Customer Reviews

Powaqqatsi - Life in Transformation

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When I first watched this film last night, I was rather disappointed. It was different in a BIG way from "Koyaanisqatsi". I then went to sleep going over the images that I saw in this film as I slept. The next morning, I had myself set down to watch it again. I learned this time, that my perspective was all wrong. I thought, probably just like everybody else, that this second installment of the "qatsi" trilogy was suppose to be more of what we saw in "Koyaanisqatsi." We shouldn't think this way at all. Don't connect these two films as if they belong together. They ARE two separate projects with two separate ideas to be viewed with the mind's eye.

"Powaqqatsi" is a masterful piece of work addressing a cold and/or warm view of several third world countries. Godfrey Reggio gave us this visual exactly as we should see it. Maybe it wasn't as FUN to watch as "Koyaaniqatsi", but, I really don't think Reggio is trying to entertain us, as much as he is trying to inform us about our world without the use of words. Which, in itself, is an act of genius. To tell us what he is showing us, would present it all as "some guy's opinion" which could arouse doubt and argument. He gave us the world in a way that allows us to say what we see and can form our own opinion of what we see. This allows everyone to walk away from this film with a different perspective than somebody sitting right beside them watching it.

This film is definitely very colorful. There is beauty in the devastation. Plus there is unpleasant discourse in what seems to present a sense of order. All in all, it's a window to another part of the world that we may never see in our own real lives.

However, if you still have doubts about the integrity of "Powaqqatsi." Think of this DVD as a great music video collection from "Philip Glass". The music on this DVD is truly awesome! And much more glorifying, as a whole, than the music of "Koyaanisqatsi". "Powaqqatsi" is a great DVD to have on to listen to when you don't feel like watching ANY TV.

"Powaqqatsi" is it's own masterpiece! Not a follow-up. And the third film in the "qatsi" trilogy, is also its own work of art. It too, should not be preceived as, yet another follow-up to Reggio's other two films.

I hope my review has optimistically enhanced your perspective.

Powaqqatsi (1988) is the second DVD in the Qatsi trilogy, an I suggest that you consider watching this release second. The first to view is Koyaanisqatsi (1983); the third, Naqoyqatsi (2002). With the filming of the trilogy taking over 20 years to complete, the advances in the music, technology and filming makes me suggest that you start from the beginning to watch how things have changed in that time.

POWA (Powaqqatsi) focuses on life for people mainly in the southern hemisphere. Please also view my review of KOYA (Koyaanisqatsi), which I will complete shortly after submitting this. I plan to soon purchase NAQO (Naqoyqatsi) and will review that as well (obviously I found the film concept entertaining).

KOYA focuses on the northern hemisphere's lifestyles of living with technology in all aspecfts of their lives while POWA shows life that is more driven by manual labor. Yet as the movie progresses, you see more and more hints of the introduction of technology, which will inevitably wind up permeating and consuming the current culture. Watch for the placement of a SEIKO billboard, which really stuck in my mind.

It can be difficult not to feel some sense of pain for the people's lifestyles, but please stay open- minded to an understanding that perhaps the lifestyle that DP's Graham Berry and Leonidas Zourdoumis documented is what the subjects being filmed are most comfortable with. Watching POWA first, however, may take the whole trilogy out of order and context for you. That's why I suggest that you purchase the two- DVD set. And I'm sure that plans have been in the works to release the trilogy as a boxed set.

Make certain also to watch director Godfrey Reggio's comments (highlighted with composer Philip Glass). They give insight into filming and Reggio also addresses viewer/critic feedback. One sharp criticism I wanted to note was that Glass used some of the music in this film years later for the runaway hit "Truman Show" (Jim Carrey, 1998). How silly and petty to reuse a score in a completely different movie, which I feel should be a Cardinal sin. I had to try tuning out Truman in my mind while watching POWA, and I scold Glass for recycling his music. That was an absolutely pathetic decision for him to make.

The transfer from the film to DVD (MGM/UA 1003767) was sweet. The colors seemed stunning and saturated. Make certain, however to try having your monitor calibrated to get the full impact of the hues, colors and tones.

Tech specs: 1988, color, 97 minutes, 1.85:1 screen aspect ratio; optional French and Spanish subtitles for English text (there is absolutely NO dialogue in POWA), which is used at the end of the film to give description of term "Powaqqatsi" (and also for any prominent text on some billboards or televisions).

