Rating: 
Summary: Visual and Sonic Masterpiece
Review: Another amazing film by Geoffrey Reggio, following up on the wonderful Koyaanisqatsi. While K was mostly landscapes, P has more shots of people. Both are essentially music videos: pictures and sound with no story. Both, however, do have a message about the qualities of modern life and some of its destructive potential. Score by Philip Glass is more world music than previous Glass scores, and has the same driving and evocative power that his score for K has. This film is visually stunning and like K should be seen on a large screen if possible, but still is powerful even on the smaller screen.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Compared to K., P. is a big disappointment. What Reggio needs to learn is that once political messages are too directly inserted, art flies out the door. The message and title of this film indicate that we in the "first world" are guilty of living off the sweat and lifeblood of those in the "third world." Isn't that essentially what the artist - Reggio or any other artist - does in a metaphorical sense? Don't artists subsist on the lifeblood of patrons, or "angels" as Reggio calls them in the interview at the end of K.? As such, P. can be seen as a work of immense guilt and masochistic self-hate. I dearly hope that N., the third installment in this trilogy, gets back on track and gets back to art, with a less contrived Glass soundtrack.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Compared to K., P. is a big disappointment. What Reggio needs to learn is that once political messages are too directly inserted, art flies out the door. The message and title of this film indicate that we in the "first world" are guilty of living off the sweat and lifeblood of those in the "third world." Isn't that essentially what the artist - Reggio or any other artist - does in a metaphorical sense? Don't artists subsist on the lifeblood of patrons, or "angels" as Reggio calls them in the interview at the end of K.? As such, P. can be seen as a work of immense guilt and masochistic self-hate. I dearly hope that N., the third installment in this trilogy, gets back on track and gets back to art, with a less contrived Glass soundtrack.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not great
Review: Having only seen Koyaanisqatsi prior to the DVD release of Powaqqatsi, I had hoped this would build on the power, beauty and unique vision of the earlier film, since both were directed by Godfrey Reggio. It didn't, unfortunately. Powaqqatsi lacks overall focus and direction, it seems to me, and during many shots, I was never sure as to exactly what the director was making a statement about. I don't think film direction has to be blatant, but yet ultimately it is about communication, and the viewer needs to have some sense of what is being said. Powaqqatsi falls flat, for instance, with way, way too many slo-mo shots of bland crowds milling about, coupled with way, way too many similar shots of women walking with huge, weighty packages on their heads. The first film in the trilogy, a ground breaking art film, used similar crowd scenes to devastating effect, and their was never any doubt as to the mood and message being projected. Powaqquatsi meanders, hitting many of essentially the same visuals over and over again, many of them lasting far beyond the point when the viewer has completely absorbed their visual impact, and you're never really sure why you're seeing a very similar scene further into the film. The photography, while technically excellent, lacks the visual poetry and punch of Koyaanisqatsi, even though most of Powaaqatsi seems to have been shot specifically for the film, while Koyaanisqatsi utilized a large number of stock footage shots. Perhaps the magic of Koyaanisqatsi was also due to the film editing of Ron Fricke, who was apparently not involved in Powaaqatsi and went on the create the marvelous "Baraka" which shows off his considerable talents in direction and editing. The music in Powaaqatsi, by Phillip Glass, is outstanding, and carries the film through its weaker visual moments. Glass' music is modern, and world-music influenced here, and holds up beautifully during the 15 year span since it was composed and performed for the film. A highlight of the 2002 DVD releases of both films are fairly brief (seemingly contemporary) interviews with both Glass and Reggio as the sole "extra" on the disk. They add much to the viewer's appreciation of the films, and I would have like to hear much more about how the films were made and the creative process both men used in their 25-year collaboration (!) of the trilogy. The DVDs provide absolutely no extra information as either a printed insert or added "behind the scenes" extras on the disks (with the exception of the short interviews and several trailers) -- a disappointment for film buffs, and a glaring omission in view of the amount of space left on the disk and the opportunity to provide information and insight for the fans of the trilogy. You might think that films like this issued under the considerable weight of Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope production studio could put together a booklet insert, or a snappy half-hour "making off" extra without too much trouble. It also would have provided an opportunity for Reggio to explain further his "IRE" organization, which is cryptically mentioned in the interviews. To give them their due, however, the two films created and defined a new genre of "ambient filmmaking," and are a "must see" for any serious student of film. Hopefully, the third film in the "Qatsi" trilogy (due Oct.'02 in theaters) will set new standards and explore new territories, both visually and musically. Koyaanisqatsi -- great. Powaaqatsi -- good.
