Monday 28 September 2009

Koyaanisqatsi (Life Out Of Balance)

Created by Godfrey Reggio, Koyaanisqatsi, the 1hour 23minute long film to me represents life in different stages. Going from very colourful images to dark and gloomy images, paired with the music makes the viewer feel many different emotions towards the pictures being shown. For example, an image of a street which is over crowded as well as the music, in turn it makes the viewer feel uncomfortable as well by seeing the images. However, the images may be a contradiction compared to the music. Some may feel that the music has a relaxing or calming effect, instead if being sad or tense.

All of the images included in the film are interesting in their own way. Some may be colourful and grab the attention of the viewer in a good way, like watching the city at night, the dark colours contrast with the lights of the streets or cars. However, some may be colourful yet be shocking for the viewer to watch, for example, the rocket blowing up, the colours of the flames contrasting against the blue sky. The majority of the pictures around the cities and towns are sped up, this may be because it fits with the music that had been placed with it.

An example of this is the second to last shot, the rocket blowing up. The music that is paired with it builds up the tension between viewer and the picture, as people are watching the rocket take off the music builds up the tension as well as making people feel more relaxed with the rocket as if nothing is going to happen. At the time of the rocket blowing up, the music makes the people feel shocked as well as feeling upset about the destruction because the false sense of the rocket being okay, it also makes the viewers question if what they had just seen involved anyone or question why they are being shown the picture of the rocket blowing up.


From having watched the Koyaanisqatsi film, it seems that there is no obvious concept or controlling idea. To me it just seems like a couple of cleverly shot pictures have been cunningly mixed or placed together with some influential music to make the viewers judge and evaluate the images and the music to come to their own conclusion.

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2 comments:

  1. Good stuff Kerrie, check some of your spelling but this is a clear and well written piece.

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