Visually stunning think piece (Koyaanisqatsi (DVD))

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	Koyaanisqatsi (DVD)
Date:	25/07/09 (5 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great visuals

Disadvantages: Casual viewers will hate it

note: also appears on The Student Room in part.

Koyaanisqatsi is the first part of Godfrey Reggio's Qatsi trilogy of films, also including Powaqqatsi and Naqoyqatsi. It's not so much a film as it is an artistic experiment, and if you're a very casual viewer of film, you're likely to find this pretty frustrating to watch. If you can appreciate a film that is simply a visual experience without any narrative to speak of, then prepare to be captivated, although the film's format is still not without certain audience concessions.

The film is simply 90 minutes of various beautiful shots of cities and landscapes throughout the United States. The film's title is translated as "Life Out of Balance", and through Reggio's juxtaposition of the images of people, their environments, and their use of technology, he is able to synthesise meaning - to say that the way we live our lives, goverened by and ultimately reliant on technology is not what nature intended. A beautiful, if somewhat naive statement, it's nevertheless a captivating think piece that will undoubtedly stay with you for a while.

This isn't, in my opinion, quite as accomplished as the superb film Baraka, that operates under a similar mode of thought, but what this film really benefits from is Philip Glass's magnificent score, which creates a very palpable sense of atmosphere, and unmistakbly adds so much to the film's contemplative nature and aesthetic. Glass later graduated from this film to find greater success with more high profile fare such as The Truman Show and Notes on a Scandal.

Although frustratingly presented (with a narrative-free form), Koyaanisqatsi is a frequently hypnotic and meditative experience. Despite its dry and alienating format, it is beautifully shot and fantastically scored by Phillip Glass.

Summary: A thoughtful and beautiful film