Koyaanisqatsi (1982): Morbid but Unique
Koyaanisqatsi (1982) has no traditional characters, no traditional dialogue, and no traditional narrative. In most situations this would be unacceptable for a documentary, and yet Koyaanisqatsi was just as engaging, entertaining, and thought provoking as a “traditional documentary.” The film, despite its surface-level abstract-ism, still had a narrative train, narrative tension, filmic sequences, and a message — just like every other documentary should have. Koyaanisqatsi builds up its story through repetition in visuals. This repetition follows the pattern of innovation, stagnation, and then destruction. To specify further, this was human innovation, stagnation, and destruction. The cycle that Koyaanisqatsi employs is its narrative train. It is a predictable element that escalates in scale and tension. This pattern would not exist without the music, or rather this film would just be a random assortment of candid time-lapses with the vacancy of the soundtrack. The soundtrack dictates this films tension. To avoid tedium, the aforementioned cycle will be named the Koyaanisqatsi Cycle for the duration of the article, and the cycle occurs multiple times through several sequences in the film. However, in the film’s larger context, it is not meant to be isolated as a singular work. After the cycle is analyzed within Koyaanisqatsi, the film will be compared to Godfrey Reggio’s, the director of Koyaanisqatsi, other work. The public reception to Koyannisqatsi will also be briefly discussed.
Before, the film can be analyzed and compared to other work, a break-down of Koyaanisqatsi’s structure is required. This film is structured, but not with the three-point structure typical to films and documentaries rather it is structured by sequences. These sequences escalate the Koyaanisqatsi Cycle. The film starts by introducing the cycle to set the tone for the piece. Then after the introduction, the film shows nature being destroyed by humans. Afterwards, the film escalates to show humanity destroying themselves in through their means of transportation and state-of-living. When nature and humanity are destroyed on earth the film closes by showing that even in human efforts that go outside the planet the, Koyaanisqatsi Cycle will continue.
Introduction Sequence
The introduction of the Koyaanisqatsi Cycle occurs within the first four minutes of the film. These first four minutes work as an otherwise “traditional” introduction to the film. A good introduction provides the viewer with a preview of the narrative train, style, tone, and subject matter of the documentary. Koyaanisqatsi had a one of these introductions.
The first minute of Koyaanisqatsi started with a black screen and red dots that formed into the title of the movie, and while this occurred, the first few notes of the soundtrack played. The title faded away to show the first shot of the film, but the as fade ended, vocals and an arpeggio started to play. This first minute prepared the viewer audibly for what is to come; a somber soundtrack that dictated the pace of the film. When the first shot came fully into focus, the viewer gets a taste of first two parts of Koyaanisqatsi’s Cycle. This shot was a slow zoom-out shot of cave paintings from ancient humans. These paintings represent humans trying to innovate past their primitive state, but also a long period of technological stagnation. This shot cuts to a literal explosion — destruction, the last part of the Koyaanisqatsi Cycle. Once the explosion faded, another shot representing the beginning of the Koyaanisqatsi Cycle plays. The shot was of a mechanical arm releasing from a space-faring rocket symbolizing peak human innovation. The end of the film returned to this rocket to complete the cycle. The rocket explodes mid-flight. This introduction is an effective preview of the film to come. The rest of this article will analyze how the film develops its narrative train, and how it reaches its conclusion.
Nature sequence and Destruction of Nature Sequence
After the intro sequence finishes the film shows ten minutes of nature shots. Large sweeping helicopter shots, as well as closeups of specific natural formations occurred in this sequence. The music swelled and fell throughout this whole sequence. There were sections of long droning arpeggios as well as epic orchestral sections in the music. There were neither humans nor animals present any shot from this sequence. This lack of humanity suggested a peaceful stagnation and function to nature barring human involvement. Additionally, nature was suggested to be the origin of man. The nature sequence was the perfect start to a film that deals with the nature of humanity.
At the end of the nature sequence the music was at a high point. Horns blared, and the melodies were fast and loud. The music remained that way for most of the next sequence which signified that an important event was occurring. The film cut from its last sweeping nature shot to explosions. These explosions were specifically for deforming landscape in the process of construction. Shortly after, shots of construction trucks, electrical lines, factories, pipelines, and even a dam played. That series of shots represented human destruction to nature followed by human innovation that attempted to control nature.
Despite Koyaanisqatsi taking place in the present time at which it was made, the nature sequence and destruction of nature sequence represent much more than present destruction to nature. Rather it represented a theme of humanity wanting to control nature and destroying some of it in the process. So, following these sequences a new and escalated type of the Koyaanisqatsi Cycle takes place in the Transportation sequence.
Transportation Sequence
The next sequence of the film begins with a long shot of an airliner landing. This airplane represents human innovation in transportation — the first step in the cycle. The music at that point had entered a calm intermission which gave the viewer a break from the intense music of the previous scenes. Nevertheless, as the sequence cut to a couple shots of traffic jams, the music starts building again. When the music reaches its high point a smash-cut occurs between rows of parked cars and rows of parked tanks. The stagnated state of the cars was broken. A quick succession of shots warplanes, missiles, and war themed explosions matched the now loud looping music. Then the scene closes out with a shot of an atomic bomb and a few more military themed explosions. The atomic bomb was most dangerous weapon successfully delivered by an airplane. These last few shots with the atomic bomb represented the destruction that the innovation to transportation brought.
