"Koyaanisqatsi," Godfrey Reggio's meditation on the intersection of nature and civilization, is showing up on TV these days. Despite some dating (an ad for Betamax in NYC; the obvious differences in cars and hair styles), the movie — essentially an 80-minute music video scored by Philip Glass — holds up better than I thought it might.
As pointed out by critics such as Roger Ebert, the film's supposed "nature good, cities bad" message is undermined by the odd beauty of freeways, skycrapers and foundries. The comparision of Grand Central Station commuters on an escalator and Twinkies on the assembly line — both in fast motion — is a bit over the top.
But I'm not sure the theme is as simple as that. "Koyaanisqatsi" isn't attacking civilization, just asking that it work in concert with the rest of the world. Is that wrong?
DULLARD RATING: Still rocks.
FOOTNOTE: My on-screen cable guide indicated that the movie is rated TV-PG. I am trying to figure out why. Maybe it's the stock footage of atomic testing or various military equipment? (No actual blood is spilled.) Or perhaps the urban blight? It certainly isn't the dialog, because there is none.
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