Movies

A Zen Movie describes a motion picture that is said to have a Zen-like undercurrent, or a significant sequence where there is a "Zen moment". Zen movies are often sparce, quiet, observing, with attention to detail and lingering scenes without comment.

A typical example would be character that arrives at a conclusion that requires no explanation, because all other options have run out. An act of surrender maybe. For example, Phil Connors (Bill Murray) in the film Groundhog Day, comes to the realisation that he is stuck in a time loop, where his days repeat themselves over and over again. At first he tries to escape from it, but eventually resigns himself to the situation, and makes the most of it.

Films that require little dialogue, or explanation to the events being portrayed may also be seen as Zen Movies. The main characters in the film Two-Lane Blacktop for example don't have names; they are just credited as "The Driver", "The Girl", "The Mechanic". They are each portrayed as people that drift through life, in a care-free, natural spontaneous way.

Examples

Entire Films

• Amazing Grace
• Groundhog Day
• Koyaanisqatsi & Powaqqatsi
• The Razor's Edge
• Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring
• Two-Lane Blacktop
• Why Did Bodhi-Dharma Leave for the East?

Excepts

• Altered States Scene of being swept away like the sands of the Ganges, scene of being saved from the inferno of raw creation by a loving embrace.
• Big Night The entire final scene.
• The Black Stallion Young boy with horse on the beach
• Contact Scene on the beach, quiet, sparkly, letting the sand run glittering over your hand, a kiss on the cheek from a loving father.
• Fearless Scene at the end as the plane goes down
• Jesus of Montreal Scene in the subway, warning of the apocalypse
• Nell Scene of swimming in the lake of Eden.
• Runaway Train Scene at the end, standing on top of the roaring out-of-control train as it speeds towards oblivion, silence.
• The Scent of Green Papaya slow-moving and each shot has an exquisite meditative quality.