. Watch it and you'll understand why.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The tale of two middle-age German brothers learning to let go in a Japanese Zen monastery, this film may not lead to your own enlightenment, but it is guaranteed to provide a few laughs, as well perhaps as stimulate a moment or two of personal reflection.
The humor comes mostly from the sparks given off in the clash of cultures, in this case not only German/Japanese, but also Christian/Buddhist. Uwe's middle-class world is turned upside down when his wife leaves with the kids. His sympathetic brother Gustav takes him along to his meditation retreat at the Soto Zen monastery at Monzen (a real temple in Ishikawa prefecture). Before getting to the monastery and the more insightful part of the film, the brothers stumble through a number of misadventures in Tokyo.
Director Doris Dörrie appears like many westerner writers and filmmakers to have been overwhelmed with the glittery facade of Japan, including tired Asian philosophical cliches about emptiness and no-self. This actually works out fine within context; one might expect her two innocents abroad to be taken in by such bromides. Where her sensitivity shines through is in not only having her characters come to understand the significance in these cliches, but also in having them work out a framework into which to fit their Japan experiences that then gives their lives a trajectory for resolving inner conflicts.
Shot on digital video, the film looks more like a home movie. But unlike more expensive, better looking films that really do leave you feeling empty, Enlightenment Guaranteed will leave you with a warm feeling, a smile, and perhaps a new way to look at life.
#
The humor comes mostly from the sparks given off in the clash of cultures, in this case not only German/Japanese, but also Christian/Buddhist. Uwe's middle-class world is turned upside down when his wife leaves with the kids. His sympathetic brother Gustav takes him along to his meditation retreat at the Soto Zen monastery at Monzen (a real temple in Ishikawa prefecture). Before getting to the monastery and the more insightful part of the film, the brothers stumble through a number of misadventures in Tokyo.
Director Doris Dörrie appears like many westerner writers and filmmakers to have been overwhelmed with the glittery facade of Japan, including tired Asian philosophical cliches about emptiness and no-self. This actually works out fine within context; one might expect her two innocents abroad to be taken in by such bromides. Where her sensitivity shines through is in not only having her characters come to understand the significance in these cliches, but also in having them work out a framework into which to fit their Japan experiences that then gives their lives a trajectory for resolving inner conflicts.
Shot on digital video, the film looks more like a home movie. But unlike more expensive, better looking films that really do leave you feeling empty, Enlightenment Guaranteed will leave you with a warm feeling, a smile, and perhaps a new way to look at life.
#
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
29 reviews
59 of 60 people found the following review helpful
For any traveler who's ever been lost
19 Feb 2003
Format:DVD
If you have ever traveled, ever been out of your element, not spoken the language, not been familiar with the culture... this is the movie for you. On that level alone, this film is a gem.
In addition, there is a wonderfully gentle but transcendent Zen message lying underneath. These two hapless German brothers prove that when you've hit rock bottom, the one thing that is guaranteed to help is looking at things differently. Watching two middle-aged German men achieve a certain degree of Buddhist enlightenment is not only hilarious, it's also heartwarming.
When you first start watching the movie, you will think to yourself, "man, these are cruddy production values. It looks like it's on video tape." But by the end of the journey you will understand. And you will love it all the more for its untraditional production values. Because ultimately, the value of the film is not determined by the film's budget.
You only have to fall into one of the following categories to love this movie:
1) anyone who's traveled abroad
2) anyone who's looking for the answer to life's riddles
3) anyone who's interested in Buddhism
4) anyone who likes German movies
If you fit more than one category, you'll be in cinematic heaven.
44 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Meaning and enlightment where you least expect to find them
24 Feb 2003
On the surface, this movie appears to be about two brothers who are searching (often in very different ways) for meaning in their lives. One of them decides a trip to a Japanese monastery will further his steps toward enlightenment and peace. The other brother begs to go along because his wife has suddenly abandoned him. He is bereft and at loose ends and hysterical with grief. Against his better impulses, the other brother gives in -and the adventure begins.
