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RabidLeper
Oct 27, 2002
____|\__\o/__ AAH! SHARK
Directed by: Ron Fricke

I'll get this out of the way first: Yes, this is a movie that people on drugs like to watch. When under the influence of drugs, this movie is said to be wonderful. NO, that doesn't mean that if you don't like drugs, you shouldn't watch this movie.

Baraka is one of my favorite films because of the beautiful cinematography. The long, expansive shots of nature scenes convey the beauty of the world wonderfully. The film is populated with nature scenes, tribal rituals, and even modern day shots such as life inside a chicken factory. Many of the shots are showing the beauty of nature and the destruction of man. The movie has a great soundtrack with audio recordings of monks, tribesmen, and a great deal of general ambient music. All of these musical styles perfectly fit the images. The actual film quality is excelent due to the 70mm film which was used to make it.

This isn't a conventional movie. Do not come into this movie expecting violence, romance, or even a plot. Many people compare this film to Koyaanisqatsi, so if you're familiar with that film then you might have an idea what you are getting yourself into. I would recommend not going into this film with the idea that it will be typical Hollywood fare, because I do not think this film could be farther from it. This is a really great film that I feel everyone should experience at least once.

Here is a small tip on how you might consider watching the film a second or third time through. Take a scene, and just go through it extensively. Look at every single aspect of the film(audio, lighting, movement, colors, etc) and how they all blend in together. From this scene, try to find out how the director is speaking to you. The people making this film aren't doing it to just have a collection of nice things that will freak out people on acid. The shots in this film are speaking about nature and life. Try to draw your own ideas from what the director shows you. In my opinion, the director had a greater ambition than to simply show you a nice shot of a monkey sitting in water.

This review has covered the non-drug related side of the film, I'd really appreciate it if someone could give insight towards what the film is like while chemically influenced.

If you like this film, I would recommend: Koyaanisqatsi (1983)
This site

If this review has interested you in the film, you can buy it from this link. I'd also suggest searching other places online or maybe Ebay. Definately worth the money, in my opinion.

Fun fact: Ron Fricke is working on a sequel named Samsara.

PROS: The sounds and images combine to give a wonderful experience if you're into the whole "wordless documentary on the relationship between man and nature" thing
CONS: Not a conventional movie(No easily found plot), nothing much in the way of action or excitement

RabidLeper fucked around with this message at 04:34 on May 4, 2004

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Boxes
Apr 22, 2003
Big moron
I quite loved this film (especially the chicken factory sequence, which was heartrending), but every time those loving cheeseball synth pads came in, I let out a mental groan. If it wasn't for that new agey schlock turning the movie into a Pure Moods commercial every so often, it would have been perfect.

dotti
Sep 7, 2002
Sometimes I say things...
Aside from being a good movie while sober, if you're on some sort of drugs and think you've taken more than you can handle or are freaking out for some other reason, this movie can really calm you down. It's very relaxing, peaceful, calm, and even hypnotizing at times.

If you're into :420: or have ever posted in The Crackhead Clubhouse, then this film is a must for you.

FreelanceSocialist
Nov 19, 2002
Spectacular visuals, decent musical accompanyment. Regarding what Dotti said; a friend of mine took some mushrooms on newyears and started to lose it because of all the noise and people. I stuck him in my room and dropped the DVD into my computer. As soon as he stopped sweating bullets and started watching, he was feeling a lot better; He had calmed down and was coherent. He managed to snag a copy at B&N the next week.

Very relaxing movie, really no dialogue or anything, just excellent scenery and settings.

bgack
Jun 7, 2002

rambo
I was really impressed by this film, not sure why I never heard of it but I got it from netflix the other night. Great soundtrack, and while there seems to be a hidden message about the destruction of natural beauty by man, they still manage to explore the high and low points of civilization in rural and urban settings. You can really get a lot out of this film even though there is no dialogue. I watched it sober but I could understand how watching it high would be enjoyable too. some really great time lapse shots too with a good ambient soundtrack. I wish there were more documentaries out there like this.

Mike_V
Jul 31, 2004

3/18/2023: Day of the Dorks
Having watched Koyaanisqatsi (and the other two in the trilogy) first, I have to say that I found this film to be borrowing quite a bit from it. Granted, Fricke was the DP for Koyaanisqatsi so it's allowable, but I still couldn't help but feel I'd seen the same shots in a previous films (time-lapse with clouds rolling in to signal a transition, cityscapes as computer chips, people as items, etc.).

Regardless, this film was still beautiful and stands up on its own merits showing how both new and old can coexist on the same planet and how customs and traditions can still survive.

Also, I think I prefer Phillip Glass doing the soundtrack.

4/5

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Dipes
Oct 24, 2003

quote:

dotti came out of the closet to say:
Aside from being a good movie while sober, if you're on some sort of drugs and think you've taken more than you can handle or are freaking out for some other reason, this movie can really calm you down. It's very relaxing, peaceful, calm, and even hypnotizing at times.

If you're into :420: or have ever posted in The Crackhead Clubhouse, then this film is a must for you.

Dotti speaks the truth here. Shrooms a little too much for you? Just watch this, and your worries will melt away.

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