Serious Problem With NAQOYQATSI DVD! (1 Viewer)

[RAF]

You're welcome. I went for ~$21 at Digital Eyes.

 

[WillardK]

since so much of the imagery was mixed (anamorphic and non) that rather than switching back and forth (which would have detracted from the presentation) they decided to keep the non-anamorphic stuff stretched.

This is not so deliberate an aesthetic decision as I would have hoped. Even considering budget concerns, it puts their regard for the film in not such a good light.

I just watched this for the first time last night. Save the ending sequence and to a greater extent the "money-shot" sequence (visually and musically) where free-association and poetry reign over the anti-propoganda propoganda, it's a very very very dull film. Maybe it's revealing that the panel discussion documented on the dvd took place BEFORE the audience had a viewing.

It's like the worst 'hammer-over-the-head' sequences from the other films stretched to feature length. Part of what made Koyannisqatsi so effective was it's juxtaposition of conflicting theories. It did this not without opinion, but in a way that encouraged the viewer to figure it out for themselves. Naq's old school agit-prop could have pre-dated that film. My expectations were dampened from what I'd read, but wow is this awful.

 

[RAF]

This is not so deliberate an aesthetic decision as I would have hoped. Even considering budget concerns, it puts their regard for the film in not such a good light.

WillardK,
Believe me, I know what you are saying and I also wish that the correct aspect ratios were incorporated into this film. Some of the "ellipses" jump right out at you. I mentioned this to the people who were addressing the preview audience and was told by them that NAQ was almost not made because of budgetary problems. They had a window of opportunity to get it done and had to choose between no movie at all or making compromises to save the project.

It's easy to talk about maintaining the integrity of the image, but this became an issue of survival for the people involved. While some might argue that it's best to "do it right or not do it at all" I'm at least glad to see the trilogy completed.

Incidentally, I thought that NAQ was the weakest of the three movies (the topic probably had a lot to do with that). And I also thought that this misplaced aspect ratio ironically makes an unintended statement regarding "killing" - in this case, the OAR!