Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6866 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-02-28
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: German
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 86 minutes

From the studio
• Life is War

Behind the Scenes Featurette

• Music of Naqoyqatsi:

A conversation with Philip Glass and Yo-Yo Ma

• Koyaanisqatsi Trailer

• Powaqqatsi Trailers

• NYU Panel Discussion

Synopsis
With a pulsing Philip Glass soundtrack graced by the beautiful cello music of Yo-Yo Ma, Godfrey Reggio's NAQOYQATSI is the final instalment of his Qatsi trilogy, which also includes KOYAANISQATSI and POWAQQATSI. In this film, computer-enhanced imagery rolls across the screen to the tune of the Glass concert music. NAQOYQATSI makes a departure from the previous films, which centred on the often cruel but always fascinating struggle for survival on Earth. This film focuses mostly on technology, industry, and our increasingly machine-operated world, focusing on the United States. Not only are its images largely computer-generated, the film is in itself about computer-generated images. Strings of numbers swirl into a tunnel of black and green code, rainbow-coloured Windows icons flash across the screen, and a glowing computerised globe twirls in programmed perfection. More natural imagery, such as a horse running, oceans waves crashing, or soldiers sounding off in formation, is displayed in computer-edited negative. While the visuals start to look like stock photography, their generic nature communicates another message about the narrowing of our vision as technology and industry facilitate the conversion to a more efficient, systemised, productivity driven global society.

Customer Reviews

Is all progress progress?
Whilst this film may not have lived up to the expectation of fans of either of it's predecessors, KOYAANISQATSI and POWAQQATSI, it does exist in the same realm. A story told without words accompanied by the extraordinary music of Philip Glass (this time voiced in the main by Yo-Yo Ma). In NAQOYQATSI, literally Life As War, images are manipulated to demonstrate the idea that how we see things changes our perception of what we see and that the brave new world, using the film's terminology, has become a place where civilised violence is the norm.

The film relies more heavily on technology than the first two, but then with a fifteen year gap between the 2nd and 3rd films, it can be said that the technology was not available when the first two films were made. Had it been, they may not have had the impact that they have, even now. Is all progress progress? Certainly followers of Godfrey Reggio, the director, will be familiar with this quandary and in that sense alone the film does not disappoint.

Reasons to buy this DVD? The film didn't receive a wide release in the UK and the images and music are definitely worth the paltry price of the DVD. In fact they are worth a great deal more! Additionally, on the DVD is a panel discussion that took place at New York University just before NAQOYQATSI was released in the US. This feature gives a tremendous insight into the whole Qatsi trilogy and the particular contributions of the collaborators of this film. Fans of the Qatsi trilogy should buy the DVD just to see this feature. The other extras however are perfunctory.

If you enjoy this film, also look out for a short film entitled: "The Rumour of True Things" directed by Paul Bush.

Hardest and strangest of the 3 movies
Hardly a frame of "Naqoyqatsi" hasn't been belted round the head with industrial-strength image-processing. The bewildering welter of images mirrors the tidal wave of images, events and information our media floods us with, and seems intended to overwhelm the audience. As is mentioned in the panel discussion also on the DVD, the film firmly inhabits the technological world that is its subject.

All this is impressive and effective, but it also makes the film difficult to understand and even to watch. Where the 'natural' images of the previous films spoke for themselves, here everything is (openly) calculated and deliberate, which in turn means that the viewer must not simply observe but also interpret - frantically. Glass's score is very fine and helps 'humanise' the imagery, but I for one am going to have to watch this again to get to grips with it. However, I believe it will be worth the effort.

similar to, but not as impressive or as beautiful, as Koya..
I believe this is the third of the 'qatsi' trilogy. Naqoyqatsi is similar to, but not as impressive, or as beautiful, as Koyanaqatsi, which I believe is the first of the trilogy. If you like a visual treat and if you like the music of Philip Glass, then I would recommend that you try Koyanaqatsi first. But know that this trilogy comprises pictures and music only, with an occasional subtitle. They are not feature films or even documaentaries. They are exercises in cinematography with a musical sound track (the music of Philip Glass).