Monday, October 30, 2006
Week 12: Non-narrative Film
Koyaanisqatsi
Country: USA
Year: 1982
Director: Godfrey Reggio
Length: 87 min
Language: English / None
Awards:
Critical Comment:
The film is a piece of art since it doesn't use most conventions of filmmaking that we are normally used to see and expect from a narrative film. Koyaanisqatsi uses the simple essence of filmmaking of sound, cinemetography and editing. The shots are arranged according to different themes that when accompanied by the other elements of film it gives out whole new meanings.
First of all in terms of film style, Koyaanisqatsi touches on our raw senses. It does not stimulate our mind to think about what is being represented in the film. The imagery that comes together with the music makes us feel about what the film is representing. For example, the scenes of clouds that is notably repeated throughout the film and stands as a seperate motive and theme in the film itself emits an energy of the mystic, the heavens and even god(s). It is the film stlye that speaks to us directly rather than the meanings that we try to derive from the film. The lack of a narration gives space for us as the audience to make up our own narration. We are stimulated by the film.
To find any meaning in this film would be purely individual effort. Although in a broad sense, we can and will have different ways of reading and deriving our own meanings from watching any single film but Koyaanisqatsi takes this notion to its extreme. With the lack of so-call 'guidance' from the conventions that are familiar to us, Koyaanisqatsi gives us an infinite free space to reflect on what is being represented on film. The exploration of these open territories is perhaps the aim of Koyaanisqatsi. With so many different readings on the film, it is impossible to make sense out of it. As individual audience, we are meant to create our own meanings and that is enough to fully appreciate the film. This is the beauty of Koyaanisqatsi.
The following are some of the readings that I have came up from watching Koyaanisqatsi. Each and every one of them are based on my personal experience, thoughts, values and circumstances that would widely deviate from how others read this film.
I mentioned clouds as an example of theme and motive earlier. I believed that while many would agree that the opening scenes of Koyaanisqatsi has the discourse of man vs. nature. The opening scene of clouds, clouds in the city and the shadows of clouds represent the presence of a celestial being up above. This could further be seen as the presence of a god, a deity, a omniscient being or entity. Clouds serve as the barrier between man and that being which can be when man tries to penetrate that barrier to reach for the stars, the exploding rocket concludes that such attempt is forbidden and the cause of man's destruction. All of a sudden from this reading, the discourse of man agasint nature is changed into a discourse of man vs. god. Nature is embedded in god and any defilement men has against it defiles god. (Note that i used a lower case when refer to god, this is in no particular reference to any god to any religion).
Another meaning that I find very appealing in Koyaanisqatsi is how humanity is represented. First we see the glimpse of man as marauders of nature, we reap the earth of its resources and organize ourselves to prosper from those resources. Man brings technology with them to better improve their lives and the cause of civilization. As cities build up that become monuments of civilization, man is taken over by technology. We let technology determine our way of life, we go through our daily live like machines ourselves. From a way to better organize ourselves, we become a system that is repetetive, fast-paced and boring. However, it seems that Koyaanisqatsi also tries to remind us of our humanity, the things that make us essentially human. To feel emotion and have different outlook, we have different appearances (like when the close shots of people on the street) which makes us unique in our own way. While we are seperated as individuals in the inside, we appear like a united, homogenious whole from the outside, as a civilization. This point of view is seen through the 'god's eye view' of the cinematography that are mostly made out of long shots.
Yet at the end of the film, humanity continues to advance in technology. The electronic chips and their schematics represent miniaturization, how far man has developed which is ironically and analogously represented by the cities that man build. It as though the system that humanity has become is based on the electronic system that man would create, a paradox of the relationship between man and technology. Man is technology and technology is the basis of man. Another way of seeing this relationship of man and technology is that it serves as a warning or a glimpse into the future; the direction that mankind is taking.
This comes to the conclusion of the film. After we see the scences of the electronic systems, the film takes one last overlook on mankind. As an emotional being, as civilization, as part of a system but who are we and what does the future holds for us? This is very much related to the Hopi prophecy and mankind's anxiety for what will happen and anticipation for what is going to happen as predicted by the prophecy.
Readings:
Country: USA
Year: 1982
Director: Godfrey Reggio
Length: 87 min
Language: English / None
Awards:
- Best Documentary (Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards)
- Best Music - Philip Glass (Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards)
- Best Feature - Godfrey Reggio (Sao Paulo International Film Festival)
- Audience Award - Godfrey Reggio (Warsaw International Film Festival)
Critical Comment:
The film is a piece of art since it doesn't use most conventions of filmmaking that we are normally used to see and expect from a narrative film. Koyaanisqatsi uses the simple essence of filmmaking of sound, cinemetography and editing. The shots are arranged according to different themes that when accompanied by the other elements of film it gives out whole new meanings.
