Naqoyqatsi (2002)

A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.

Director:

Godfrey Reggio

Writer:

Godfrey Reggio

Stars:

Belladonna, Marlon Brando, Elton John

Cast

Credited cast:
Belladonna	...	Herself
Marlon Brando	...	Himself (archive footage)
Elton John	...	Himself (archive footage)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	...	Herself (archive footage)
Madonna	...	Herself (archive footage)
Bhagwan Mirchandani	...	Business Man
Jack Shamblin	...	Atomic Adam
Steven Soderbergh	...	Man Reflected in Digital Screens (3rd segment)

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

third part | technology | violence | trippy | slow motion | 

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Taglines:

Life as War.

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for violent and disturbing images, and for brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site Website for the Qatsi Trilogy

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 January 2003 (Czech Republic)

Also Known As:

Naqoyqatsi: Life as War

Filming Locations:

Michigan Central Depot - W. Vernor and W. Michigan Avenues, Detroit, Michigan, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,154, 20 October 2002, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$133,058

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$155,640

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, Qatsi Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The word "Naqoyqatsi" is a noun from the Hopi language literally meaning "each other-kill many-life", as stated in the film's end roll.

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Crazy Credits

Studio Feng Shui ... Marti Lovell

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Connections

Edited from Anima Mundi (1991)

User Reviews

An Incoherent Barrage of Images

Having seen Koyanisqatsi and Baraka I was very much looking forward to viewing this movie to see how Godfrey Reggio's view of the world has changed and what nuggets of visual wisdom he would impart to me this time around. Needless to say (if you read the summary) I was quite disappointed in the way Mr. Reggio presented his latest film.

If one is seeing this film then one is more than likely already familiar with, and highly sensitive to, the problems that are facing the Earth today. Naqoyqatsi seems to delight in pummeling the viewer with shot after out of focused, highly contrasted, digitally altered shot of the continued plagues of the world.

Yes Mr. Reggio, we know that war is bad, that ideological conformity is limiting, that destruction of the environment threatens our future. The task now at hand is not to document the continuation of these negative historical trends but to show those of us interested how we can begin to live our lives differently to alter the course of history.

After walking out of the movie I felt I had just left an extended 90 minute MTV Yo Yo Ma music video. And not a good MTV video but one of those I-can't-concentrate-for-more-than-2-seconds music videos. Disjointed, depressing, confusing and incoherent are the words I would use to best describe this movie. Skip it.