Filmed over a period of five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on 70mm film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.
Ravishing, earnest, tedious.
Fricke's first film since 1992's Baraka, and worth the wait.
A semi-sequel to the acclaimed Baraka (1992), Fricke delivers another stunning spectacle in 70mm, interspersed with some tiresome sermonising.
Fricke knows when to rein it in and such things are always balanced with some awe-inspiring scenes of wonder, both natural and human.
Mostly it's mesmerising, and inclines you to wonder at the efforts Fricke put just into his research.
Provides stunning snapshots from the great circle of life.
It may be just more of the same from Fricke, but with his unique process, another incredible-looking lap around the world is more than welcome.
Few films have ever gone so far to make you gasp, sometimes with shock, mostly with sheer aesthetic pleasure. But one does wish that before his trip, Fricke had left a few of his judgments at home.
Much of the stop-motion or undercranked camerawork is designed to make crowds into seething anthills and to emphasise the absurdity of repetitive work, and it's rather trying. Still, there are so many remarkable images that there is something every few seconds to provoke or please.
The clarity provided by the use of 70mm film, the use of time lapse and slow motion techniques and the original score add to the overall effect of a lyrical, wordless elegy which encapsulates the world as it is, and as it has always been.
Interview: Ron Fricke, director of Samsara
Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Friday August 31, 2012, until Thursday September 13, 2012. More info: www.filmhousecinema.com
Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow from Friday August 31, 2012, until Thursday September 6, 2012. More info: http://www.glasgowfilm.org/theatre/
Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee from Friday August 31, 2012, until Thursday September 6, 2012. More info: www.dca.org.uk
RSS feed of Cinema reviews