State-of-Living Sequence
Following the transportation sequence, the state-of-living sequence began with several shots of cityscapes which suggests that man has improved their state of living. However, in the films need to continue the Koyaanisqatsi Cycle. Scenes of trashy streets and abandoned buildings being demolished follow the utopian cityscapes of the beginning of the sequence. At this point of the film it has become somewhat formulaic with the music: Calm during innovation and stagnation and intense during destruction. So as one would expect, the crumbling buildings are accompanied the by loud looping arpeggios, chanting vocals, and bashful horns that Philip Glass, the composer for Koyaanisqatsi made into a distinctive sound for the soundtrack.
Final Sequence
Then the final, and longest sequence of the film started. This sequence applied the Koyaanisqatsi Cycle to humanity’s relationship to technology. Wide shots of cityscapes, time-lapses of cities at night, shots of congested Los Angeles traffic, kids playing at arcades, profiles of people existing in urban environments and more comprised most of the first part of sequence. Everybody in these shots had a relationship with technology. This relationship was so strong, the film overlaid computer chips over aerial shots of cities to show how they mirrored each other. The music rose and fell with each scene with some notable moments like when the music looped with at the pace of the looping traffic in one shot. This first part of the final sequence was stuck the innovation and stagnation part of the Koyaanisqatsi Cycle. This lasted for around half an hour. Afterwards, the film returns to the rocket from the introduction sequence.
The rocket represented the peak innovation for humanity, but as with everything else in the film it must follow the Koyaanisqatsi Cycle. The destruction that is destined to be wrought from the relationship with technology must at some point reach its peak, and that occurs with this rocket. In this nearly ten-minute long shot, a spacefaring rocket launches from its pad and explodes before it leaves the atmosphere. The shot followed the one of surviving parts of the rocket as it fell back down to earth. The music during this shot slows down to mirror what it sounded like at the beginning of the film.
The last shot of the film is of the ancient paintings inside the cave from the introductory sequence which brings the film into full circle. The shot of the cave (if the viewer did not pick up on it before) indicates that the film was a cyclical, and this shot demands the viewer to watch the film again if they did not pick up on this cycle. Than for some clarification the film explains some of the lyrics in the soundtrack and the meaning of the title in some text slides (refer to the picture below).
Each lyric is a destructive prophecy. The first lyric, “If we dig precious things from the land, we will invite disaster,” refers to destruction by humanity’s need to innovate. The other two lyrics,
“near the Day of Purification, there will be cobwebs spun back and forth in the sky”
and
“A container of ashes might one day be thrown from the sky, which could burn the land and boil the oceans”
say that destruct whether brought on by humans or not is inevitable. After these lyrics, the credits role.
General Story Analysis
Since every major sequence of the film has now been broken down the story can be deciphered. If the sequences are viewed in a comprehensive list, a clear protagonist comes into view: humanity itself. A clear struggle comes into view as well, especially if one considers the previously mentioned soundtrack lyrics: the struggle to exist. Each sequence deals with a specific aspect of existing as a human and the inevitable destruction that results. To put it into perspective, the following is a list of each sequence and their function:
Introduction sequence: Introduction to the Koyaanisqatsi Cycle. Shows with a literal explosion what the cost of human innovation is.
Nature sequence and Destruction of Nature Sequence: Sets up nature as humanity’s origin and the first victim of human-caused destruction as a need to innovate.
Transportation Sequence: Humanity’s use of transportation innovations to destroy themselves.
State-of-Living Sequence: The utopian cityscapes that are supposed provide a better state of living are filled with just as much wasteful destruction as other aspects of human life.
Final Sequence: Humans’ close relationship with technology will always bring some sort of destruction, and the human state is a cycle.
Humanity, despite all of their attempts otherwise in Koyaanisqatsi, could not escape destruction. Even their greatest attempt, the space-faring rocket, offered no escape.
Koyaanisqatsi had a morbid story, but this was intentional. One of the definitions of the title of the film (according to its ending sequence) meant “life in turmoil.” This story however was told in a unique way: no dialogue, no characters, no traditional narrative. The film did run the risk of being too vague and therefore meaningless, but Koyaanisqatsi avoided this with a meaningful soundtrack, lyrics, and a thought-provoking underlying message.
Other Work and Public Reception
Koyaanisqatsi was, according to Rotten Tomatoes very well received. It scored a 90 percent for critics and 91 percent for user reviews. The “Critics Consensus” available on the film’s page on Rotten Tomatoes states the following:
“Koyaanisqatsi combines striking visuals and a brilliant score to produce a viewing experience that manages to be formally daring as well as purely entertaining.”
So, the film is very well respected for its experimental nature, but the word “documentary” is rarely used in a quick scroll through reviews.
As for this film functioning in Godfrey Reggio’s portfolio, this film is the first of three in a trilogy of which Powaqqatsi (1988) and Naqoyqatsi (2002) are the sequels. All three films explore themes of destruction in globalism, technology, and nature through the use of just b-roll and music. All three films were received well. The other major work in Reggio’s catalog is Visitors (2013) which also explores the harmful effects of technology, but in completely different manner then the previously mentioned trilogy.
Conclusion
Koyaanisqatsi is a fantastic and artistic exploration of repetitive themes of destruction throughout humanity’s history, and as this article argued does so under the “documentary” status. The film is well deserving of any praise it got and continues to receive.
References:
IMDB page for Koyaanisqatsi: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085809/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_8
Rotten Tomatoes page for Koyaanisqatsi: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/koyaanisqatsi_life_out_of_balance