Baraka

["Thomas Friese" <tfriese@intergate.bc.ca>]

I never made the Arbeiter connection when I saw the movie -
but it does also have those elements. I love it more for the
stunning images of nature than anything else. It creates
some incredible juxtapositions of the natural world against
the technological one. The same director did "Powaaqatsi"
and "Koyaanisqatsi" (a Hopi word which I think means magic
sorceror who lives on the energy of others - that is, as a
parasite destructive of self and other). These movies are
collages of natural and "unnatural" images - the beautiful
and the awful, respectively.

There is one scene showing modern conveyor-belt (literally)
processes of chick hatching and raising - the exploitation
of animals in this scene has to be seen to be comprehended.
It is, to my mind, far worse than vivisection because it
destroys the soul in the animal - it could so easily be
applied to how human beings are hatched and raised in our
consumer society to eat, lay their eggs or surrender their
flesh, and be slaughtered, albeit spiritually rather than
physically. It makes me think about what Junger said
somewhere about expecting animals to exact their revenge on
humans in some way.

On the other hand, there are scenes of natural processes
that are so powerful they instill patience with the
technological hideousness - "leave it be, for this phase
will pass too and the wilderness will gather its children
back" type of feeling...

The sound tracks are music (Philip Glass) and sounds, no
dialogue. Here's the write-up of Baraka:

"An epic visual feast from director/cinematographer Ron
Fricke, known for his work on Koyaanisqatsi. Fricke spent
five years travelling to 24 countries to capture the amazing
images that appear in this celebration of the
interconnectedness of nature and humanity. From Mount
Everest to the burning oilfields of Kuwait to the Galapagos
Islands and everywhere in between, Fricke's images blow the
mind. (USA, 1993, 96 min)."

It must also be on video, though you really wouldn't want to
see it that way. If it was in Imax on the other hand, it
would probably be too much of an experience.

Highly recommended - all three of his films.

Thomas


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ernst-juenger-l@maillist.ox.ac.uk
[mailto:owner-ernst-juenger-l@maillist.ox.ac.uk]On Behalf Of
John King
Sent: May 17, 1999 3:49 PM
To: ernst-juenger-l@maillist.ox.ac.uk
Subject: RE: [ejlist] Baraka


> I would second that ... I see it when ever it shows up in
> the speciality theatres. On the whole, though, it is far
> more inspiring than demoralizing.

Could anyone say anything more about this film? Who's it by?
How does it
refer (directly, indirectly or whatever) to "Der Arbeiter"?
And when is it
on general release in the UK? (Weirdly enough there are
plenty of US films
which appear in Germany before they come out over here -
despite not
needing dubbing (usually;-))

Regards,

JK

(four and a bit weeks and counting!!)

============================================================
==================
John King
St. John's College
GB - Oxford OX1 3JP
============================================================
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