Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Powaqqatsi

What are your thoughts about Powaqqatsi?

45 comments:

  1. Powaqqatsi isn't a bad film.....its just pointless. Its made to present issues and get us to think about certain topics. HOWEVER its too random. Every scene gets us to think but its about anything. It has a picture of a tree. But we can think about it a million ways. So there's no point. We don't have a direction. Its random scenes with random images. After every minute I'm left wondering "ok...and?" Its not talking about issues, its presenting them. But without any comment from the film itself we don't have a direction. Its not proactive, its just there. In the begining they show people mining. Ok what about them? Boring isn't a bad thing. Blade runner is a great film but its boring. If there's no right answer that's ok, but there has to be a question. A tree is a tree unless they tell us or show us something about the tree. Its pretty, its ugly, it means life, it means death. If everything is an ok answer then its just....nothing.

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    1. Its ok to have different thoughts about something. Unique opinons are welcome. But they have to be about something. They also have to relate in some sense. If I watch a batman movie and 2 people have thoughts about the joker that's ok. But if someone has a thoought about superman who isn't in the movie its just off topic. There is no topic in this film. One image can range from plato to the wizard of oz to god to lunch time to landscape shoots. I can say its about life you can say its about death. Its not the end of the day, its the start. The opions vary far too much. Because there's nothing there. Were projecting our thoughts into it but the film itself isn't giving us anything. If the film doesn't care about what we should be led to believe then why should I care?

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  2. Powaqqatsi in my opinion is an intellectual movie that is not for everyone. This movie is not really genius it is just innovative.rather than present the reader with a certain direction it allows you to basically create your own interpretation of the film. No two people can say.the same.thing about this film because it is so unique

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  3. I think Powaqqatsi is very interesting to view a movie with no words but you can still feel every scene that ttaking place. It makes you think outside of the box and you make your own verse of what you see from your classmates. I believe this movie is a true theory of knowledge movie using chapter 1 Perception.

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  4. Powaqqatsi is a movie that I somewhat enjoyed once it got to the middle. It shows different clips that will have you thinking and wondering why that part was chosen . It shows the highs and the lows of different countries . This movie is different but yet interesting

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  5. Powaqqatsi is, to say the least, an interesting movie. Some parts do nothing but make me want to fall asleep...then there are parts that actually get me thinking. The images and sequences were visually stunning and it really helped to understand how life is in other countries. I'm still confused about that first montage though...

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  6. Powaqatsi is a film that is definitely isn't for everyone, but those who can enjoy it I think will enjoy it alot. It provides an interesting insight of the world we have today...and by today i guess i mean 1988.

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  7. Powaqqatsi, in my opinion, was a very good movie. It show images and concepts that we would never have been able to grasp before. The music throughout the whole movie gives you, in a sense, the emotions of the people and the rhythm of their culture.

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    1. In my point of view Powaqqatsi is a kind of movie that deals with the five great elements of life such as Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether(Sound). According to Hinduism all creations of world including human body diffuses into these five elements of nature.This movie depicts the experience of sensations through human exertions. In the beginning of the movie it starts with people mining in the mountains which manifests stability, rigidity, fixity and permanence. The clip with the fire represents our passion to to pursue despite obstacles and delays. The reflection of water with the tree represents the ability to adapt to situations being one just like water takes the shape of the tree. Then the birds flying in the air imitates mobility and dynamism.The sound track occupies the emptiness of the movie. Obviously, it is a goal oriented movie.

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  9. Powaqqatsi was an interesting movie that i enjoyed very much. I like how the producers had it organized from the older times to the modern times. Each scene had a significance like Mr. Harris commented on about the monk and how the bird calmly rested upon his staff. This movie breaks down how the world is perceived in my opinion and how each place is different.

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  10. Powaqqatsi was a very powerful movie.The best part of the movie is no dialouge.The lack of dialouge makes the images more interesting. I liked how each section of a scene corresponds with each other and leads up to an ending that shows how society is changing from man to technology ruling society and conformity. I also like how it exposes you to different societies and what they encounter daily, such as poverty. Powaqqatsi is just powerful,there's too much to explian in one comment.

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  11. Powaqqatsi was a very innovative movie. The movie allowed you to see the world through images. Since there was not any dialogue in the movie it made you pay attention even more to the images and what they were trying to convey. This movie showed how societies have changed and grown. How people from different parts of the world are alike trough their love of tradition, music , and dance. I also really liked how the director captured certain images and the quality of the film. This was a really interesting film and new style of movie for me.

