Koyaanisqatsi main backdrop
Koyaanisqatsi main poster

Koyaanisqatsi

Visit website

7.9/10 • 726

1983-04-271h 26m

DocumentaryDrama

Life out of balance

Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.

Directors
Godfrey Reggio
Editors
Alton Walpole

Top Billed Cast

View Credits

    Reviews3

    View Reviews
    Peter McGinn Avatar

    Peter McGinn

    Sep 20, 2020

    5/10

    This is an art film of sorts, eschewing dialogue or narration or a recognizable plot for a visual and musical banquet of images and scenes. So if you are into art films (or want to appear like you are), this is the film for you. The photographic techniques remind me of nature films, which may not be a coincidence since the subject matter seems to Focus on what is seen as being against nature. So it is all here: explosions and collapsing of buildings, a bridge, about five times, even what looked like a nuclear blast; then time lapse photography of city and highway traffic and masses of people walking; plus slow motion clips of masses of people walking; and shots of tenements and abandoned building and kids playing in water from fire hydrants — well, you get the idea. I like Philip Glass’s music, but there were times I didn’t think what they used quite fit what was being shown on the screen. But like he apparently told the producers more than once before they convinced him to take it on, movie scores weren’t his thing. So as the William Hurt character says in The Big Chill, just let the art flow over you. If nothing else, check out the dress and hair styles of folks in the wacky 1980s!

    Media

    • Koyaanisqatsi poster
    • Koyaanisqatsi poster
    • Koyaanisqatsi poster
    • Koyaanisqatsi poster
    • Koyaanisqatsi poster
    • Koyaanisqatsi poster
    • Koyaanisqatsi poster
    • Koyaanisqatsi poster
    • Koyaanisqatsi poster

    Recommendations

    • Powaqqatsi main backdrop

      Powaqqatsi

      7.3

    • Tender Mercies main backdrop

      Tender Mercies

      6.7

    • Destruction Babies main backdrop

      Destruction Babies

      6.7

    • Welcome to Sarajevo main backdrop

      Welcome to Sarajevo

      6.4

    • It All Starts Today main backdrop

      It All Starts Today

      7.0

    • Liquid Sky main backdrop

      Liquid Sky

      5.8

    • Wall Engravings main backdrop

      Wall Engravings

      7.4

    • Wheels main backdrop

      Wheels

      6.4

    • Beauty and the Dogs main backdrop

      Beauty and the Dogs

      7.0

    • Beans main backdrop

      Beans

      6.4

    • Nerkonda Paarvai main backdrop

      Nerkonda Paarvai

      6.8

    • Scandal main backdrop

      Scandal

      6.9

    • Men and Women main backdrop

      Men and Women

      7.2

    • Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno main backdrop

      Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno

      7.3

    • Bluebeard main backdrop

      Bluebeard

      5.6

    • Over the Hills main backdrop

      Over the Hills

      6.0

    • Classmates main backdrop

      Classmates

      7.4

    • Evil in the Woods main backdrop

      Evil in the Woods

      3.2

    • When Lambs Become Lions main backdrop

      When Lambs Become Lions

      8.0

    Status
    Released
    Original Language
    English
    Budget
    $600,000.00
    Revenue
    $3,200,000.00
    Keywords
    human vs naturetechnologycivilizationsocial commentaryrural areanature run amoknatureenvironmentenvironmental destructionlost civilizationobservational cinemaenvironmental disasternature documentaryman vs natureenvironmental catastropheobservational documentarypoetic documentaryenvironmental documentaryhuman in natureindependent filmno dialoguedying civilizationenvironmental collapseenvironmentally-themed