Naqoyqatsi

And so the battle of man vs. technology continues in epic proportions in Godfrey Reggio's Naqoyqatsi...

My first impression of this movie was that it was like a 90 minute After Effects music video. Very breathtaking at some points while also using too many early-90s style computer graphics. (But I forgive Reggio for that since I'm pretty sure that most of the production was done in the early-90s.)

I loved the music so much. I'm going to have to buy the soundtrack. The score was by Philip Glass and Yo-Yo Ma performed the cello solos. Ahhh, so beautiful. I'm kicking myself for not seeing Glass when he performed in Toronto last week!

Some powerful moments:

• the crash test dummimes on the airplane
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• the dancer who left Muybridge-esque x-ray imprints of movement
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• image of the football players, then the surgeons
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• dolly the lamb
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• flying through the stars and finally realizing that the chanting was saying 'Naqoysati' because I never remember how it's pronounced.
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Statement from Reggio:

"From the p.o.v. of NAQOYQATSI, we do not use technology, we live technology; technology is our way of life. Being sensate entities, we become our environment - we become what we see, what we hear, what we eat, what we smell, what we touch. Where doubt is prohibited, we become, without question, the environment we live in."

Qoute from Ivan Illich:

"To the degree that he masters his tools, [man] can invest the world with his meaning; to the degree he is mastered by his tools, the shape of the tool determines his own self-image."

Also very interesting to read other people's comments on the Naqoyqatsi website in response to Reggio's statement.

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