Written and directed by Godfrey Reggio, Naqoyqatsi is the third film of the Qatsi trilogy that explores civilization as it goes from the natural world to a more technological world. A more daring film than its predecessors, the film goes into ideas of what might happen as it is told in a various degree of styles. Especially as it plays into the non-narrative approach of Reggio’s previous films. The result is a chilling yet astonishing film about a world that has entered into a civilized form of chaos.
Translated from the Hopi language, the film’s title means life as war where the film plays into an idea of a world where it has transitioned from a natural world into a more technological-based world that is driven by numbers. Told through a mixture of found-footage, stock footage, time-lapse images, and slow-motion all through a digital yet virtual presentation. Godfrey Reggio creates something where it plays into a world where technology has taken over and everything becomes less realistic but also filled with a sense of chaos where it is a part of life that is becoming more troubled. With the help of editor and visual effects designer Jon Kane and through the music score of Philip Glass, Reggio creates the film as if it is driven by ideas of virtual images that displays a sense of chaos where the natural world is becoming more extinct as it is surrounded by images of binary numbers.
With the help of cinematographer Russell Lee Fine, with additional photography by Timothy Housel and John Bailey, the film has this very de-colored look to play into something that feels like a virtual reality where even celebrities become created by computers and such as if it‘s a world that is starting to lose itself. Kane‘s editing would also display that sense of chaos where he and Reggio would infuse images of military marches and such to play into the sense of humanity devolving into something that feels more machine-like. Glass’ music would also intensify this new sense of transition with its broad and ominous score that would include some somber pieces that is led by the cello solos of Yo-Yo Ma as it laments into a world that is losing itself. Even as it would lead to conflict as the montages of people fighting each other whether it’s in war or protest marches
With the help of sound designer Steve Boeddeker, the film’s music would help maintain a sense of rhythm to the film as it would progress from something serene yet discerning such as the image of the tower of Babel to the images of war. Though Reggio’s message about technology taking over the natural world might not come across everyone as it might be too cerebral or far-fetched for some. It does showcase what might happen if the world is driven by machines and technology without the concept of natural resources.
Naqoyqatsi is a remarkable film from Godfrey Reggio. Though it may not have the exhilarating yet naturalistic images of its predecessors, it is still an engaging film that explores a world where everything becomes driven by technology and chaos. Even as Reggio showcases what it would be like through the early ideas of digital filmmaking at its finest. In the end, Naqoyqatsi is a phenomenal film from Godfrey Reggio.
Godfrey Reggio Films: Koyaanisqatsi - Powaqqatsi - (Visitors (2013 film))
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by Godfrey Reggio and written by Reggio and Ken Richards, Powaqqatsi is the second film of the Qatsi trilogy as it focuses on the industrial age as third world countries struggle with their traditional ways of life and their conflict with the emergence of modernism. Like its predecessor Koyaanisqatsi, the film is told in a non-narrative style that explores a world that is in great struggle with the demands of modern society. The result is an eerie yet ravishing film from Godfrey Reggio.
The film’s title is translated from the Hopi language as life in transition as the film explores third world countries like Peru, Brazil, Kenya, Nepal, and India adjusting to the world of industry and modernism while wanting to maintain their old way of life. Especially as it creates a sense of disharmony where people who don’t live in cities want to maintain a way of life that is very simple and not complicated as opposed to the city that is often dirty and chaotic. It’s a film that not only conveys that message in a way that is both beautiful and unsettling but also infuse with ideas of spirituality where the world of industry wants to modernize things only to cause pollution and despair. The film does have a unique structure as its first half largely features these gorgeous images of a world that isn’t modernized yet has no need to be.
The images that director Godfrey Reggio and his cinematographers Graham Berry and Leonidas Zourdoumis reveal in that first half are just gorgeous as it’s a world where time slows down as everyone does something where they’re in a place full of nature and beauty. Though not everything is great, at least it doesn’t have to deal with technology and such as they know what they need and what they don’t need. Through their work in farming and such, there is a spiritual element that makes it seem so pure as Reggio shoots most of it in slow-motion and in normal time. Once the film reaches its second act and plays into this transformation of a life of tradition colliding with the emergence of modernism. Much of the direction in both halves are filled with some close-ups, wide shots, and medium shots as well as some aerial shots to play into that world that is transforming.
