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Whenever I’m feeling contemplative and am not in the mood for a Drama, Comedy, or Sci-Fi flick, I love to watch one of the following five films listed herein-below – each one of which is, in my opinion, a truly unique audio-visual experience like none other within all of filmdom.
These movies are without words. They are without characters. They are existential “travelogues” if you will and, personally, are immensely rewarding on a spiritual level. For me, they are best viewed in solitude and uninterrupted. To truly appreciate their aesthetic qualities, they seem to require of a viewer patience and his/her undivided attention. (These cinematic masterpieces are not for moviegoers who are easily bored by thoughtful, meaningful entertainment.)
In the midst of my watching one, it’s as if time slows to a standstill; I lose myself in the enchanting soundtrack and the often stunning imagery of various exotic landscapes from around the world; some of these pristine and untouched by man and absolutely picturesque and awe-inspiring to behold.
Their cinematography is unparalleled in all of cinema! The movie camera, for instance, at times ascends into the clouds, glides over canyons and deserts, zooms over lakes and cityscapes, sometimes with the aid of time-lapse photography, which makes it all the more exciting.
These extraordinary films were made as if to get their audience to slow down and to think about the deeper things of life and their relationship to the prehistoric past and their precious planet. They often interject to show herds of people scurrying about, scenes that seem to comment on our fast-paced way of life (one “out of control”), one of increasing speed and efficiency, and how – as I for one interpret it to mean – this keeps people distracted from attending to their spiritual nature and from thinking about what humankind is doing to Mother Earth as the result of the modern omnipresence, specifically the less positive aspects, of “rational” science and technology in the world.
Although I cherish them all, I here list them in preferential order...
1. Chronos (1985). Directed by Ron Fricke, underscored by hauntingly dulcet music, composed by Michael Stearns. (My favorite of the five. Deeply moving and profound.)
2. Baraka (1993). Directed by Ron Fricke. (Examines various polytheistic and pantheistic religions throughout the world.)
3. Powaqqatsi: Life In Transformation (1988). Directed by Godfrey Reggio. (I love the opening song: “Serra Pelada.”)
4. Samsara (2012). Directed by Ron Fricke. (I especially like an opening scene of the Balinese Tari Legong dancers, of Indonesia.)
5. Koyaanisqatsi (1983). Directed by Godrey Reggio. (The first one of its kind.)
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