Naqoyqatsi

THE FLICK: The third film in Godfrey Reggio’s “Qatsi” series continues his visual dissection of human society. Only this time, instead of contrasting the natural world with Man’s complex mechanical imitations, “Naqoyqatsi” is made up of images that are electronically altered to support the title’s thematic translation, “Life as War” – war with each other, war against ourselves, and war against technology. If you turn off your brain, Reggio’s film is nothing more than an adult version of those “Baby Einstein” videos – a mesmerizing montage of glorious photography set to the hypnotic beat of composer Phillip Glass. But the deeper meanings behind it all begin to seep in eventually, even if it’s only on a subconscious level. And you come out of “Naqoyqatsi” with a different view of the world, one that lay hidden just below the surface. THE FEATURES: After a brief intro by producer Steven Soderbergh (who champions the film as an example of brave and experimental filmmaking), the special features include a 15-minute conversation about the film’s music between Glass and musician Yo-Yo Ma, trailers for the other “Qatsi” films (“Koyaanisqatis” & “Powaqqatsi”), plus an hour long NYU panel discussion with the filmmakers. FINAL SCORE: While not as beautiful as Reggio’s previous work, “Naqoyqatisi” is a fitting continuation of his particular style of cinematic poetry set to music.