A postscript: Baraka (filmed by Ron Fricke, 1992) isn't related to the trilogy, but should be in your collection if you enjoy any of these. However watch Baraka last, because to me it is the benchmark in this type of filmmaking. You may feel a slight letdown KOYA and POWA if Baraka is viewed first. Chronos (1985), another by Fricke, is an alternate choice, but the weakest of these.

Video is no way to see Powaqqatsi or Koyaanisqatsi, seeing it on the big screen is the only way to capture Reggio's brilliant work. But if it is your only option, don't pass it up. I never imagined Reggio could follow up Koyaanisqatsi with such a gem...it gives me hope the third movie in the trilogy, Naqoyqatsi, will be as brilliant. Powaqqatsi shocks you out of the comfort of your safe middle class (or better) existence and reminds you that we are very much in the minority with our creature comforts. Yet, despite the haunting images and the curious juxtaposition of the Glass music, the film leaves you with courage that the human animal can rise above the harsh realities of the current state of our economically segregated world. These two movies changed my life. If you ever get a chance to see Glass perform the sound track live while he shows either move, don't miss it at any price. Now, where can I get my copy?

This review refers to "Powaqqatsi"(DVD)...

"Qatsi" is the Hopi word for life. "Powaqqatsi"("Life In Transformation") is the second in Director Godfrey Reggio's "Qatsi" trilogy. "Koyannisqatsi" ("Life Out of Balance") is the first part and "Naqoyqatsi" ("Life as War" ) the third. A combination of great talents working together as one bring to film the most visually and musically stunning experiences.

In "Powaqqatsi" , once again Reggio and Composer Phillip Glass collaborate this time with photographers Graham Berry and Leonida Zourdoumis for yet another mesmerizng experience. Images of cultures from underdeveloped countries, and their ancient ways, toiling to make a life, set to Glass' genius will have you hypnotized.

I suggest watching the first one, and taking time to absorb it and watching the second later on. These are films to be discussed, as each person may take something different away with them. And each time you view it, the experience may be different for you.

The DVD does justice to this wonderful piece of art. The pictures in widescreen are crystal clear, colors vibrant and gorgeous. The sound is in Dolby Dig 5.1, and with the music being the dialouge for these films, adds greatly to the whole experience. There are trailers for the trilogy, and some insightful commentary by the filmakers. This commentary is in the form of a featurette, not viewed during the film.

"Koyannisqatsi"(also a beautiful DVD) and "Powaqqatsi" may also be purchased in a more economical two pack(each in their own case).

You'll want to make sure that when you watch these films, you will not have any interuptions. You will not even be able to tear yourself away from a minute of these moving and mind stimulating events. So turn of the cell phone, pagers and make sure the kids are tucked safely away!

Enjoy...Laurie


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Koyaanisqatsi is one of my favorite films of all time, so of course I was excited to see this. Major letdown - while Koyaanisqatsi drew its strength from the expert editing that builds to a fevered pitch at the end, this film is more like watching someone flip through the pages of National Geographic, it never strays from its laconic pace. Its politics are questionable as well -- indigenous cultures are glorified and the first world is damned; we never get to see such 'picturesque' scenes of the third world as the Sudanese slave trade or petty criminals having their limbs chopped off in Saudi Arabia.

My advice -- buy the Koy/Pow 2-pack at a very reasonable price, then you can at least enjoy the gorgeous and stirring Pow soundtrack in DVD 5.1 audio.

A devastatingly beautiful tirade to those of us who should know better and the rest of us who don't know quite enough to change our evil ways. Beautifully filmed with images that present a thorough and exact telling of the theme with music that cuts through to the heart and reaches the mind. See this film,I dare you to change your life.

Allow me to step backwards for a brief moment and ask an important question: Is it possible to enjoy this film without delving into the quasi-intellectual mind? In other words, is this a film you would choose to watch on a lazy Saturday afternoon?

To answer that question, it's really going to depend on who you are, what you readily enjoy about film (in general), and what sort of time you wish to spend with an artistic documentary with absolutely no dialogue and seemingly no plot. In a sense, this film does seem to drag on - and you might find yourself squirming near the last 10 to 15 minutes, anxious for the film to draw to a close. However, the last 10 to 15 minutes are perhaps the most compelling as the music shifts from an driving, almost industrial pulse to a Muslim sheik calling to prayer, which, in turn, gives the images new meaning, also allowing for emotions to be easily stirred.

