Libramedi Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

ClassyWas Excellent, smart action film.

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

maxlover-90181 Thanks to TCM, I watched Koyaanisqatsi again last night. I first saw this movie in an art house theater when I was in high school, and over the years I've seen it many times on home video. I've seen it in various states of mind and under the influence of many different mind-altering substances, but I've long since given up such pursuits and I was stone cold sober as I watched last night.I had forgotten just how visually powerful this movie is.I was touched emotionally every bit as much as back in 1983.I can't think of another film that could possibly have such a lasting emotional impact.

David Conrad When I watch "Koyaanisqatsi," I don't want to breath. I don't want to blink. I want to see every frame, every change in its footage of clouds and traffic and bustling people. The intended meanings of Godfrey Reggio's film are suggested in its environmental imagery, in its focus on industrial civilization's high speed and large scale, and by the translation of the title: "life out of balance." But meanings, and the fact that the film's use of raw footage is more propagandistic than documentary, are of secondary concern. "Koyaanisqatsi" is a powerful work of art because is a pure sensory experience. Long cuts of sped-up landscapes and cityscapes are set to a Philip Glass score, and the effect is utterly mesmerizing. The first time I saw it, I only noticed at the end that my hands had been gripping the armrests. Comparing a film to a roller coaster is a cliché, and in this case it doesn't do the film justice; I've been on roller coasters that have less effect on my adrenaline than "Koyaanisqatsi."

Gross Ryder Pleasant and haunting at the same time, the powerful combination of music synchronized with visuals and the chant at the beginning makes the film an experience that could well induce a trance in sensitive, intuitive people that can lead to a realization that Time is not linear in an absolute sense, and that the 'experience' of Time is multi dimensional – even leading to an experience of timelessness or Eternity.The film has universal symbolism about the contrast between raw, primordial nature that symbolizes the beginning of time for all practical purposes (creation), and technology –that seemingly speeds up time as it approaches the end point of all technology – which is destruction. I am surprised that no one mentions that it symbolizes Time Fractals (concept developed by Terence Kenna- the process of the ever increasing rate of change of events in temporal reality culminating in the Eschaton ) and thereby gives us an inkling of the counter-concept of Time/Temporal Reality - and that is: Eternity ( in which both the concepts of change and static fail to apply).Incidentally, Mckenna developed the Time Fractals concept and the theory from the study of 'I Ching', but also co-related it with the Native American/ Meso-American concept of Circular Time in the process of the cycles of Creation-Destruction.Eternity is not an infinitely long period of linear time, and therefore eternity cannot be conceived by reason, only fleetingly felt or glimpsed in intuitive, synthesis experience. Linear time is conceived by rational thought working on memory, that then extrapolates its generalizations to extend this conceived linearity which is appropriately limited only to one's lifetime and therefore it is a misconception to generalize it beyond the memory, beyond the personal experiences and the History of mankind.This does not mean that linear time is a total misconception. It is only in linear time (can also be called objective time) that the synchronization of all the living, sentient beings of a world and (by extension) of the universe can possibly take place. The point here is that to make a 'leap of logic' to extend the validity of linear time indefinitely to the past and the future is fallacious and misleading. Even logically it is inconceivable that time extends infinitely backwards into the past – it brings up absurdities and paradoxes that cannot be cannot be resolved if we stick to a fixed conception of linear time that can be extended indefinitely into the past or future.One way of resolving this absurdity and paradox is to conceive of time as the rate of change of events taking place in the physical world, rather than stubbornly stick only to the notion of 'objective time as recorded by a clock' (a notion that has been 'hard programmed' into us by the standard science based educational system). Secondly, when we are in a synthesis, intuitive or imaginative mode of experience, these fixed notions of linear time are necessarily suspended for this mode of experience to be of any significance.

Al_The_Strange From the Hopi language, Koyaanisqatsi is a word that roughly translates as "crazy life," or "a life out of balance," or perhaps more appropriately, "a way of life that calls for another way of living." Incidentally, that's exactly what this film shows: no plot or story, just a document of the modern age of man, far out of balance from nature, which calls for human beings to adapt to their own constructs.This film doesn't offer any conventional story with any characters; it's purely an experience built from images and sound, to illicit thought and feeling in the viewers. Both the images and music are beautiful in their own ways: with Phillip Glass' epic, well-structured music score, the film takes on a palpable rhythm and mood that perfectly accentuates the gorgeous scenery. The film plays around a lot with time-lapse footage and slow-motion, which serve to show common cityscapes in an invoking new way. Altogether, the film is as hypnotic and mesmerizing as it is thought-provoking.This film was cobbled together from all kinds of footage filmed across the United States from 1975 to 1983, with a tight budget. Regardless, the filmmakers show superb prowess with their photography and editing skills. At least on a technical level, they've maximized their potential and tools to craft an audio/visual masterpiece, weaving the images and music to the themes implied with the term Koyaanisqatsi.As far as the content goes, like any piece of art, it's left to the viewer's interpretation. The most opaque of themes will revolve around civilization's progress, the depletion of nature, and the effects of technology and industrialization on the human race. There are times in the film where humanity seems triumphant, and other times where it feels like it's spinning out of control in a downward spiral of chaos and destruction (especially in one of the film's final shots, depicting an Atlas-Centaur rocket exploding; it's a sequence that's always hit me the hardest, given the combination of imagery, music, and the overall theme that human civilization rises so high, but will eventually crash and burn).Watching this film is not only a treat for the eyes and ears, but also a sobering, moving experience unlike any other. I believe it truly represents the best and worst of the human race in the modern age, and everybody should see it at least once in a lifetime.5/5 (Entertainment: Perfect | Content: Perfect | Film: Perfect)