When you’re talking about documentaries built around epic scale photography and a lot of time lapsing, Koyaanisqatsi and its Qatsi cousins speak in booming, serious tones. Baraka is a peaceful meditation on our relationship with the world through technology, religion and the environment. Directed by Ron Fricke, the director of photography on Koyaanisqatsi, a man who considers himself an expert on “humanity’s relationship to the eternal”, it features incredible vistas, haunting music, whirling Dervishes, Balinese monks, and Snow Monkeys floating in their Japanese hot springs – it is a beautiful film, simply sublime. The kind of filmmaker that someone like Tarsem Singh aspires to be, Ron Fricke is.
Shot in 70mm, double the size of traditional film stock, I recommend you see it in high definition to take full advantage of the footage shot in over 24 countries over the course of 20 years. Roger Ebert describes the blu-ray as the finest video disc he has ever viewed or ever imagined. I consider it closely related to Microcosmos, but only because I used to watch them as a double feature at the local theatre where we’d trip the light fantastic on the upper balcony. And unlike Microcosmos, that makes use of little bits of poetry throughout, nary a word is spoken in Baraka. But don’t let that keep you from chatting a little when you’re watching it, unlike me who sat awestruck when I saw it for the first time on DVD.
Ron Fricke is apparently in the process of making a sequel to Baraka, called Samsara. It’s being shot on large format film as well, with cameras that Fricke and his crew built themselves. It will apparently be released in 2011.
Question: Have you seen Baraka? Do you have any favourites that are anything like it?
[...] break Boy A and Baraka out of the Vault and talk about the trailers for 127 Hours and The Walking [...]
I have Baraka on that special paper Blu-Ray. I’m not a fan of the case, but everything else is absolutely stunning. Best looking and sounding Blu-Ray ever made so far. 1992 but it looks like it was shot yesterday. The power of 70mm. Did you see the special feature on the disc, about the way they shot and processed the film?
The scenes that stick out in my mind: The Balinese monks. The giant tree falling down. The factory where they toss around the little chicks. Just haunting.
All I’ve owned is the DVD – which is incedible just on it’s own – but since hearing about how great it is on blu-ray, I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to keep my true nature at bay and hold off from adding it to the collection.
There is so much great stuff in the movie, one of the scenes that always sticks out in my mind is that Japanese monk that rings a bell every time he takes a step. Totally reminds me of a chapter from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. But yeah, I love those Balinese monks, my buddy has a variant of the chant on DVD – so powerful! And so cool!
It’s a must buy.You must succumb to the most basic primal human need, which is of course, buying blu-rays
That scene is great, Steve. I also want to see Chronos, soon! I heard it was pretty similar to Baraka.
It’s funny that you mention Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. It’s on this book list, which I am currently undertaking:
http://artofmanliness.com/2008/05/14/100-must-read-books-the-essential-mans-library/
I’ll put it on high priority, and I’ll let you know when I read it
.
Well, my birthday’s coming up… We’ll see what the Gift Certificate Fairy leaves under my pillow and go from there…
Check out Microcosmos, The Fall and the Qatsi movies, of course. I’ll be counting down the days for Samsara.
Zen’ is a great book – the major lessons that stuck with me were “Right thinking creates right action” and “The longest journey begins with a single step”. It’s a long one, but the journey’s worth it.