Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance | Hacker News Reader

Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance

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Koyaanisqatsi is my favorite movie. I saw a part of it while skipping channels on late night TV about 10 years ago and had my mind blown. I've since seen it a ton of times, including live with Philip Glass's "Ensemble". Big thumbs up. Startup types might enjoy much of the San Francisco footage, including the long gone double decker Embarcadero Freeway.

It's amazing how many references (subtle or not) to Koyaanisqatsi you see in other movies or even commercials that ape its style. My favorite, however, has to be The Simpsons' Koyaani-SCRATCHY: https://vimeo.com/21283911 :-)

Okay, I agree it's memorable, but favorite? 10 years ago you weren't even watching it like it's supposed to be watched on laser disk or blu-ray. Thanks for Koyaani-SCRATCHY I think :-).

I think we all just take HD for granted these days. Back then everyone was watching everything in SD and we just didn't know any better.

I'm considering downgrading my HD cable to standard to save $15/month. I mean I can see the difference but it's a bit of a meh difference to me. But then I did spend 20+ years with standard and the quality of the shows themselves was even higher back then ;-)

Yes, favorite.

It was supposed to be watched on theater projected 35mm film, which I've seen at least twice.

It's like reading a beat-up cheap paperback copy of The Lord of the Rings and liking it so much you insist your friends buy it as premium leather-bound gold-trim volumes. How it's presented is interesting, but what's important is how the content gets in your head and rattles your soul.

I went to see it live on a gigantic screen with the Philip Glass Ensemble about 8 years ago so yeah, I think I eventually got to see it how it was intended ;-)

But what does some minor quality issue matter? I could listen to an album of 128kbps MP3s and still deem it to be my favorite, because absolute precision isn't really important in (most) art. Heck, I listen to most music on my screen's speakers despite having proper headphones, just because it's easier. I'm not pretending to be a cinephile or an audiophile here ;-)

I remember seeing this when it first came out. As an aspiring classical musician at the time who was interested in the avant-garde, I was naturally curious about Glass's music, but I went in without any concept of what the movie was like/about. The thoughts that ran through my head, roughly:

1. "Just music and images so far... ok, this must be the intro."

2. "Hmm... when is this thing actually going to start?"

3. "WTH?"

4. "Ok, this is getting a little boring..."

5. "...."

Step 5 was where I fell into what I can only describe as a sort of hypnotic trance that lasted until the end. It was an impressive experience, but I'm hard pressed to say I "liked" it so much as it felt somehow deep and profound, like some sort of 60's acid trip but without the drugs.

No, no, no. Don't watch it on Hulu. Experience the Criterion Collection Qatsi Trilogy Blu-ray [1] instead.

Then share it with friends and family, and eventually donate it to your local public library.

Win, win, win.

[1] http://www.criterion.com/boxsets/934-the-qatsi-trilogy

But hulu has ads. In the middle of a geico commercial, if you listen closely, you can hear someone chanting koyaanisqatsi.

Since you brought it up... Hulu has some of the worst ads I've ever seen. In my geographic region I have to suffer through upwards of three Cricket Mobile ads in an hour long program and they are the WORST. The Geico commercials are pretty bad too - I have a friend who likes them, but he's a cheese ball.

i agree streaming this is bad since it is all about the image. it is like seeing a painting in jpg.

but im not so sure about supporting blueray either...

From movie critic Leonard Malton: (4-stars, highest rating) "Spellbinding, senses-staggering nonnarrative film soars across the United States in search of vistas both natural and man-made. Much of the photography is slow-motion or time-lapse (the title is Hopi Indian for "life out of balance"), all of it set to a mesmerizing score by Philip Glass. So rich in beauty and detail that with each viewing it becomes a new and different film. Should be seen in a theatre for maximum impact. Followed by POWAQQATSI and NAQOYQATSI"

This is a film which, if you watch it all the way through and don't let your brain argue with what you're seeing, will help you think about the earth and what people are and what they're trying to do, and other things that are hard to describe.

It's one of those movies that take on whatever theme you feel is appropriate.

It made me think of the scale of human achievement, how we move so much from place to place, how we build, pollute and destroy, how we care for others around us but know so little about the people we cross every day on our daily commute.

It's like being high without taking any drugs really.

In my mind this work is the GEB of video. And its themes are related.

Seen the movie approx 20 times. For me it's the most successful work of minimalist music ever, the best music to footage match I've seen (Danny Elfman does pretty well too I guess) and a deeply important view of earth, life and humanity that invites you to transcend your individualism and individualistic vantage point for a short while.

Brian Eno, speaking at the long now foundation recently, referred to long term patterns in human life as 'the cycles of time' vs 'the arrow of progress' and there is absolutely no movie that better shows this odd meta-pattern on Earth of cycles and lines combining, sometimes very obviously and sometimes more subtly. Watch it anywhere but watch it without ads [turn off your phone, get over your worry about being bored and see if your mind won't tune in]

Ron Fricke was involved in the making of this film. I whole heartedly recommend his two films Baraka and the more recent Samsara. The latter is the most stunning film I have ever seen and I recommend that everyone should see it. It is absolutely amazing! Baraka is fantastic too.

If you liked Koyaanisqatsi, you'll love Baraka [1] and Samsara [2], both also Ron Fricke.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baraka_(film)

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsara_(2011_film)

The entire trilogy is fantastic: Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, and Naqoyqatsi.

