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Fidel Castro, Bill Clinton, Bella Donna, Bhagwan Mirchandani, Elton John ... see more see more... , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Marlon Brando , Steven Soderbergh

Filmmaker, philosopher and activist Godfrey Reggio completes the film trilogy he began with Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi in this visually striking examination of the impact of technology upon our cult... read more read more...ure. Naqoyqatsi is a word from the Hopi language which roughly translates as "war as a way of life" or "a life of killing each other," and in this film Reggio uses a intense barrage of images - most of which have been drawn from existing film footage and then altered using a variety of optical and digital techniques - to express his belief that technology is no longer at war with nature. Instead, we have allowed technology to become the "nature" in which we live, and as it stretches our physical and emotional environment in new and troubling directions, we have created for ourselves a world of greater chaos, violence, and confusion. As with his previous features in this trilogy, Naqoyqatsi features an original score by Philip Glass, featuring cello solos by Yo-Yo Ma; director Steven Soderbergh, a noted admirer of Reggio's first two films, served as executive producer. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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72% liked it

3,991 ratings

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48% liked it

52 critics

PG, 1 hr. 29 min.

Directed by: Godfrey Reggio

Release Date: October 18, 2002

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DVD Release Date: June 24, 2003

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Flixster Reviews (198)

  • SirPant
    December 8, 2010
    SirPant
    I understand that Naqoyqatsi is a premonition of the future and that is why it is so synthetic but that is also the reason why I didn't like it as much as the others, its pretty soulless. I've said that Powaqqatsi was an imitation of Koyaanisqatsi, Naqoyqatsi is it's bastard chil... read mored. Aesthetically, it's brilliant, or at least to begin with, after a while it does start to resemble a cross between a Yes (the prog rock band) video and something from the early 90's acid house movement. Why didn't they update the music to match? With its limitless subject matter, there was so much missed out too, where was all the post 9/11 footage? Steven Soderbergh's grubby mitts are all over this, it could and should have been brilliant but it is way off the mark, ahead of its time or past its sell by date, either way, it just doesn't work. That said, I would love to see a proper post 9/11 Qatsi film!
  • YBother
    July 24, 2011
    YBother
    The third installment in Godfrey Reggio's visual montage trilogy. The computer generated imagery makes it more nuanced than the previous two.
  • RicC
    August 28, 2010
    RicC
    The most pointless shit! What a waste of film. 1 1/2 hours of an experimental director fidgeting with his new video camera as if it were his dick, attempting all sorts of exposure and lenses and tints, both cheap and mesmerizing out of chance (More often cheap than mesmerizing). ... read moreIf you're going to make your didactic anti-war statement, don't provide pointless shit. The film makes you feel like a spectating alien who's seeing the human race, with an emphasis on technology and anatomy. But if this director thinks this is a legitimate statement "describing" belligerence among humans, he's lots to learn!
  • Zibbs
    June 13, 2009
    Zibbs
    The only DVD out of the trilogy to have special features (besides trailers). One special feature is an interview with Godfrey and Glass; both admitting that their first two films (Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqatsi) were both "experiments," and that's exactly how those first two movies ... read morefelt to me.

    What's unique about this final installment in the trilogy is that (after having the practice) Godfrey decides to shoot only 20% percent of the film's footage; the other 80% is all global stock footage. This is what initially intrigued me; however, Godfrey decides to use simple computer effects to manipulate/distort the imagery into something different (on some shots, this actually seems to work; but for the most part, it's boring). After watching the prequels, I was really hoping the director would use the same techniques and apply them to OTHER people's footage (see my reviews on the prequels). I guess that theory didn't satisfy Godfrey, so he decided to be more "creative" and experimental with this third installment. It would've been nice to see, after 25 years of practice, a movie that was "better" than its predecessors.

    On a final note, this movie has the most boring compositions by Philip Glass (at some points, I almost forgot there was even music playing). It was very frustrating to watch all three of these films and continually be disappointed with the final product. However, after watching these projects, I now feel more confident in my own film making/editing abilities.
  • jes25924
    June 27, 2008
    jes25924
    The title is a Hopi word meaning "life as war". This documentary takes images of modern life and the real world, and digitaly augments and alters them into a fantasia of living images, showing man developing into the technology based society of today.

    There are no words, and ... read moreno real story, just a kaledscopic series of images to the music of Phlip Glass and Yo-Yo Ma. Basically it's a long music video. Earlier films by director Reggio are similar in their approach and subjects, dealing with nature and then industrial societies, and now technological culture and the future.

    A beautiful, inventive, abstract documentary
  • flixsterbum
    November 1, 2007
    flixsterbum
    I was very excited to finally get a chance to see the final installment of the Qatsi trilogy. The first two movies were mind-blowing. This one more just blew. What worked so well about the first two was that while the images were sped up, slowed down, etc, they were still images ... read morefrom life. Scenes of people scurrying about or masses of workers in a mud pit were so moving and thought-provoking because they were real. So much of this is computer-generated and heavy-handed that it feels more like a well-financed student film. There are several instances of religious symbols and corporate symbols floating toward the viewer, and it's just so unbelievably obvious to be ridiculous. Had we seen a McDonald's drive-thru sped up watching car after car pass through, that would have struck a far deeper chord. There are definitely some powerful images here, but they are few and far between. A far inferior film to the first two.
  • MrSinister33
    May 29, 2007
    MrSinister33
    This is the third part of a trilogy and by far the best of the set. It culminates everything in modern life and shoves it down your throat. eat it up piggy!
  • mataiwaizu
    March 5, 2007
    mataiwaizu
    Idea was cool but did't like it as much as the other two. Thought they could have used better shots in some cases.
  • aelric99
    August 16, 2006
    aelric99
    well, this is, in my opinion, the weakest entry in the trilogy. it's still good, but computer generated graphics justs didn't feel right in this, not did the over use of negative filters. this time, reggio seemed to consentrat all his attention on america, and it's many corporati... read moreons, political groups, and religions, but never seems to come to a point, other than humanity sucks, which is the point of the whole trilogy. a bit disappointing end to the unique trilogy, but still worth a look, especialy if you have already seen the other two.

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Critic Reviews

Jan Stuart
May 28, 2003
Jan Stuart, Newsday

If the message seems more facile than the earlier films, the images have such a terrible beauty you may not care. Full Review

Robert Denerstein
February 14, 2003
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

At its best, Naqoyqatsi awakens the eyes, but it doesn't really do much to tweak the conscience. It's difficult to feel a sense of outrage while you're in a trance.

Matt Weitz
January 30, 2003
Matt Weitz, Dallas Morning News

If you open yourself up to Mr. Reggio's theory of this imagery as the movie's set ... it can impart an almost visceral sense of dislocation and change. Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan
November 15, 2002
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

Filmmaking at its purest and most visceral. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
November 15, 2002
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

Pretentious, ponderous and redundant."

Liam Lacey
November 8, 2002
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Feels like a bloated mass of data without much coherence. Full Review

Steven Rea
October 31, 2002
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Reggio's trippy, ambitious downer can also sometimes come across like nothing more than a glorified Nike ad.

Octavio Roca
October 25, 2002
Octavio Roca, San Francisco Chronicle

The sound of Ma's cello alone is reason not to miss Naqoyqatsi. Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
October 25, 2002
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

The lightest of sensory candy. Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 25, 2002
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

I have problems with Naqoyqatsi as a film, but as a music video it's rather remarkable. Full Review

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