Baraka

I don't see a dedicated thread for this movie on the list yet, which honestly feels like a massive oversight.

Has anyone else actually sat through this? What did you all think?
In my opinion—and I know that’s a bold claim—even though there isn't a single word of dialogue in the whole thing, it says way more than most big-budget blockbusters ever could. Honestly, I'm not even sure there are enough words in the English language to properly describe what this film does. 🙏

I haven't actually sat down to watch it yet, though I've been meaning to...

I assume you're familiar with Koyaanisqatsi? It’s the first installment in that series, and apparently, they spent eight years filming it.

I haven't gotten around to the sequels—Powaqatsi or Nagoyaqatsi—nor have I seen Baraka, but the consensus seems to be that Koyaanisqatsi remains the standout masterpiece.

I happen to have a copy on DivX if you're interested in borrowing it...

Maybe we can work out some kind of swap 🙂

Anyone interested in a DVD?

Ashley Brown81 said:I don't think there's a thread for this movie on the list yet—definitely deserves one though.

anyone else seen it? what'd you guys think..
imho, even without a single line of dialogue, it says way more than most movies out there.. honestly, there aren't even words to describe this thing 🙏

heh, I finally grabbed a projector a few days ago, so I rewatched Baraka—probably for the millionth time—and was actually gonna start a thread about it... you beat me to it.

it's a silent film that leaves you speechless... just totally mesmerizing...
I remember telling someone once that my only gripe was how it doesn't explain certain things—I kept wanting to know the "why" behind some of those shots...

anyway, Baraka👍 👍 👍

Raymond Palmer88 said:...the only real flaw I can find is that the movie leaves some things totally unexplained—stuff I don't recognize at all, even though I'm dying to know what's actually going on...

I honestly think he did that on purpose—you know, to push you to actually go out and explore the world you're living in instead of just sitting there.🙂

What an absolutely phenomenal series of films... I used to consider Baraka my absolute favorite, but after several years and countless rewatches, I find myself thinking Koyaanisqatsi is actually the superior work. And Philip Glass! The score provides such a sense of cohesion... those slow, deliberate pans during the portraits, followed by a sudden cut to a time-lapse, and then back to a static portrait... it is simply breathtaking. Some critics have even labeled them "absolute films" (I believe Coppola was among those who held such an opinion). It truly is incredible to think about how such a small group of people could produce both the Qatsi trilogy and Baraka..

www.qatsi.com

There is so much information to digest here—for instance, if you weren't already aware, the director Godfrey Reggio spent roughly seven or eight years in a state of deep meditation while waiting in line in Asia. He eventually returned to the West and created Koyaanisqatsi..🙂

The first time I sat down to watch Koyaanisqatsi, my immediate thought was: this might actually be the greatest film ever captured on celluloid.

My perspective hasn't shifted since that moment. Perhaps the error lies in our insistence that a film requires characters, a plot, or a traditional narrative arc to hold weight. Once you sit with it and analyze the structure, you realize the Qatsi trilogy possesses all those elements, just through an entirely different conceptual lens.

There is a strange psychological tendency to dismiss these works as mere documentaries while ignoring their cinematic artistry, though logic suggests otherwise.

If one accepts it as a legitimate piece of cinema, then it truly is—as Ethan Howard45 pointed out—an absolute masterpiece.

One could debate this work indefinitely. From its breathtaking cinematography to its deep philosophical undertones, this audiovisual symphony stands as perhaps the most significant achievement in the history of motion pictures.

Listen, if anyone is interested, I have the original DVDs of Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqatsi in my collection.

Ashley Brown81, send me a private message if you're interested in a trade.

Honestly, folks, *Baraka* is an absolute masterpiece... nearly three hours of pure immersion. The score is incredible, and those landscapes—they feel worlds away yet strangely intimate at the same time.
Give it a watch, seriously.
🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