Documentary filmmaker Mickey Lemle (COMPASSION IN EXILE: THE STORY OF THE 14TH DALAI LAMA) opens his fascinating biopic of spiritual leader Ram Dass with two strikingly contrasted images--archival footage from 1969 showing the long-bearded, blissed-out guru intoning on the role of a... [More]

Documentary filmmaker Mickey Lemle (COMPASSION IN EXILE: THE STORY OF THE 14TH DALAI LAMA) opens his fascinating biopic of spiritual leader Ram Dass with two strikingly contrasted images--archival footage from 1969 showing the long-bearded, blissed-out guru intoning on the role of a yogi, and the present-day Dass, older and debilitated, struggling to lift his legs out of a car. These images reflect the film's dual mission: to illuminate Ram Dass' pivotal role as a spiritual guide in 1960s America, and to follow him on a new quest after suffering a stroke. Dass (formerly Richard Alpert) was a Harvard psychology professor, who with Timothy Leary spearheaded the movement to explore LSD's mind-expanding capabilities. Along with interviewing Dass' contemporaries, Lemle uses compelling archival footage of Dass' days at Harvard, the acid-tripping community at Millbrook, and his life-changing experience in India with guru Maharaj Ji. Layered between images from the guru's heyday, Lemle uses touching footage of Dass shot over a two-year period, as he struggles with the physical and emotional fallout from his stroke. The "fierce grace" of illness sets Dass on a new spiritual path and like his previous forays, makes for fascinating and insightful viewing. [Less]