Movie

The Light of Asia

1925 · 97 min

A slow, earnest silent-era spiritual journey with striking imagery and a solemn, contemplative mood.

Directed by: Himansu Rai, Franz Osten
Genres: Drama
Starring: Seeta Devi, Himansu Rai, Sarada Ukil

Overview: Living an indolent life in a luxurious palace, Prince Gautama (Rai) is insulated by his family from the harshness of the world outside. But he is destined to learn greater truths: shocked to discover the pain and suffering of so many in his kingdom, he abandons his privileged existence, and his wife Gopa (Seeta Devi), to become a wandering teacher, eventually finding enlightenment and founding Buddhism. Featuring superimposed images and deep-focus shots that were highly impressive for the time, Light of Asia astutely combines a deeply felt spirituality with the surefire attraction of Indian exotica, which helped make it a considerable success in Europe.

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In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.

Directed by: Himansu Rai, Franz Osten
Genres: Drama
Starring: Seeta Devi, Himansu Rai, Sarada Ukil

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: earneststrength 3 of 3
melancholicstrength 2 of 3
warmstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: faith
identity
isolation
family
survival
Places: single country house
countryside
Era: period
Audience: adult
Form: true story
Content intensity: Gore none
Language none
Violence mild
Sex none

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	1
Horror	0
Humour	1
Realism	6
Romance	2
Tension	3
Darkness	4
Complexity	5
Emotional weight	7

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Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres: drama
Directed by: Himansu Rai, Franz Osten
Written by: Edwin Arnold, Niranjan Pal
Starring: Seeta Devi, Himansu Rai, Sarada Ukil, Rani Bala, Prafulla Roy, Modhu Bose, Mrinalini Devi, Sunalini Devi
Music: Hansheinrich Dransmann
Cinematography: Josef Wirsching, Willi Kiermeier
Runtime: 97 min
Country: Germany, India
Languages: No Language

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The Light of Asia

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