Chronos (1985)

Carefully picked scenes of nature and civilization are viewed at high speed using time-lapse cinematography in an effort to demonstrate the history of various regions.

Director:

Ron Fricke

Writers:

Constantine Nicholas (scenario), Genevieve Nicholas (scenario)

Storyline

Carefully picked scenes of nature and civilization are viewed at high speed using time-lapse cinematography in an effort to demonstrate the history of various regions.

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Plot Keywords:

nature | ecstasy | ambient music | non narrative | one word title | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Short

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA France

Language:

None

Release Date:

10 May 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Хронос

Filming Locations:

Monument Valley, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater, S.E.M. La Géode

Technical Specs

Runtime:

43 min

Sound Mix:

IMAX 6-Track (dbx)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Composer Michael Stearns used an instrument called the Beam to generate many of the sounds for this film, which is 12 feet long made of extruded aluminum with 24 piano strings from 19-22 gauge. The original instruments it was based upon were made from cast iron and difficult to move around.

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Connections

Referenced in Silicon Valley Timelapse (2008)

User Reviews

Stunningly beautiful, questionable music, no pacing - try Baraka.

`Chronos' is a documentary about time. Ron Fricke attempts to give us a different perspective on time by the use of time-lapse and slow-motion film, hence the passage of time and in particular, the consequent impact on earth, our geography, our nature, our culture. We're shown stunningly beautiful time-lapse footage of impressive deserts, stones full of character, steep mountains, restless cities, people hurrying like ants in all sorts of public and individual transportation, timeless Greek architecture, public places of well-known cities in the western world, Mont St. Michel in the Bretagne at low tide, being engulfed with water during the rise to high tide, the old Bazaar in Istanbul flocking with byers and sellers, the Pyramids of Cheops, the Akropolis in Athens, Istanbul's Hagya Sophia, contrasted by baroque churches. It's stunningly beautiful, but where, oh where is the story behind this? It's also difficult to understand how how the visual information relates to the 1980s Jean Michel Jarre style synthesizer music. Once every while there is a crescendo, the pitch of the music rises, the volume rises, oh my gosh, what is about to happen? Nothing. We are lead into these expectations several times of the documentary, and after the third disappointing crescendo the level suspense and anticipation drops to zero. I can't recommend this movie, however check out Baraka, also by Ron Fricke, where he got everything right that is wrong in Chronos.