Koyannisqatsi is an experimental indie film directed by Godfrey Reggio. Koyannisqatsi comes from the Hopi language; meaning “life out of balance”. The film is meant to show what happens when technology is introduced. The film includes many shots of nature and people excluding dialogue and narration. Music from Philip Glass featuring Hopi chants is played throughout the duration of the movie. The film was peculiar in a lot of ways. Koyaanisiqatsi begins with cave depictions and different shots of nature. It is meant to show a more peaceful time without technology. It makes a sudden shift to a coal mining trucks, oil fields, and atomic bombs. Reggio includes this to show destruction to nature. The film is meant to make you feel uncomfortable …show more content…
In these shots people are shown often interacting with technology. The people and highway traffic are rushing to get somewhere; this is shown for long periods of time to give off a repetitive and monotonous tone. This again, is meant to make the audience uneasy and impatient with the fast paced framework and repetitiveness of a cycle. Everyone is using a machine in a different fashion to either assemble a car, package food, count money, experience entertainment, learn about current events, or shop. Technology has become a part of everyone's daily lives in one way or another. The scenes steadily increase pace creating a chaos and blur of interaction with technology. The chaos completely contradicts the nature scenes from the beginning of the film which were slower and more serene. Additionally, the slower shots Reggio did capture of people they're perceived as uninterested and isolated. One particular scene an advertisement saying “have a barrel of fun” is distinguished. The play on irony is abundant when all the people passing the advertisement manifest as dreary or not content. Reggio furthers his point by highlighting a billboard that states, “The Grand Illusion” a cynical technique showing that life has gone astray from