Images flash by one after another of people in various third world countries, which, if you happen to just watch the film without any intellectual thought whatsoever, can easily come across as a National Geographic project. Is this a bad thing, though? I don't think it is. In fact, instead of analyzing the motifs which the director uses, or contemplating how the music links to images, why not just set aside some time when the bills have been paid, the kids are at a friend's house, and you've got at least an hour to spend doing whatever to just put on thie film and enter a world you might not otherwise witness?

Is this a movie you might choose to watch on a last Saturday afternoon? Again, if you're comfortable with the notion of compelling images, an overwhelming message, all embraced by outstanding music, then I believe you'll discover the answer to be 'yes'.

This movie is simply a portrait of the way most people in this world live. Vastly different from modern western culture. This movie tells us more about our humanity than any other movie.

Some reviewers have expressed confusion or displeasure over the message of this film. Having attended a question-and-answer session with the director, Godfrey Reggio, and worked as an editor in the journalism field, I hope I can assist in interpretation. Here is mine in a nutshell: Exploitation produces poverty.

The principle that the filmmakers were seeking to illustrate was that while colonization comes in diverse forms, it is always destructive in the end -- even if the means are through economic domination rather than brute occupation. So-called "civilized" societies prey upon the Third World for their own gain, thereby ravaging the spirit of its people, depleting the natural resources of its nations, and tainting the uniqueness of its cultures.

The film reveals scenes that the U.S. media often fail to show -- the backbreaking labor and environmental destruction inflicted as offerings to the almighty Profit. The altar of financial markets generates our wealth (the trilogy's first film, Koyaanisqatsi, covers technology- and consumer-based culture), yet as we acquire greater strength and contentment, our business practices shorten the life span and deteriorate the quality of life in weaker countries. The extraction and importation of their very vitality seems to be the fundamental wellspring for our gross domestic product, essentially amounting to a lopsided transaction akin to parasitism.

For contrast, the music on the soundtrack incorporates energetic elements of this highly valued commodity from faraway lands: pounding rhythms, intricate phrases, meditative passages, foreign melodies, exotic harmonies, and even a dynamic children's chorus. This soundscape was intended to provide a sense of the heart and soul of the camera's subjects -- the people in the images.

I highly recommend Powaqqatsi, especially since after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, it presents renewed significance and compelling insight. After all, what do Americans perceive about other cultures and the ways we affect them? For example, would not a survey of natural-born U.S. citizens indicate that only a small percentage of us know more than three common first names from the Arabic world? And how many of us are familiar with the opinions that other nations' citizens hold about our activities in their countries? For that matter, are we fully informed about the actions abroad by our government and our companies? Although a single film can't completely fill in all the gaps in our awareness, Powaqqatsi does help bring to our attention that such voids exist.

As long as a lack of understanding and concern typifies the pursuit of "capitalism" and "freedom" by the world's greatest democracies, we should anticipate that this attitude will continue to cause suffering. Powaqqatsi is a call for compassion, the true front in civilization's ongoing "war on terror," otherwise known as the fight for humanity's survival.

Powaqqatsi, the sequel to Koyaanisqatsi, doesn't reach the same exalted heights and breathless fascination as that classic. On it's own, Powaqqatsi is watchable. The pacing is far more stiff and the unending slow-motion shots become gratuitous if not unbearable. The message of the film is more in your face whereas Koyaanisqatsi was more objective in it's fusing the duality of man and nature.

Powaqqatsi can be seen as both a celebration of "poverty" and non-industrial lifestyles as well as an attack on industry and technology. Whatever viewpoint you take will depend on your own personal worldview.

The director Reggio and composer Glass, are back on board and go in depth about their work on the interview included in the special features. Godfrey seems to be an open-minded guy but the title of the film is not exactly "Life in Transformation", it's more akin to "Life as a Parasite", which might make this film look like it's anti-man, anti-technology and anti-Western progress.

Still, there are many gorgeous sights here to behold and the Glass score is lush and melodic. The main musical theme that keeps repeating in this film, Glass also used in Peter Weir's "The Truman Show" starring Jim Carrey. Koyaanisqatsi still takes first prize for both score and film. That's the classic, the follow-ups can't compete.