Yang Zhang's Paths of The Soul is a stunning documentary chronicling the journey of a group of Tibetans as they pilgrimage to Lasa, the holy capital of Tibet. The first 15 minutes or so of the film take place before their pilgrimage begins, with the filmmakers spending the time to introduce the viewer to these character's environment. From a visual perspective, Paths of the Soul relies heavily on wide lens cinematography to capture the immense solitude of these characters who are utterly secluded in the mountains where they have a simple form of tranquility. Once these character do begin their pilgrimage, one that spans 1,200 km by foot, the scale of this expedition is felt in every frame of Paths of the Soul, serving as a strong reminder of the power faith can have on the individual. Making their journey more utterly disparaging, from an outsider's perspective, is their whole expedition involves them doing something called Kawtow, where they repetitiously prostrate themselves onto the ground via individual hand planks, creating a praying motion as they make this pilgrimage. Documenting them night and day, Paths of The Soul is a fantastic observational study, as the communal nature of this community begins to stand out, at least for someone like me who comes from the western world whose ideology stand for more individualist independence. One could argue it's by necessity, as these men, women and children venture over 10 months to their destination facing intense obstacles along the way. Their journey is full of beauty in the birth of a child, and despair in the death of a senior member, with Paths of Glory effectively capturing the full array of human emotion as these characters work together to complete their pilgrimage. The clash between the modern and the ancient world is also captured, with a significant part of the Tibetans journey being along a road way, where they are routinely passed by large Chinese trucks and other vehicles, reminders of the modern age. Above everything else though, I found Paths of Souls a fascinating study of the power of faith, with the Tibetans going through a lot and never showing much panic. There is a car accident that seriously damages their tractor, they don't panic, showing a docile nature that is without question directly related to their faith. It may be perceived as a weakness by some, but for those people I'd even suggest that must mean ignorance is bliss, as Paths of Glory demonstrates how relatively free of fear these characters are due to their religious faith. A powerful study of the human condition that is beautifully photographed, Paths of the Soul is a film that touches on every emotion in the human lexicon, being a powerful study of humanity and faith.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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