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  12. Powaqqatsi wasn't that bad. It reminded me of how much we take for granted. So many people struggle to live and work extremely hard jobs. Jobs that we would never do. The movie didn't have to have anyone talking to convey its message. In my opinion thats pretty impressive.

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  13. Although I wasn't in class for the first part of the film what I saw was good. It was also sad. I didn't like seeing people search trough trash to find their basic needs. The scene where the men were washing in broad daylight. In a way it was disturbing and it made me just thankful for how we have it in America.

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  14. Powaqqtsi was pretty interesting to me. It put different things in perspective for me. You can see how the rest of the world has it, and see how we as Americans have it. It's really different. The way that the message was conveyed was different for me, because I am used to hearing, but everyone's perspective was different because it wasn't just given to you. You actually had to think, so that's pretty much it. :-)

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  15. In a very strange way Powaqqtsi captured my attention with its randomness. Throughout the film the different scenes that were shown had some type of significance but at the same time it meant nothing at all. Watching this film really made me think about everything I saw. It gave me a whole new perspective of the way I see life. As I said earlier, although there was really no meaning this film made me expand my mind to the underlying meaning of things.

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  16. I thought powaqqtsi was really a movie to make u think. The images in this movie made u really dig deep inside to get the actually meaning if it has a meaning. In all the movie powaqqtsi was a ok film i believe if i watch more of these types of film i will begin to understand better than the first time!!! :-)

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  17. Naynayb is DeAhjane' Verlisia Brown amd my response is ---> I think Powaqqatsi is very interesting to view a movie with no words but you can still feel every scene that ttaking place. It makes you think outside of the box and you make your own verse of what you see from your classmates. I believe this movie is a true theory of knowledge movie using chapter 1 Perception.

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  18. Powaqqatsi isn't a bad movie at all but it's not a movie i would sit down and watch if i had a choice in the matter. The images they show you are just to random to me. I mean sure they get me thinking about what they are showing but it also leaves me wondering "what is the point of this
    '. My main issue is just that the images are just to random for a African American like me.

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  20. Powaqqatsi is a movie that is somewhat of a good movie. It isn't bad but it isn't great. It's somewhat boring to me. It's not a movie that I would sit down and watch at my on will. However, I do enjoy some of the images that are portrayed in this movie like the one with the monk holding a stick. It gives me an insight of the different cultures throughout the world and that was pretty interesting.

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  21. I really enjoyed the movie Powaqqatsi. I think it really is unlike any movie i've ever seen. I found it intresting how a story was told and not a single word was said. Each scene tied together in its own little way. I also found it intresting how it showed the evoultion of the life of people around the world. I am looking forward to seeing the next movie because i'm sure it will be just as well.

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  22. I really enjoyed Powaqqatsi. I am a very visual person and I loved the captivating images/video clips of the film. I have always admired different cultures and what life is like for others around the world. Powaqqatsi reminded me how grateful I am to have so much in my life compared to people who probably have not even imagined half of the things I own. Powaqqatsi defintely is a great film to watch when talking about perception because every one will perceive the movie in a different light. This was my first time watching a movie from that perceptive and I would love to see another one. Powaqqatsi really makes me want to travel the world and see such amazing places in person.

    -- Saidah R. Wright

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  23. I was unable to see the first portion of Powaqqatsi, but from the part that I did get to see I must say that it was a very interesting and thought provoking film. The music collaborated well with the heart-throbbing imagery in the film. The visuals captured a sense of society's progression and the artistry and beauty of nature as a whole.
    Powaqqatsi was the first film I've watched where not one word needed to be said to decipher the meaning. It is definitely a moving piece of work and it encouraged me to explore and learn more about other cultures.

    -Michelle Z. =D

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  25. Boring. Just very boring. I felt a better appreciation for what I have and all but that movie was awful. It had no plot or anything. I understand that the point was that we all perceive things in different ways, but couldn't we have just said and talked a little about that? I think I felt physical pain. The music was repetitive and that made the experience much worse. You are supposed to change it up a little. The music didn't fully go with the scenes either. They should have added sadder music when they were showing scenes of people working in those conditions. Then again that would've made us think a certain way. All I felt was pain. After hearing what the point was, I was out. Sorry.

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  26. I believe this is a ground breaking movie. The relativity of the movie is so simple to where it becomes perplex and you become mentally discombobulated. Many people over analyzed its simplistic value and encounter a dislike towards its different cinematic approach. I believe the movie exemplifies a social connection to every corner of society. The cultural value and content really grabbed me. I am a big fan of becoming knowledgeable of different cultures, therefore, this movie awed me more than bored me. Being that I want to become a full time humanitarian/philanthropist this movie helps me appreciate the conditions of the world. As a race every different class of people have a story to tell. This movie shifted from their story to the transition of life as a whole. I would recommend this to anyone who is intrigued with culture and the world in its entirety.

