Naqoyqatsi
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Movie Reviews of Naqoyqatsi
Movie Review: Great way to end the trilogy
Summary: 5 Stars
Superb last part in the trilogy although it's tough to beat the first one(like most movies that have sequels). It has mesmerizing images with sad sounding music. Very good A++.Movie Review: best movie ever!
Summary: 5 Stars
if you're into powerful music and amazing images designed to deliver a message to humankind, you would LOVE this movie!Movie Review: Unusual Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a rather unusual movie. No talking. Just images. I really like it, but I am a little weird.Movie Review: Time wil tell what this film holds...
Summary: 4 Stars
This film is very much absorbed in the present. It's difficult to review this film without comparison to its predecessors but then again it is a trilogy. However, as Glass notes in the bonus material, no one was waiting for Koyaanisqatsi so the expectations were not as high. As Koyaanisqatsi was filmed solely in the U.S. and focused mostly on things and as Powaqqatsi focused mostly on people from 'other' countries, this one kind of transcends any such distinction. It takes place in the digital world, something of a shadow of the real world. I suppose that's the point.Yo Yo Ma's contribution to Glass' score is stunning and it seemed to me to be timed with the imagery on the screen, something the other two films did not do, at least not so on cue. As such, his music definitely sets the feel of this film.
The first several minutes are some of the most stunning of the trilogy. If you see it, you'll get it. I thought it would set the tone for the film. It doesn't; it is a transition from the real world to our modern world in digital effect.
As for the film itself, it is radically different in tone than the other two. Almost every single frame is laced with digitial manipulation, symbolic perhaps but oftentimes rather tedious. As with the other two films, there are some stunning images that will remain with you after you've watched the film. The images are not new and fresh but are recycled with a twist. This is not necessarily a negative but the argument could be made that it is like colorizing classic black and white films.
There are moments of poetry and genius that arise in the film and in that this it is a worthwhile journey to undertake. The images kind of wash over you slowly. There are statements made about our world, some subtle some not so subtle, and there is definitely a message behind the film. The opening reveals the transition from the industrial age to the birth of the information age and how humanity is being swallowed by its own genius.
Perhaps my only real criticism would be the 'extras'. Perhaps we're being spoiled (or sucked in) to the whole DVD thing and the proliferation of bonus material. Aside from the panel discussion held at NYU, the extras on this DVD are rather lame. The discussion is quite interesting but much of what is said can be found in the bonus materials on the other two DVDs. Then again, the recycling of most everything seems to be indicative of the modern age.
I'm not sure about the whole concern of the 'proper' transfer. Just watch the scene with the famous faces and the effect seems perfect, something you couldn't accomplish with the 'proper' transfer. As noted above, this whole discussion of perfect and proper and exacty is exactly the point of the film (if you allow your irony meter to run on full) and truly time will tell just how 'prophetic' this film really is.
Movie Review: Great End to A Great Trilogy
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought the Naqoyqatsi DVD yesterday and have watched it two times since. My first impression was that this third in the Qatsi Trilogy was a lot like the first film only more hectic. I watched it a second time and it seemed a lot slower and not just a jumble of flashy digital images. On first viewing, I found the ending a bit disappointing but on the second viewing I was allowed to look more into the images. The film is great piece of art but still isn't as coheisive as Koyaanisqatsi. The music is probably what holds Naqoyqatsi together so well. The marriage of image and music is perfect. The DVD has a extremely short clip of Steven Soderburg and Godfrey Reggio talking about the film which isn't all that important. There is a conversation with Yo-yo Ma and Phillip Glass which is nice to have on the DVD but really doesn't give that much insight on the movie. Probably the best extra of the DVD is the NYU Panel Discussion with Godfrey Reggio, Phillip Glass, and Visual Designer Jon Kane.
Some could call this just one long MTV video but I think it holds more substance than that. The message of the film could definitely be different for everyone but, I find that the message of the movie is that life is a stuggle, a struggle against technology, society, religion, and the future. Personally this is my second favorite "qatsi" film, second only to the first film. This is a great conclusion to a wonderful trilogy and should not be missed by fans of the Qatsi trilogy.