Samsara

Following in the tradition of the Koyanisqaatsi series, Ron Frick brings us Samsara, which balances Baraka out nicely.  The 'guided meditation' has been see as being overly guided, by some, but I found it could simply move through me and any political interpretation was mine to interpret.  Some may see an image of the devastation in the ninth ward, followed by the opulence of the Vatican as a comment about economic inequality, but that would be a connection the mind makes.  Is showing the manufacturing of a gun in itself a statement?  To me an entire film involving the trajectory of the gun's story and the violence it may cause would showcase that, but seeing the gun made was enough to tell us about humanity.  I don't like guns, and seeing families in different countries who feel the need to have them is enough to make me sad. 

This film is all images and sounds.  They are some of the most beautiful images put to film, and seeing them on a large screen is a special treat. We start with children dancing in Indonesia, their eyes simultaneously vacant and full of life.  We see Buddhist monks creating a sand mandala, which will serve as a symbol for the rest of the films as it holistically sets it scope on earth and humanity, as our mind connects it to the sand blowing over sand dunes.  The metaphor is not lost on us. 

I don't want to list all of the images we are greeted with, as the discovery is part of its process, I think.  But after images of nature and religious rituals we see a performance art piece by Olivier de Sagazan that seems out of place.  This film just kind of observes, to see a performance piece seems a little too modus operandi.  But what a sight.  Seeing a man mold clay on his face in such a manner is troubling, and I suppose it goes along with the films motif, and marks a transition where we begin to see images of life tout of balance.  What follows is humanity in all its glory and absurdity, the same brilliant sped up clusters of civilization we see in Baraka, the facial contortions of human robots, men working in sulphur mines, children picking through garbage heaps, the gruesomness of a meat processing plant, followed by consumers in a Costco.  At times the film lulls you into a trance, and at other times it jolts you awake.  Erotic dancers, and the exercises of prisoners are particularly exhilarating, with the music.  And faces, endless, endless faces.  We can stare deep into their eyes.

All of this really adds up to something, and trust me, I have only hinted at every image we see.  We must look inward to find meaning, but all the great questions are brought up by this film.  What is sacred?  What is natural?  What am I?  What are the results of my actions?  What is my place?  What is our place?  What ultimately matters?  Film is a visual medium, and pictures are worth countless words.  This is a film I recommend for everyone.  If there was only one film to encapsulate for future generations, this one would be a serious contender.  A film like this is like traveling to distant lands and discovering new things in our own world. I came out seeing things with new eyes, which is really the greatest achievement for any work of art.