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  27. The essence of this movie is just to cause you to think.The beautiful scenes thta are portrayed throughout the movie have no rigt or wrong meaning, it was created so students could develop their own theory of logic about the movie. The movie was made for people to have debates and differing opinions on what the moral of the movie was all about. The true genius of this movie that many students don't get is it was just to cause you to simply.....THINK!

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  29. In my opinion, Powaqqatsi is a film that will only appeal to a certain group of people. You have to be able recognize the underlying meaning in the film in order to enjoy its beauty. I personally only enjoy the movie half as much as others because it didn't connect all the way throughout for me. I saw some of the subliminal meanings in the movie but sometimes it was like huh? Like what just happened? Granted, I didn't catch all the messages, but it is still a good movie. Those who enjoy movies that make you think critically will enjoy Powaqqatsi and all it has to offer.

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  30. Personally I felt that Powaqqatsi was an amazing feat of filming especially for the 80's. I thinks its amazing how the film producers conveyed such a powerful, clear, and precise message without the use of words but with the use of music and images. The images were so diverse yet fit together seemlessly to tell an heart wrenching story of culture and the impact of technology and how different regions of the world seem almost completely alien compared to others.

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  31. Powaqqatsi is a film with random montage videos.The thing behind the videos was the point of the many different worlds within this one world.The different culture we saw in this video makes you think on how to other countries function and the differ from America.

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  32. The only problem I had with the film is the lack of dialogue. Other than that I enjoyed the pictures and background music. I would not say the pictures were randomly chosen because some part of the picture went with the previously shown picture. The film focused on the culture and lives of third world countries that make the materials we use each day. America buys these materials and compared

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  33. I really enjoyed this film which was the first one I've seen of its kind. I could clearly get an understanding of what the documentary was trying to portray and they way in which it did so was very creative. Powaqqatsi displays how everywhere around the world there are people who work hard, have different cultures, live in different surroundings but, i some way are connected. It also shows how the rise of technology and business sweeps the world in such a way that man kind cannot keep up.

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  34. Powaqqatsi was a very interesting film. The only thing I disliked was the lack of dialogue and it was really long. My favorite part of the film was the part where it was sunset and the birds were flying across it. It made me think of being free and how we don't have the ability to be free in certain situations. It was also interesting to see different cultures and the type of lifestyles others have.

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  35. The blog deleted my comment, so let's try this again.

    ______



    I personally felt that Godfrey Reggio created a masterpiece in Powaqqatsi. The way he shows the simple tribal life in heavy contrast to the rising industry is eye-opening. Other cultures are able to live without needing the latest technological advances, while we are gaining new mechanical knowledge daily. It seems as if they are much happier in the simple things, and--if you noticed--everything was much more serene and pleasant in the rural settings in comparison to the steel risers and skyscrapers.

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    1. Also, it made me think that technology is seemingly parasitic; but, there is no cure for us now. It has already contaminated us and has been flowing through our blood stream for years.

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  36. Powaqqatsi was a very strange movie. I have never heard of any movie with no talking at all. Even though words weren't there the pictures and the music explained what was happening. I was able to look at the clip and form my own opinion of what they were showing. Even though i fell asleep at the end i understood everything that happened.this was a really nice movie and i would watch another.

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  37. In my eyes Powaqqatsi is an amazing movie that gives us a view at the world around us and causes us to realize jus how good we have it in our society compared to others. This is a very powerful film because it gets it's point across without words. Even though I enjoyed the film at times I still found myself almost falling asleep because of the peaceful music.

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  38. I feel that Powaqqatsi was an amazing movie because it was able to deliver messages without using a single word throughout the entire movie. I also enjoyed it because it made me more aware of what is going on in the world around me and how not everyone has it as easy as we do here in America. I also agree with what Tyrik said about the music haha.

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  39. Powaqqatsi is an eye-opening movie that illustrates how mankind's primitive nature has advanced into modern day industrialism. However, it also shows how the world and its people within it are affected by these changes as well. I really enjoyed how the filmmakers transitioned from each concept to the next. This particular movie doesn't peak the interest of everyone, but for me, it gave me an new otherworldly perspective.

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  40. Powaqqatsi was a strange film. It was very hard for me to stay awake during the film because it wasn't really capturing my attention. I'm sure you noticed because I kept falling asleep. But, after a while I was able to stay awake and the movie was really an eye opener for me because I was able to see how people in other cultures survive on an everyday basis.

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