Master of Zen (1994)

"All you see is an illusion"

Master of Zen must have been a deeply personal project for Brandy Yuen. He was the director, writer, martial arts director and producer for this film. Based on the legends of Bodhi Dharma who is believed to have brought Chan (Zen) Buddhism to China and even given the Shaolin monks the basis of their kung fu. I do not practice Buddhism and do not have much knowledge of the history of this story so my review will be based on my opinion of the artistic merit of the film.

A third prince in India has a vision of himself as an old man when he’s out in the woods. Later, a Buddhist monk gives him this message, “Before my birth who was I to be? After I was born who became me?” Despite being the crown prince, he leaves the palace and goes to study Buddhism. He is renamed Bodhi Dharma. Sixty years later he makes the arduous three-year journey to south China. His message is often rejected as he travels among the populace as he is for being a foreigner. When he finds a cave at the backend of the Shaolin temple property, he begins his nine-year meditation without food or water that will change the perception about him. Elsewhere in China, a young monk is attempting to overcome his guilt over his bloody past. His journey will eventually bring him to Bodhi Dharma’s cave.

The presentation of the film was perplexing. It often came across as a documentary re-enactment, but then strayed into very magical wire-fu. The editing was painfully off-kilter. The most distracting aspect was Derek Yee’s makeup, from his early very dark brown makeup which lightened with each passing year. But most awful was his old man makeup. According to the film, he would had to have been at least in his 80’s. His aging prosthetics were abysmal. He looked much better when he hit 150 years old and lost the badly puckered brow ridge.

If you are looking for the miracles, many of them were in the film. There were also plenty of inspirational conversations and visits to temples. I just stumbled over the acting, and awkward stitching together of the stories. The scenery alternated between epic mountains and desert vistas to lower budget sets. If you are familiar with the stories and wish to see them on film, this may be a film to try. If not, the drawbacks may outweigh the more entertaining parts.

15 May 2026

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