Occasionally I just want to sit down and watch a film, any film, as long as it fits into a specific genre. I might say "I'm in the mood for a comedy" or "I could go for a kick ass slice of science fiction right now", and then I walk over to the wall o' film and find exactly what I am looking for to whet my appetite. As the clock struck midnight and a new day began, I realized what I was looking for at the moment. I didn't want to laugh, I didn't want to solve a puzzle, hell, I didn't even want to try to follow a plot.
I just wanted to see something beautiful.
My second viewing of Baraka and the power of the entire experience has not faded a bit. In fact, it may have grown even stronger. There is no narrative to these 97 minutes of cinema. There is no voice-over to guide us through the journey, to navigate our minds to what we should be absorbing from each location and situation, to persuade our hearts to ache during segments regarding poverty, past tragedies and death. This masterful film is a cinematic treasure that almost feels therapeutic when you open your soul to it and allow it to consume you. As an agnostic that refuses to embrace the idea of faith without evidence, Baraka is such a powerful testament to nature, humanity and life that it forces me to believe in a God.
Filmed with a graceful elegance and aided by a marvelous, sometimes haunting musical score, Baraka is a jarring and humbling experience. This world we occupy is so vast and gorgeous, yet also so cruel and unforgiving. To not appreciate the wonders that surround us each day would be a shame.
5/5
My favorites of these types of films are Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, and Naqoyqatsi. The music by Phillip Glass is entrancing.
ReplyDeleteI would rank mine: Bararka, Koyaanisqatsi and then Samsara. I have not seen the other two you mentioned. For whatever reason Baraka is the only one that actually moved me, the others are completely gorgeous but I wasn't "moved".
Delete