Review: Koyaanisqatsi (1983) · 6:33pm Aug 20th, 2015
To try to put a film as purely visual as Koyaanisqatsi into words is an incredibly difficult task. This film exists on it's own plain of existence, and within it's own universe, conforming to neither documentary or narrative film, but rather it's own, borderline spiritual and meditative experience wholly unlike any other.
A complex visual tapestry of imagery tied together with possibly one of the greatest film scores ever written, Koyaanisqatsi simply presents the imagery without narrative or prior prejudice, instead allowing it to speak for itself. From dreamlike clouds ebbing over the mountains, to the manic swirl of urban life, to the final, almost apocalyptic image of a destroyed rocket engine tumbling to Earth, the film plays like an extended dream derived from absorbing the world around us and trying our best to make sense of a world that is, at it's heart, wildly chaotic.
Out of all the sequences though, one stands above all others, and that is the fantastically frenetic 'The Grid'. A swirling 20 minute torrent of modern life, The Grid explodes across the screen and takes you on an increasingly dreamlike and borderline hallucinatory ride through the modern life of the 1980s, providing both a time capsule of that era, and a brilliantly timeless metaphor for our existence as humans. Few sequences have made me so in awe of our achievements, or so entranced by the supposedly mundane. As the tempo increases and editing becomes more and more frenetic, I was drawn into a borderline euphoric state.
And it's very likely that this experience would have been sorely lacking were it not for Philip Glass' iconic and incredibly wondrous score. Constantly ebbing and flowing in a meditative trance, Glass' music provides context and an emotional anchor for the imagery, and not only functions as a vital part of the cinematic experience of the film, but also as a stand alone work of music.
Koyaanisqatsi is obviously not a film for everyone. It has no plot, no dialogue, and no apparent message beyond what the imagery shows. But for those willing to approach it with an open mind and a willingness to just take in pure imagery, it's a ride quite unlike any other.
5 out of 5.