First of all in terms of film style, Koyaanisqatsi touches on our raw senses. It does not stimulate our mind to think about what is being represented in the film. The imagery that comes together with the music makes us feel about what the film is representing. For example, the scenes of clouds that is notably repeated throughout the film and stands as a seperate motive and theme in the film itself emits an energy of the mystic, the heavens and even god(s). It is the film stlye that speaks to us directly rather than the meanings that we try to derive from the film. The lack of a narration gives space for us as the audience to make up our own narration. We are stimulated by the film.
To find any meaning in this film would be purely individual effort. Although in a broad sense, we can and will have different ways of reading and deriving our own meanings from watching any single film but Koyaanisqatsi takes this notion to its extreme. With the lack of so-call 'guidance' from the conventions that are familiar to us, Koyaanisqatsi gives us an infinite free space to reflect on what is being represented on film. The exploration of these open territories is perhaps the aim of Koyaanisqatsi. With so many different readings on the film, it is impossible to make sense out of it. As individual audience, we are meant to create our own meanings and that is enough to fully appreciate the film. This is the beauty of Koyaanisqatsi.
The following are some of the readings that I have came up from watching Koyaanisqatsi. Each and every one of them are based on my personal experience, thoughts, values and circumstances that would widely deviate from how others read this film.
I mentioned clouds as an example of theme and motive earlier. I believed that while many would agree that the opening scenes of Koyaanisqatsi has the discourse of man vs. nature. The opening scene of clouds, clouds in the city and the shadows of clouds represent the presence of a celestial being up above. This could further be seen as the presence of a god, a deity, a omniscient being or entity. Clouds serve as the barrier between man and that being which can be when man tries to penetrate that barrier to reach for the stars, the exploding rocket concludes that such attempt is forbidden and the cause of man's destruction. All of a sudden from this reading, the discourse of man agasint nature is changed into a discourse of man vs. god. Nature is embedded in god and any defilement men has against it defiles god. (Note that i used a lower case when refer to god, this is in no particular reference to any god to any religion).
Another meaning that I find very appealing in Koyaanisqatsi is how humanity is represented. First we see the glimpse of man as marauders of nature, we reap the earth of its resources and organize ourselves to prosper from those resources. Man brings technology with them to better improve their lives and the cause of civilization. As cities build up that become monuments of civilization, man is taken over by technology. We let technology determine our way of life, we go through our daily live like machines ourselves. From a way to better organize ourselves, we become a system that is repetetive, fast-paced and boring. However, it seems that Koyaanisqatsi also tries to remind us of our humanity, the things that make us essentially human. To feel emotion and have different outlook, we have different appearances (like when the close shots of people on the street) which makes us unique in our own way. While we are seperated as individuals in the inside, we appear like a united, homogenious whole from the outside, as a civilization. This point of view is seen through the 'god's eye view' of the cinematography that are mostly made out of long shots.
Yet at the end of the film, humanity continues to advance in technology. The electronic chips and their schematics represent miniaturization, how far man has developed which is ironically and analogously represented by the cities that man build. It as though the system that humanity has become is based on the electronic system that man would create, a paradox of the relationship between man and technology. Man is technology and technology is the basis of man. Another way of seeing this relationship of man and technology is that it serves as a warning or a glimpse into the future; the direction that mankind is taking.
This comes to the conclusion of the film. After we see the scences of the electronic systems, the film takes one last overlook on mankind. As an emotional being, as civilization, as part of a system but who are we and what does the future holds for us? This is very much related to the Hopi prophecy and mankind's anxiety for what will happen and anticipation for what is going to happen as predicted by the prophecy.
Readings:
- Bordwell and Thompson (1993) 'Chapter 4: Non-narrative Formal Systems' Film At: An Introduction 4th ed, New York, McGraw-Hill, 102-141. This reading explores the types of non-narrative systems which is divided into four types. With the absence of the narrative, this type of films have to rely on other elements of film that audiences are able to relate which requires a different type of reading in their part. Koyaanisqatsi is mentioned and I agree with how it is elaborated as an associational film. Koyaanisqatsi, after this reading as an associational film in my opinion covers to a certain degree all the others types of the non-narrative system. However, it shares on the dependence of using powerful visual elements to make meaning out of the text.
- Koyaanisqatsi Official Website, www.showcasecinemas.co.uk/php-bin/frameme.php?/page=/films/koyaanisqatsi. The director proclaims Koyaanisqatsi as art. As art it does not intend to have a meaning but wants each and every one of us to appreciate the piece of art and create our own meanings. I find this true when watching Koyaanisqatsi that it is impossible to come up with the exact same meaning with everyone who watches it. From this reading, I can be confident that my meaning as I have mentioned are purely my meanings alone as how I interpreted it. Therefore, Koyaanisqatsi as a film is more like an art piece rather than having an implied meaning but to have an prologue and epilogue, one can only wonder how free Koyaanisqatsi is open to interpretation.
# posted by KC @ 5:27 AM 
Comments:
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LOL... terrorist place bomb here. Ur analysis not bad ma. I should have come here and copied some ideas last semester. U noe, this is the hardest film to be understood.. ai...
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