Scorsese’s ‘Kundun’ Banned by Disney, Much to China’s Delight

Scorsese’s “Kundun” was uncharted territory for him. It was released in 1997 to semi-positive reviews, no Oscar buzz and total bewilderment from his fans, who probably expected another mob movie, as he had just come off “Casino” two years earlier.

This was a very personal story for Scorsese, tackling the true story of Tibet's 14th Dalai Lama and his struggle to rule. It was a lofty, meditative but very beautifully photographed film.

However, the movie’s existence infuriated China, which considers the Dalai Lama, who wishes to break free of Chinese control, as a “threat.”

When China heard that cameras had started rolling on “Kundun” in 1996, Disney received a call from the Chinese embassy. It said the Chinese government was very angry about the whole thing. “We are resolutely opposed to the making of this movie,” said a Chinese film bureau official. “It is intended to glorify the Dalai Lama, so it is an interference in China’s internal affairs.”

“All of our business in China stopped overnight,” Disney CEO Michael Eisner told The New York Times. Scorsese is actually still banned from entering China because of “Kundun.”

Here’s Christian Toto explaining the damage control that Disney had to partake in to appease the Chinese Government backlash:

In October 1998, Disney CEO Michael Eisner met with Chinese premier Zhu Rongji to discuss plans to build a Disney theme park in China. Of Kundun he said, “The bad news is that the film was made; the good news is that nobody watched it.” He continued, adding, “Here I want to apologize, and in the future we should prevent this sort of thing, which insults our friends, from happening.”

It didn’t end there. China wanted to continue humiliating Disney by forcing them to buy the distribution rights to a pair of Chinese films and hire a Chinese performance group to help promote “Mulan” in Europe. This is how gangsters work.

The result? Twenty-six years after its release, Disney is keeping “Kundun” in a vault. Nobody is allowed to watch it. It’s not available to screen anywhere. An official trailer has been scratched off the internet. The only way to watch “Kundun” is to illegally download it on a Torrents site.

It’s also hard to find “Kundun” on physical media. Several Blu-ray editions of the film are marked “currently unavailable” on Amazon You have to buy non-USA formats if you’re eager to revisit the film.

The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) investigated “Kundun’s” cultural banishment last month. They ended up producing a YouTube video titled, “The Movie Disney Doesn’t Want You to See,” which then went viral, garnering many clicks, but not really being covered by many journalists, save for Christian Toto.

If you’re a Scorsese completist, and intend to watch his entire filmography, then good luck finding “Kundun.”