Bound by Non-action: The Art of Not Doing in The Banquet and Prince of the Himalayas

In their adaptations of Hamlet, the two Chinese films, The Banquet and Prince of the Himalayas, present the protagonists' dilemma from a very different light and emphasizes the role of non-action in their exploration of self-worth and the objective truth. As a popular Taoist practice, wu wei, as prince Wu Luan clearly shows, allows one to achieve integration with primordial nature. In politics, it helps one govern in the most natural and unselfconscious manner. For the Tibetan prince, Lhamoklodan, the Buddhist meditation is key to attaining the truth. This deliberate non-action helps the prince to discover his lineage and reach spiritual awakening. Neither of the films gives non-action an unqualified endorsement, however. An uncritical observance of wu wei leaves one vulnerable in the political world; for Buddhism, violence is sometimes justified, insofar as it helps a would-be wrong-doer avoid the accumulation of further negative karma.

Automated summary

These two films present the protagonists' dilemma from different perspectives and highlight the role of non-action in exploring self-worth and objective truth.