Immerse Yourself in Godfrey Reggio’s “Qatsi” Trilogy

During the early period of my discovery and exploration of all things related to Philip Glass, I stumbled upon a remarkable movie called Koyaaniaqatsi. Actually, its not what most would call a traditional movie by just about any definition, outside of qualifying as a feature film in length. Truth is, this is more of an artistic audio-visual meditation than a narrative film telling a story. There’s no plot, no characters, no dialogue or even any story at all. The closest you could get would be to say the film has an underlying message its attempting to convey, and that it surely does. However, even this “message” is entirely open to the individual viewer’s interpretation. The best way I can describe this film, in short, would be to say this: Imagine you’re walking through a massive gallery, very dimly lit except for the distinctly intentional spotlighting of several hundred captivating color photographs on display in vivid color and detail. As a viewer of these images, you’re propelled along through this gallery on a people-mover (like those in the airport), effectively removing your ability to navigate this gallery of images at your own pace. On top of this, the entire journey is accompanied by a mesmerizing instrumental score by Philip Glass, utilizing the musical apparatus of various cultures combined brilliantly to evoke the most hypnotizing sense of power and emotion. Now, do you “really” need a plot to experience something as unique as that?

Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance (1982) was made by Godfrey Reggio who pioneered this unique style of filmmaking that combines powerfully poetic images, deliberately edited to an instrumental score to convey a meaningful message or emotion. Another later successful film similar to this was Baraka (1992) by Ron Fricke, who also happened to work with Reggio on Koyaanisqatsi. This film carries a clearly intentioned message on the state of our balance as humans between nature and civilization. The film opens on a series of superbly photographed shots documenting poor workers in Brazil. The shots are often in motion and the sequence is set to a piece of music by Glass accompanied by the chanting of the Hopi indian phrase koyaanisqatsi, which means “life out of balance.”

Powaqqatsi: Life in Transformation (1988) is the second installment from Reggio in this same vein of beautifully experimental documentary. In this installment, Reggio explores the relationship and effects of the planet in transition towards a more technology-driven society, focusing on developing nations as the Western influence takes hold. Equally vivid and compelling, Powaqqatsi is a fine follow-up to his original Koyaanisqatsi. Naqoyqatsi: Life as War (2002) is Reggio’s third, and presumably final, installment in the trilogy. This film deals much more directly with modern society and our obsession with technology and our continued regression from nature. As the title suggests, Naqoyqatsi is just as amazing to watch but is less peaceful and more intrusive. While its definitely a masterful work of social commentary and maintains the audio-visual appeal of the first two films, I found this third project slightly less enjoyable than the first two.

The first two films have been a part of my personal DVD library for several years now. I viewed them each multiple times and I can honestly say they never get old or loose their luster. Whether or not you’re a “tree hugger” or “environmental nut” doesn’t really matter … these films transcend beyond their message and enter a whole new realm of cinematic art. If there’s nothing else I can possibly say to convince everyone to experience these films for themselves, it would be that they deserve the kind of one time viewing and open-minded appreciation that any work of art on display in a museum would get. If, after that, you find yourself unmoved or uninterested … so be it. Not all art will have the same affect on every viewer, but at least then you would know for yourself. Seriously though, I find it difficult to believe anyone could experience these films without being the lest bit inspired.