I posted this in response to Life is a game, this is your strategy guide https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7182636, so people could see the headlines together. Did you notice that? Life is more complicated than a game.

I never understood Naqoyqatsi. We're at war with ourselves? The imagery didn't match up with the premise. I was expecting more actual war, but the movie seems to suggest technology causes us to be at war with ourselves, literally me fighting myself.

Great trilogy.

and he just released a new film last week, after years working on it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/24/movies/godfrey-reggios-vis...

You might want to check out Ron Fricke's movies, they are a splendid window into human's life and their relation to this planet.

Specifically Baraka which is to my taste his best, but also Samsara and Chronos.

Please not that Hulu has stupid georestrictions. Please think of the people outside US.

Hulu cannot do this film justice. This film deserves to be watched in the highest quality medium available, no interruptions.

I'm surprised to see this posted on HN.

If you're interested in this genre of film, I happen to have just uploaded a video in a similar style which you can watch here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYAVkuBxZ_Q&hd=1

My brother shot the footage while traveling the world, I edited, and music is by 'Jupi/ter' on Soundcloud. The production value may not be as high as Koyaanisqatsi, but it wont' cost you anything but your time.

Currently it's restricted to 30fps by Youtube, but I'm going to try iron out a few technical problems and upload a 60fps torrent version later.

I'm surprised it got so far on hn too. Thank you for the video. I didn't realize this was a style, so I'm excited to see it.

Thanks for watching if you get a chance. Glad to hear your feedback too. :)

I have been watching this since I could catch it as a teenager on SuperChannel in the early 80's. The entire trilogy are still among my favourite films.

I remember seeing this at a repertory theatre about 15 years ago and having my mind blown. Yes Baraka and Samsara are both beautiful but IMO they lack the cohesiveness of Koyaanisqatsi, especially considering the interplay of music + images.

I echo the others who say that watching this with ads is a terrible idea. It completely kills the flow of it. I can't think of a worse movie to have interrupted by ads.

If you can, watch it any other way.

I haven't seen the film, but the sound track is a classic by Phillip Glass, part of which (Pruit Igoe) was used on the GTA IV radio/soundtrack.

the Pruit Igoe music has been repurposed for a number of other films. You will hear it a lot in the Watchmen adaptation. Also visually, this film basically invented the city-as-a-circuit-board visual metaphor.

"She drove into San Narciso on a Sunday, in a rented Impala. Nothing was happening. She looked down a slope, needing to squint for the sunlight, onto a vast sprawl of houses which had grown up all together, like a well-tended crop, from the dull brown earth; and she thought of the time she'd opened a transistor radio to replace a battery and seen her first printed circuit. The ordered swirl of houses and streets, from this high angle, sprang at her now with the same unexpected, astonishing clarity as the circuit card had. (...)"

From Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49, 1966

Which I've read many times, but nonetheless, the imagery of highways shot at slow frame rates with long exposures creating a visual metaphor similar to a circuit, used many times in later works (even commercials) originated here.

Man With A Movie Camera and Sans Soleil are two good ones in a similar vein (better, I think)

This was one of the few titles available on CAV laser disc in 1990 -- I watched it over and over in the course of working on MediaMaker, but for some reason I didn't discover the title till stumbling across it online a couple of years ago.

A recent interview with Godfrey Reggio (the director of Koyaanisqatsi), http://www.singularityweblog.com/godfrey-reggio-koyaanisqats...

Baraka and Samsara beat this movie hands down. I know this is sacrilegious, but that Philip Glass soundtrack is awful.

Booooo

I grew up in Stuttgart where some of Philip Glass' operas had their premiere. Absolutely awesome experience.

Which ad do you prefer?

The radio shack ad where the 80s calls and wants their store back.

Best. Fucking. Movie. Ever.

One of my favorite films when I was younger. I discovered the music composers Phillip Glass and subsequently Steve Reich through the films. Many documentaries and media productions play on the audio visual styles Reggio popularized in the film. It's interesting how often I detect sqatsi-ism in modern film (1). Just a couple days ago while watching "Home" I felt it's presence (2).

Koyaanisqatsi was the first of a trilogy of films:

Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koyaanisqatsi Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PirH8PADDgQ

Powaqqatsi: Life in Transformation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powaqqatsi Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNVTmWRcUbY

Naqoyqatsi: Life as War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naqoyqatsi Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PxT3MtTedw

The films creator, Godfrey Reggio has recently created a new work:

Visitors: 2013 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visitors_(2013_film) Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1ZwYJI55Rs

The original cinematographer for Koyaanisqatsi, Ron Fricke, went on to produce similar styles of films:

Samsara: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsara_(2011_film) Baraka: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baraka_(film) Chronos: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronos_(film)

Phillip Glass: Music Composer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Glass Sample of Phillip Glass's music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkof3nPK--Y

Steve Reich: Music Composer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Reich Sample of Steve Reich's music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU23LqQ6LY4

---

(1) Sqatsi-ism: Made up word to describe the type of audio visual style created and popularized in the original film, which can now be seen throughout media.

(2) Home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU. Interesting fact, the narrator of the film sounds almost identical to the woman in Phillip Glass's song "Einstein on the Beach Play 5", which was created back when he did the score for Koyaanisqatsi. Play 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmX_GgozpQs.

Note: If you enjoy documentaries TrueFilms a great resources to discover new titles you may not have seen before: http://truefilms.com. In fact, many of the titles listed above are on this list.

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