Wheel of Time

Aroview: Completing Werner Herzog's recent documentary trinity (together with THE WHITE DIAMOND and GRIZZLY MAN), the German iconoclast lucidly absorbs the ritual of Buddhism at two gatherings of the faith: a congregation of half a million Buddhists in India, followed by a smaller and more intimate meeting in Austria.

As always, Herzog's captivation with the paradox of his subjects is evident, their constant forge against nature a recurring theme. Complemented by several intimate and moving portraits of monks involved in the Kalachakra initiation, this is appropriately subdued in design, forgoing lush intensity for a hushed, meditative approach. Most fascinating is the film's titular ceremony: the making of the mandala, an intricate mural composed of sand over many days, only to be wiped away when finished.

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