Wheel of Time

Director: Werner Herzog
Year Released: 2003
Rating: 3.0

Placid examination of the (to the uninitiated) strange world of Buddhism, its followers and the path to 'enlightenment'. This is the director at his most non-invasive, passively photographing the Monks making lunch or praying or gazing calmly at the slow and steady method of them making a sand Mandala. Of course, this distancing on Herzog's part means there isn't much critiquing going on or even 'tough questions' asked of the faithful or their leader, the Dalai Lama, but as a primer for those (like myself) with limited knowledge of the religion, it's a documentary that is both entertaining and a little illuminating.