Once they arrive in Tokyo, the brothers struggle to cope with the difficulties of being in a foreign country and not being able to speak the language They find even the smallest parts of everyday life difficult - getting taxis, ordering food, etc. But they think that they know how to find their way back to their hotel, using two large buildings as landmarks. Unfortunately, at night, the lights of the "landmark" buildings are turned off, which leaves the men disoriented and totally lost. Even worse, they have no money.
And that's when they are forced to fall back on their own resources, hitting rock bottom, panicking...and then finding their way up again (I won't go into detail here because the pleasure of this film comes in watching the experiences of the brothers).
By the time they get to the monastery, they have come a long way from their old life. Not that life is easy at the monastery but they are ready to change, ready to start the real struggle ahead of them.
If I've made this film sound very serious or intellectual, it isn't. There is humor, grace and plenty of surprises in this charming film as well as an exploration of what makes life meaningful - and why. One of those rare films that pushes the viewer to think... and well worth the time spent watching it.
Once they arrive in Tokyo, the brothers struggle to cope with the difficulties of being in a foreign country and not being able to speak the language They find even the smallest parts of everyday life difficult - getting taxis, ordering food, etc. But they think that they know how to find their way back to their hotel, using two large buildings as landmarks. Unfortunately, at night, the lights of the "landmark" buildings are turned off, which leaves the men disoriented and totally lost. Even worse, they have no money.
And that's when they are forced to fall back on their own resources, hitting rock bottom, panicking...and then finding their way up again (I won't go into detail here because the pleasure of this film comes in watching the experiences of the brothers).
By the time they get to the monastery, they have come a long way from their old life. Not that life is easy at the monastery but they are ready to change, ready to start the real struggle ahead of them.
If I've made this film sound very serious or intellectual, it isn't. There is humor, grace and plenty of surprises in this charming film as well as an exploration of what makes life meaningful - and why. One of those rare films that pushes the viewer to think... and well worth the time spent watching it.
29 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Zen as It Really Is, and Great Entertainment As Well
25 Jun 2004
Format:DVD
I finished watching this film last night, and found it wonderful. Afraid that, since it's in German with English subtitles, and about Japan and Zen, it might not get the boost it truly deserves in English-speaking areas, I decided to write my first review of anything here ever.
I was delighted to find a bunch of great and well-written reviews already here, so I don't need to say as much as I thought I might.
I am an American with European links who has lived in Japan several times for some years. I am a professor and I teach Japanese culture, lit., film, etc. In my opinion, this film lets you know how things really are in Japan now, and how the Zen temple tradition manages very well to coexist with a pretty materialistic and Americanized culture in Japan today.
It's also an account of what it's really like to come into contact with Japanese Buddhism, and later to find oneself somewhat changed by the encounter, in unexpected but good ways.
I have also been in Germany now and then, and the German scenes in the first part of the movie seem to me to ring very true in terms of what life is actually like there--since the makers are German, that is to be expected--though sometimes both Japanese and European directors create movies that are less realistic and cater to American stereotypical impressions instead.
Buy this DVD, get your friends to watch it, and perhaps you'll be transformed in your daily life as a result of seeing it--in the sorts of small ways that last and really count, as Gustav and Uwe are in the film.
The German dialogue in the film is clear and concise, like regular educated conversation, so it's easy to follow if you know some German. The subtitles are also well written and get the humor across too.
I hope Ms. Dorrie and her colleagues will make another one like this soon. Whether it's set in Japan or not, it's sure to be good. Ms. Dorrie's comments are also a good special feature, with some interesting points about how to make a good film on a budget of just one million dollars these days.
One last thing. By accident, I watched the first part, set in Germany, about the lives Gustav and his brother led there, and then I stopped for the evening a bit after they got to Japan. I figured the film was almost over, and I'd spend maybe a half hour watching the rest the next evening.
The Japan experience turned out to be in fact the most important part of the film, and and I had a great time watching it for another hour or so, because it was so absorbing, authentic and true to real life. It was like getting two films for the price of one--both really good. I think it may be good to watch the film in two sittings this way, but that's up to you.
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