Baraka Reflection
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Baraka is a film that has no narrative, which focuses on the world through time-lapse photography and videos of nature and landscapes. This film was astoundingly beautiful. There were many different cultures that were portrayed in the film, from those in East to those in the West. The film also juxtaposes the chaotic pulse of human life in cities such as New York and Japan to the silence and tranquility in the natural world. The film had footage from all over the world combined with a very suitable soundtrack to each particular "section" of the film.
I think the movie is about the beauty of the world. The director chose to focus on the cinematography so that we, the audience, can see the simple splendor in everything around us. He also chose to film from all around the world, displaying the diversity of the world. We are living a very busy lifestyle, as portrayed in the particular chaotic "section" of the film, which ended with a man with a painted face screaming. We then, sweep directly into the next section of the film. In this section, the pace of the film and the soundtrack slows tremendously from the section before, giving us a feeling serenity. The director is telling us that although our lives are hectic, we should take a break and enjoy the world. He is also saying that there is still much unappreciated magnificence in the world; we just need to take the time to discover this within our environment.
Labels: global ethics