Rating:
Summary: Disjointed and Disappointing
Review: Hoo boy, Ron Fricke is sorely missed in this second installment of the Qatsi trilogy. I found the film lacking the visual sweep, thematic unity, and relentless momentum of Koyaan. If the mine worker in the first scene hadn't accidentally had a rock dropped on his head, I don't know how Reggio would have had any material at all with which to glue this effort together. Hopefully Naqoy will pull the set up from this artistic low point. Skip Powaq and check out Ron Fricke's Baraka instead -- a much more cohesive and visually compelling tour of third world locations and cultures, though only occasionally touching on the emergent industrialization theme.
Rating: 
Summary: Better than Koyaanisqatsi
Review: I saw the film in the last Philip Glass tour in Mexico. This movie is even better than the classic Koyaanisqatsi, and the score is just as good !It is less known because it has never received the attention it deserves because of the fame of Koyaanisqatsi. You will not be dissapointed !
Rating:
Summary: I was disappointed . . .
Review: I truly enjoyed the first film in this trilogy and expected similar thunder from Powaqqatsi and was disappointed. I think once one has seen Koyaanisqatsi, it will naturally follow that one will want to see the other two films in the trilogy. They will likely be disappointed as well. P and N are interesting but not profound and revolutionary in the same way that K was.
cheers!
Ryan
Rating:
Summary: I was disappointed . . .
Review: I truly enjoyed the first film in this trilogy and expected similar thunder from Powaqqatsi and was disappointed. I think once one has seen Koyaanisqatsi, it will naturally follow that one will want to see the other two films in the trilogy. They will likely be disappointed as well. P and N are interesting but not profound and revolutionary in the same way that K was.
cheers!
Ryan
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful film that disappoints
Review: I was looking forward to the "statement" on culture that the packaging promised, but instead I watched what turned out to be a very long music video with many extremely disparate images juxtaposed to give some message that I wasn't getting. In fact, I'm not sure there was much of a message--the filmmakers might have intended there to be one, but it's buried in a mix of visual images that are certainly striking, but definitely not cohesive enough to make the message clear. The filmmakers also have decided to focus solely on the grim side of culture, and there are so few smiling faces here that it makes you wonder if two-thirds of the people in the world live each day with grim, depressed looks on their faces. By using slow motion so much, they tend to pull the dynamic side of life completely out of the picture, and it grows old very quickly. Where are the playing children? And as another reviewer said, they left out the abominable side of the third world, such as beatings and executions, and they've also left out the graft and corruption that make it difficult for anyone to help people in these countries. I felt all along that I was being manipulated, forced to watch images of their choice so that my worldview would become what they desired my worldview to be. As a film, this is much better watched in segments, music piece by music piece, perhaps, as it does grow old after half an hour or so. All in all, this is a beautiful effort, but beauty, of course, does not make for substance and depth (or even cohesion), which are elements that this film is lacking.
Rating:
Summary: Sedating
Review: I'm a tremendous Philip Glass fan. In fact, the Powaqqatsi soundtrack is what first turned me on to him. I also loved Koyaanisqatsi. But I've tried to watch Powaqqatsi twice now - once on the big screen, and once again at home - and it put me to sleep both times. The music is beautiful, as are the images. But whereas there was a good bit of variety in the imagery of Koyaanisqatsi (slow motion, fast motion, nature scenes, city scenes...) this film couples slower, more thoughtful music, with nothing but slow motion film. The combination of the two I found to be powerfully sedating. I must also say that the music on the CD doesn't seem to quite match what was in the movie, IIRC. I seem to recall the CD having quieter music interspersed with more powerful music. In any case, I found Koyaanisqatsi the movie far more fulfilling. (Though I still highly recommend the Powaqqatsi soundtrack!)
|
