I firmly believe ALL PEOPLE should view this film at least once in their lifetime--free from all external encumbrances--this film requires your undivided attention.

All of a sudden, the world becomes a much smaller planet--one in which we all live in our own way and one in which every living being is important.

If you are prone to cry at beauty--have a box of tissues handy. If you are not prone to cry at films, have a box of tissues handy anyway. You will probably need them. This is a very moving film.

I was particularly impressed with the burning oil field scene because of the intense feeling the film created.

Viewing this film should be a requirement for living on the planet.

66 of 72 found the following review helpful:

The best movie I've ever bought  Jan 11, 2003
By Chad Loder "cloder"
This is an incredible, serious, and beautiful film. The imagery is astounding and often thought-provoking. The music is also great and matches the film very well -- if you like Peter Gabriel's "Passion" (the instrumental soundtrack to The Last Temptation of Christ), you will like the score for Baraka.

I disagree with the reviewer who said that Baraka is just an imitation of Koyaanisqatsi. If you'd bother to read the credits, Ron Fricke (the creator of Baraka) was also responsible for ALL of the filming for the -qatsi trilogy (which includes Koyaanisqatsi). Baraka is a different kind of movie, with a different, more subtly communicated message.

Baraka was shot in the (very expensive) 70mm format, which yields a very high quality picture, especially when transferred to DVD. Ron Fricke is a master of the 70mm format, and he actually designed many of the camera rigs used in Baraka (including the very high quality time lapse footage). Give Fricke some credit for having learned something in the almost 10 years since Koyaanisqatsi was filmed.

If you are expecting vapid, New Age eye candy, this is not the movie for you. If you want a beautiful film that will change you, a film that you can watch again every 6 months without getting tired of it, then buy this DVD. I have the original DVD (very hapy with it), so I can't say whether the film transfer quality in the Collector's Edition is on par. Maybe one of these days I'll buy the Collector's Edition and see which one I like best.

33 of 34 found the following review helpful:

I was speechless.  Apr 12, 1999

Baraka is a profound statement about humanity and our relationship with this world, both disturbing and enlightening. The film contrasts the havoc that we wreck in modern day against the peaceful existence of more primitive times. No other film has ever conveyed the diversity of our world as well as Baraka. Ron Fricke masterfully frames each and every sequence to create suspense and tell a story with no dialogue. I can only imagine he has put his heart and soul into the film in order to achieve the fantastic images. Combined with a soundtrack that is painstakingly constructed to match the film's mood, I was amazed that a wordless film could evoke such emotion in the viewer. One of my favourite movies -- I was deep in thought for many days after having seen it. It is unfortunate to see this movie on video -- it belongs definitively on the 70 mm screen.

27 of 27 found the following review helpful:

No script, plot, or story; but it's about everything  Sep 27, 1999

This is not some new-age ambient music video, it's an extremely intense video essay for those who are susceptible to the visual/audible language of the filmmakers. However, if you want to see a film once and know what it was about and what it all meant this probably isn't a film you'll like. I've seen this film probably seven times at a local repertory theater, in 70mm (the last surviving copy) and each time I thought I understood more, but walked away with more questions, about the film as well as the world it depicts. I'm tempted to mention some of the sequences that are especially vivid in my mind but I think you should see it without preconceptions. What stands out for my friends is different from what I came away with. Rest assured that the filmmakers went all over the world, into all manner of urban and rural environments, to get the footage for this film. I haven't seen the video (as opposed to the film) yet -- I would say if you get it, try to watch it on a very big screen at least the first time. In the dark. Without interruption.

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