Baraka Film RESPONSE

The film Baraka was created by Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson and portays a simplistic film with powerful images that depict a life of growth, adaptation, and beliefs. The film was enjoyable and seemed eager in showing how much the world has changed throughout the entire world. Without any words sometimes the film seems difficult to understand and follow the change in scene, but the images ultimatley are placed in focus here so the differences in our world are revealed. The images are clear and the cinematographer uses a slow trucking technique to portay each shot and landscape as if its been passed by with little appreciation. The theme implied is human's evolving through the willingness of our world around us that makes us forget about the simplistic beauties that create our world.The simple images like a waterfall or a baboon that we ignore for virtual indulgences like video games show how we lack appreciaton for our world and soon it'll be lost. The cinematographers take each long shot and image and use them to portay lifestyles and living conditions at the time and of the people of various countries. There is no plot or storyline in this movie but the sequence of events seem to transition and evolve and become more urbanized as the movie continues on. The lighting for the most part is bright and mainly in the daylight to contrast the solemn, gloomyness of the constant music that plays throughout the film.

This picture is taken of the Kecak Dance in Bali the shot shown is taken over the head and looking down on the Bali people who are performng a sacred ritual dance that seems to be done by elders. Some dancers seem to be grinning in the picture and enjoy the unifying ritual and spirtuality with a leader shouting out cries that spark other people to reply back with similar responses. All these people are dressed the same with an equal outlook in their respective ritual that is uncommon today.

This picture of Kowloon, Hong Kong depicts crowded apartments or living conditions that seem unsanitary. The housing at the time depicts a rough life of civilians with drug use and many crimes that are a result of this torn down beat up city.

The last picture reveals New York City bustling with activity and cars and livelihood that loses all the serene calmities of previous images and shows the urbanization and transitions of people and daily life.

1. I think the title Baraka or "breath" or "essence" means that everything breathes whether its nature or people traffic or animals everything essentially has its own breathe and sound with it. Wr neglect certain wonders in our world that in this film through no dialogue we can learn about the essence of life without any speaking.

2. I think it expresses a crticism of the modern day world and the destruction we are causing in the world that allows us to "breathe." The images portayed show a loss of culture and a destructive manner people have used to allow society to grow. Another vision depicted shows the disregard of great cultures that were in our past and images of different cultures customs.

3. The message I get from this film is one that is disgusted and in awe at the same time. I understand the beauties of the world disregarded and the various cultures that make our diverse world what it is but also realize how each great civilization ultimatley crumbles through a greed and desire for more.

4. I think the absence of voice and text ultimatley showed limted sides of how are world is growing and how each country has its own way of living. the images were there but first hand dialogue or text could suppport those images and each culture further and show more of a positive outlook to the film.

5. Various images aply to culture and city like of the men chanting and New York bustling with numerous amount of people and cars. It contrasts the nature in the film because the mountains or sunset is shown in a serene calm soothing manner while the city life and cultures our more wild and noisy.

6. Some intrepretations of the monk on the street can be that our world is full of diversity with all kinds of people, races, cultures, religions and beliefs but we are all people and ultimatley live in the same world. The cigarette factory show difficult harsh labor to make a product that destroys our world and we pain for something that inevitable hurts our world to ease certain addictions and enjoyments. The city streets are an insight of our world today how its evolved in technology and our living styles our much more technology oriented. The film says spirtuality and religion are never neglected nor forgotten but are masked in peoples images.

7. The social statement Baraka makes about the poor is one of constant hatred and neglectment people pass the poor by as if they are dust on their shoe and could care less about those strugling in life. People neglect each other and care only for themselves are their own gains or benefits.

8. I like the transitions from one image to another and when the man with the tattoo transitions to the little child with body painting because it shows that we still follow customs and follow traditions but they just have changed as time and advancements evolve.

9. We watched Baraka because its a thought provoking film that expresses ideas through images and little sound. We are soo accustomed to sound films that we neglect just the still images that have riveting information through them. I think its harder to just realize things and through a film its a more understanding way of getting a point across. Yes it makes me want to travel the world before other historic or indigenous people or place is destroyed by our constant destruction of our own world.