Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
Santa Fe Institute for Regional Education

Description

Prepare to experience a truly remarkable filma cinematic masterpiece so extraordinary that it regales the senses, stimulates the mind and actually 'redefines the potential of filmmaking (The Hollywood Reporter). Celebrated director Godfrey Reggio, innovative cinematographer Ron Fricke and Golden Globe-winning composer Philip Glass have created a 'spellbinding [film] so rich in beauty and detail that with each viewing it becomes a new and different film (Leonard Maltin). Unique profound mesmerizing and thought-provoking (Boxoffice), Koyaanisqatsi contrasts the tranquil beauty of nature with the frenzied hum of contemporary urban society. Uniting breathtaking imagery with a hauntingly evocative, award-winning score, it is original and fascinating (People) one of the greatest films of all time (Uncut)

Tags

Environment, Photography

Collected reviews and ratings

10 efilmcritic.com

In fact, in the aftermath of viewing, I had almost no idea what it was that I saw, only that it was beautiful and horrifying at the same time… and incredible.
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10 Old School Reviews | John Nesbit

Although you may think that such a wordless film could only play the arthouse circuit, the powerful images that Reggio and writer/cinematographer Ron Fricke fashion should pack a potent punch with most humans.
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10 digitallyobsessed.com | Dan Lopez

As prophetic now as it was back then, Koyaanisqatsi, the first in the 'Qatsi' trilogy, is a timeless work, despite some of its moderately dated footage. Where does technology end and where do we, as people, begin? Part of the answer could be here, somewhere.
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10 allmovie | Sarah Sloboda

Godfrey Reggio's Koyaanisqatsi is visual music, blurring the defining lines between narrative and non-narrative filmmaking.
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10 DVD Times | Noel Megahey

It is not merely a series of stunning images, beautiful landscapes and innovative camera shots, but through the use of music and image it manages to create a clear narrative that resonates with deeper meaning.
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10 DVD Verdict | Mike Pinsky

I cannot even count how many times I have watched this over the years, and I still discover new details and interpretations. Even Godfrey Reggio admits that the film can be interpreted in many ways, as each viewer proceeds on his or her own journey toward understanding our relationship to the world. Koyaanisqatsi offers an intense journey to each viewer—try it for yourself and see.
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9.0 Amazon user reviews

Fast-moving clouds, hydroelectric dams, congested highways, abandoned buildings, grand canyons, waterfalls, Wall Street, gigantic airplanes, the Twinkie Factory, the list is endless in "Koyaanisqatsi".
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8.0 New York Times | Vincent Canby

''Koyaanisqatsi'' is an oddball and - if one is willing to put up with a certain amount of solemn picturesqueness - entertaining trip.
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7.5 Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

"Koyaanisqatsi," then, is an invitation to knee-jerk environmentalism of the most sentimental kind. It is all images and music. There is no overt message except the obvious one (the Grand Canyon is prettier than Manhattan). It has been hailed as a vast and sorrowful vision, but to what end?
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7.0 filmcritic.com | Christopher Null

... the pictures are often haunting and the score trumps most feature films handily.
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6.7 The Onion A.V. Club | Noel Murray

the mesmerizing, overwhelming effect of Reggio's union of sound and image isn't to be discounted, nor is the film's value as a life study of the fashions, fads, foods, and factories of the late '70s and early '80s.
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6.3 Reel | James Plath

... despite the lack of words, Koyaanisqatsi is as unsubtle as the ads that inspired it. It's beautifully filmed and beautifully scored, but it belabors a point and doesn't know when to stop.
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4.0 Variety

When Hollywood is rightfully accused of frequently turning out the same old stuff (often badly), any film that's unique, inventive and pioneering should be welcomed. Still, when the result is as simplistic and interminable as "Koyaanisqatsi," it's back to the drawing board.
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