Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance

“Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance”
Godfrey Reggio, 1983

There is no narrative, nor are there any characters to hold our interest. This wonderful experimental film, presented by Francis Ford Coppola, instead relies on its photography, by Ron Fricke, and its score, by Philip Glass, to create a mesmerizing atmosphere. The first twenty minutes are merely comprised of beautiful shots of nature that are taken from around the world; all the while Glass's score hums in the background, providing a backbone that complements the stately rhythm of the film's editing. I was thinking, up to this point, that "Koyaanisqatsi" would continue to be like an unusually well-produced program that one would find on the Discovery Channel. But then, the humans arrive.

What I find most fascinating about Godfrey's film is that it doesn't treat its human subjects any differently from the ones found in nature. For both subjects, Reggio's film tends to go to the extremes, using both slow-motion and time-lapse shots, and it is organized into blocs of common themes: landscape shots, buildings undergoing demolition, extreme long shots of cars, speeded up, flying through freeway lanes like atoms, people milling about train stations. And only a film like this would feature a three-minute long, slow-motion, extreme telephoto shot of a 747 taxiing on a runway.

So, what is the point? This is a film that, through its beautiful images and its experimental soundtrack, washes over us and creates an unique atmosphere. Its purpose, I think, is to provide a different perspective on our existence, one that simultaneously trivializes and makes us aware of our imperceptible daily activities. I initially thought this film's purpose was to blame humans for ruining nature, as is evident in our first view of humans, which is a low angle shot of a giant mining vehicle that features an ominous score. But ultimately, this is a film that reminds us to take a step back, to appreciate our place in the world, in light of how many other humans and aspects of nature exist in a larger context. Are we really all that special? Is all our work in vain, in light of how huge our planet really is? Even if the answers to these questions are never fully answered, this film is, at the very least, an incredibly beautiful and haunting experience.

Rating: Mesmerizing

First Viewed: 7/20/08, on DVD
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