Philip Glass - Koyaanisqatsi [OST] (1983)

Philip Glass composed, conducted and played the music to Godfrey Reggio's films: Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, Naqoyqatsi and Anima Mundi. Last night I saw the first, and it was an audiovisual experience in its most true sense and of the highest aesthetic degree. I would seriously advise everyone to do their utmost to find and watch this film!Koyaanisqatsi was Godfrey Reggio's debut as a film director and producer. Released in 1983, it is the first film of the Qatsi trilogy and the first full-length commercial nonverbal film.

Koyaanisqatsi is a Hopi Indian word meaning 'life out of balance'. Created between 1975 and 1982, the film brings forward an apocalyptic vision of two different worlds - urban life and technology versus the environment. Koyaanisqatsi is a sort of documentary about the organisation of force (in every sense possible). There are no actors, there is no plot and there is no script. All of the images used are real life, genuine footage. The subject of the images varies greatly and is presented in such a way to show the contrasts and similarities between humanity and nature. Koyaanisqatsi provoked an suprisingly wide array of thoughts and emotions in me, especially since the film contains no dialogue (although the word 'koyaanisqatsi' is chanted at times). The idea of Koyaanisqatsi is to make the viewer compare the things found in nature against those things that humans have created.

Koyaanisqatsi has always been popular considering its style. However, lack of commercial demand and complicated rights disputes saw it go out of print. Godfrey Reggio's Institute for Regional Education owns the original film copyright, originally licensed to Island Entertainment, which was sold to Polygram, which was sold to Metro-Goldwyn Mayer. The constant change of administration resulted in non-payment of royalties to the film makers. The IRE sold DVD versions of the film to help fund the legal costs. The IRE then reached an agreement with MGM which allows us to purchase the enhanced DVD version now. Koyaanisqatsi was re-released on DVD in 2002. The United States Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally significant". Koyaanisqatsi is now preserved in the National Film Registry.

Being the first film of its type Koyaanisqatsi really is ground breaking. Some of its work goes back thirty years. In interviews Reggio explains that the whole idea about Koyaanisqatsi is that you interpret it yourself, but he thinks that if we continue to change as we have then one day we will all speak the same language and wear the same clothes. Identity is being lost. Indeed: interpret it yourself! (I guess this film is a little bit like taking lsd...) I won't show any pictures of the film as I've noticed they fail miserably to reflect its scope and effects on the mind. This is 'deep' cinema, as in 'motion' picture: essential to its content and style is the idea that everything is constantly in flux.

I almost forgot the mention something about the music Philip Glass created for this film. It fits in nicely with the other ambient or atmospheric music around here. On the one hand it's modern, being repetitive and hypnotic (I see 'modern' as the post-WW1 movement towards minimalism and absence of being); but on the other it shows clear influences from 18th century classical music, for example. At times it conveys a rather dark atmosphere, especially when the chanting occurs. I normally don't enjoy soundtracks to films, but here's one that is an interesting listen on its own (every now and then). I had heard the music long before I ever got to see film, but it made me very, very curious - and I hope it will entice you as much as it did me to go and see-hear Koyaanisqatsi!!!

The official Koyaanisqatsi web site

Philip_Glass_Koyaanisqatsi_256.rar

posted by Paxjorge @ Wednesday, April 05, 2006