When introduced to Koyaanisqatsi, I was expecting a more traditional nature-against-modern-man sort of documentary. I thought that it may be something like the Planet Earth series, with narration over impressive shots of nature. Needless to say, my expectations were a bit off. While watching the film, it became more and more clear that this is a very unique work. I have never seen anything quite like Koyaanisqatsi. Some may say it is not a documentary at all.
Koyaanisqatsi is in someways very similar to the Planet Earth series, with the extreme wide shots of various natural and unnatural environments. However it is very different, considering its lack of narration and the very slow pace. The beginning of the film was, in my opinion, the only boring part. There were interesting ideas, such as showing the parallels in the ocean and the clouds, and all of the shots were very beautiful, but there was not enough variation. After a few very slow minutes, the monotony of deserts and the, the ocean, and clouds started to get to me.
I most enjoyed the shots of industry and human "civilization." A few shots stand out to me in particular, such as the jumbo jets swimming through the mirage. The images of people and the things they have created somehow dehumanized people themselves. Set to the ominous music, the civilization shots were unsettling and almost creepy.
In my opinion, Koyaanisqatsi is more of an experimental film than documentary. Unlike most documentary films, Koyaanisqatsi does not deliberately feed information to the viewer. As a documentary, this film would require too much inference. As an experimental film, I don't think that there are many better than this. Koyaanisqatsi delivers a meaningful message through a structure comprised of incredible visuals and a very powerful musical score.
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