With the help of editors Iris Cahn and Alton Walpole, the film starts off in this meditative approach filled with slow-motion shots and stylish montages filled with dissolving layers of images as it would later be sped-up a bit in the film‘s second half. Notably as the images that Reggio and his cinematographers showcase will be filled with this strange mix of people trying to maintain their simple way of life amidst the chaos of the city and modern world. Adding to the disparate tone of the film is the music by Philip Glass as his score is this mix of bombastic yet low-key orchestral music with brooding electronic minimalism. Much of it involves sound textures that play into this conflict that is happening in the film as Reggio maintains that sense of intoxicating imagery to play into a world that is transforming.
Powaqqatsi is a phenomenal film from Godfrey Reggio as it’s definitely a worthy follow-up to its predecessor Koyaanisqatsi. The film itself does stand on its own for not just the way it place into a world that is being forced to change into the modern world but the struggle to maintain an old way of life. In the end, Powaqqatsi is a remarkable film from Godfrey Reggio.
Godfrey Reggio Films: Koyaanisqatsi - Naqoyqatsi - (Visitors (2013 film))
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by Godfrey Reggio, Koyaanisqatsi is a non-narrative documentary that explores a world that is ever-changing where humans become dependent on technology at a rapid pace. With the film’s title defined as life out of balance, it’s a visually-entrancing film that explores a world that is becoming lost by modern society that destroys old and peaceful environments for something new and discomforting. The result is one of the most groundbreaking films that redefines the idea of documentary and cinema itself.
The film is a non-narrative piece that explores the world shot in the span of a few years about the modern world becoming more engrossed by technology and such to the point that humanity becomes somewhat more machine-like as the sense of natural orders and such cease to exist. Even as time starts to move much faster at a pace that is dizzying where some people couldn’t even keep up that speed. It’s a world that director Godfrey Reggio is stating as the film’s title translation is life out of balance in the Hopi language. What he states definitely has a lot of truth as he begins the film with images of old cave drawings and images of mountains, lakes, and landscapes that have such beauty as it is a world that isn’t in need of any change.
Through the entrancing cinematography of Ron Fricke who co-edit’s the film with Anton Walpole, the film would start out as this calm and serene with these images of clouds moving and sunlight beaming on the landscape. With the help of Philip Glass’ ominous score that is a mixture of operatic, orchestral bombast with eerie and dense electronic music. With additional music from Michael Hoenig, the music would intensify to play into the chaotic moments of the film such as the images of a modern world working at a rapid pace as Fricke and Walpole’s editing has a sense of style through the cutting to showcase images where everything is fast though there’s shots of people moving slowly as they’re either oblivious or unable to keep up with the world around them.
The image of life in the cities of New York and Los Angeles moving at such a rapid pace all in the span of 24 hours showcase some entrancing images through Fricke’s camera as there’s a richness but also an ugliness to these images. Images that includes a shot of the beach where the camera would move back to showcase a power-plant in the background. There’s also a lot of visual metaphors about the way people work and walk through escalators and such in contrast to the way hot dog wieners and Twinkies are moving around in assembly lines. All of which play to a world that is ravaged by this chaos where things are moving too fast as they’re disrupting some of the natural environments around them. Overall, Reggio creates a truly mesmerizing and astonishing film about a world troubled by modernism and humanity losing it sense of balance.
Koyaanisqatsi is a tremendous film from Godfrey Reggio. Not only is it one of the most visually-entrancing films of its kind as it re-defines the idea of what a documentary can be. It’s also a film that showcases that not relying on a narrative or any kind of structure that is akin to cinema can happen if done properly if all that is needed is just striking images and captivating music to help tell the story thanks in part to cinematographer Ron Fricke and music composer Philip Glass. In the end, Koyaanisqatsi is a magnificent film from Godfrey Reggio.
Godfrey Reggio Films: Powaqqatsi - Naqoyqatsi - (Visitors (2013 film))
© thevoid99 2014
