Baraka / Chronos: Two films by Ron Fricke

Chronos (1985) may have been Fricke's directorial debut, but it was not the first non-verbal, non-fiction motion picture to be filmed in time-lapse photography.
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Chronos (1985) may have been Fricke's directorial debut, but it was not the first non-verbal, non-fiction motion picture to be filmed in time-lapse photography.

Fricke was one of four writers for the Godfrey Reggio 1983 film, Koyaanisqatsi (Life Out of Balance). Koyaanisqatsi remains the most vivid, clear narrative (with several points to be made) constructed from non-verbal, non-fiction time-lapse photography. And it was also released two years prior to Chronos.

Reggio's later films, although quite good, never matched Koyaanisqatsi. Fricke, too, made several films of his own in that genre which never came close to the lovely progression of experience, vision and clear narrative about the difference between geologic time and mankind's time-blip presence on earth, as evoked by Koyaanisqatsi.

In fact, one of the most annoying things about Baraka is that it replicates several scenes from Koyaanisqatsi without the relevance or coherence in Reggio's film. Mimicking the same patterns and motions with different things in front of the camera might be pretty, but it doesn't add any ideas in Baraka. (Of course, if you hadn't seen Koyaanisqatsi before Baraka, you wouldn't know the scenes were so similar)

Baraka is a visually beautiful mishmash that sees all humans on the planet through our commonalities -- without saying much about that. We see bunches of people practicing religions, bunches of people engaged in lovely rituals (we know not what or why) and somehow, it's supposed to make a statement. We leave this film feeling good about the music and the lush imagery but we also leave with a western colonialist point of view and a huge void. Aren't all those people around the world really cool?? What was the point? Is there anything that the film has awakened or enlightened?

I cannot comment on Chronos because I haven't yet seen it. However, Fricke seemed to have worked better with Reggio and his team; I don't know who learned from whom in the process, but it's too bad the energy and coherence could not be repeated with other topics. < less

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DVD Extras

• 2 discs. Baraka includes Making-of, crew interviews and behind the scenes feature. Chronos includes director, composer, production manager commentary and behind the scenes feature.

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