Following the masterpiece Koyaanisqatsi and the disappointing sequel Powaqqatsi, here we have Naqoyqatsi, "Life as War". Godfrey Reggio concludes his groundbreaking trilogy with a bang, but its a bang that leaves no echo. The film reaches levels of aesthetic perfection never dreamed of in the previous ones, but looking beyond the surface, one finds only a weak remnant of the poetry that tied together the first film and made it the masterpiece that it is. The problem is simple: both Powaqqatsi (Life in Transformation) and Naqoyqatsi (Life as War) are simply elaborations upon the theme of Koyaanisqatsi (Life out of Balance). Having squeezed this lemon for so long, there is little left, and one finds mostly pulp here. Yet the film is a masterpiece in its own right, albeit a shallow one. The Qatsi films have essentially been audio-visual feasts, and this one is so intricately polished that it soars above the previous two. While the previous two films relied on brilliant cinematography to weave there unreal realities, this one relies on digital effects and editing. Much is computer animated, and most real shots are altered with inverted negatives and colour saturation. Less credit belongs to the cinematographers than to the editors and the digital mixers. The effect of this, however, is a roller-coaster ride of earth shattering visuals, interwoven with Philip Glass' masterful score. Glass' music has always been elemental to the Qatsi trilogy, and here we have (in my opinion, being a huge Glass fan) his best work yet, not only in film, but in any medium. Working with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Glass creates what one critic accurately defined as "the first great cello concerto of the twenty-first century." With is organ/vocal minimalism, the score of Koyaanisqatsi was an esoteric Glass masterpiece, and, as with all his music, an experiment of harmony that some may have found alienating. In Naqoyqatsi, he achieves the perfect blend of mainstream/minimalist and creates a audio experience that, while unmistakably Glass, is receptive of larger audiences. To put it simply, like the film, this is Glass' most polished score, refined and tuned to perfection, and, while less experimental than his earlier work, is more satisfying. As with the previous films, the music and the visuals are interdependent. They respond to each other and are built upon one another. Thus, this is a fantastic aesthetic experience. After finishing Naqoyqatsi, one feels as if they have just taken an acid trip around the world. The film's major flaw is that, after the dazzling effect wears off, one finds little of value concealed behind the texture. Whereas Koyaanisqatsi achieved an unbelievable poetic flow, Naqoyqatsi is disjointed. Koyaanisqatsi evolved along a single thread, from the perfection of natural processes through the human world, through the Grid of human patterns, and back to the natural processes that eventually balance all excesses. Here, there are several fragmented segments, each one with a theme and pattern, but bearing little relation to one another, and with almost no sense of flow. In Primacy of Number, we have a dazzling display of a world as a binary code, almost like a real version of the Matrix, showing how all things are reduced to ones and zeros. In Massman, there is a close look at the human form (unlike anything in the Qatsi trilogy), and a shattering look at our desire to go faster, stronger, higher, concluding with the details of human emotions that appear through body language. The chapter New World is self explanatory, and is one of two cello intervals that occur in the film (the other being Old World). Religion is the artistic highlight of the film, accompanied by one of Glass' great works, showing the religion of the modern world, with devotion to country, sports teams, celebrities, money, and the new world order. Media Weather is a dull collection of images of world figures. The climax of the film comes in the Intensive Time and Point Blank segments. The former, accompanied by a brilliant soprano vocalist and cello, shows the accelerating pace of the modern world, moving toward a dim perfection, yet unheeding of the toll it may take. Point Blank is the one chapter in "Life as War" that actually deals with conflict. It is the most brutal, and unsettling item in the Qatsi trilogy, a frenetic display of hatred and violence that exists in the modern world. Finally, the Vivid Unknown (the best cello work of the film) shows us heading towards an unseen but trusted barrier. It is primarily a poetically rich display of images of space exploration, accompanied by aerial footage of skydivers falling towards earth.
Review of Naqoyqatsi
