Credited cast: | |||
Belladonna | ... | Self | |
Marlon Brando | ... | Self (archive footage) | |
Elton John | ... | Self (archive footage) | |
Julia Louis-Dreyfus | ... | Self (archive footage) | |
Madonna | ... | Self (archive footage) | |
Bhagwan Mirchandani | ... | Business Man | |
Jack Shamblin | ... | Atomic Adam | |
Steven Soderbergh | ... | Man Reflected in Digital Screens (3rd segment) |
In this cinematic concert, mesmerizing images are plucked from everyday reality, then visually altered with state-of-the-art digital techniques. The result is a chronicle of the shift from a world organized by the principles of nature to one dominated by technology, the synthetic and the virtual. Extremes of intimacy and spectacle, tragedy and hope fuse in a tidal wave of visuals and music, giving rise to a unique, artistic experience that reflects the vision of a brave new globalized world. Written by Sujit R. Varma
Being a big fan of Koyannisqatsi and Philip Glass in general, i was looking forward to this quite a bit. It's unfortunate that this film turned out to be as cliched and flat as the first film was pioneering and bold. Some of the music, especially the first and last pieces, is stunning, and sounds amazing in Dolby Digital. Reggio's images, with some notable exceptions, such as some famous works of art morphing into one another (with a technique far more interesting than the typical morphing), are nothing new, and the usual topics of the hazards of technology and corporate greed feel all too well-worn. Whereas the first film may have inspired a style of tv commercials, Naqoyqatsi just feels like one.