In many languages around the world, the word baraka means “blessing”. The brilliant minds behind the film Baraka give it a different meaning. An idea, if you will. Their idea of baraka is “the thread that weaves life together”; the similarity that transcends language, religion, politics, and race. This film is the stunning visual representation of that idea.
Baraka is unlike any film you will ever see. In order to transcend language, the film is completely wordless. There is no dialogue whatsoever in the film, except a little, faintly heard in the background during a factory scene. The score, by Michael Stearns, is all that accompanies you on this visual travelogue of the planet. The soundtrack is a mixture of soothing strings and tribal drumming that makes the transitions between vastly different parts of the world seem seamless.
Every culture is represented here in some way shape or form. Director and cinematographer Ron Fricke literally traveled the globe to shoot footage for this film, and to ensure that everyone would be able to relate to it. It was filmed in 24 different countries. Instead of feeling disjointed, like you’re simply globe-hopping, Fricke uses common themes to transition.
I keep wanting to use that word “seamless” but that’s the best word to describe this movie and the way it feels. There is such great diversity in the different countries and different scenes that are shown, but it all flows together somehow. Before you even know it, you’ll be marveling at something new and completely different from what you were just looking at. With wide tracking shots and Fricke’s signature use of time-lapse filming, you will literally sit in awe of this film. You’ll be taking a step back to realize just how small we are in this great big world, and how much is left untouched by modernization and commercialization.
Since so much is shown and there is absolutely no concise storyline, I’ll just share a few of the scenes that stood out for me. One scene showed people quietly working on assembly lines. Then, they began intercutting scenes of an assembly line where the workers were handling baby chicks. Silently, the workers would burn the ends of the baby chick’s beaks, then put them on a conveyor belt where they were dropped into cages. The chicks grew up to become the hens that provide the eggs that we purchase in grocery stores. Near the film’s ending, we are treated to a private tour of Cambodia’s most glorious temples. The walls and ceilings glimmer and shine with a radiance that’s just not seen in the Western world. It’s a majestic ending to a beautiful journey.
A film that provides such a non-discriminating and honest look at the world would be eye-opening and moving all by itself. What makes this movie such a marvel is the care the filmmakers took to make it. Instead of shooting in standard 35 mm film, they shot in 70 mm film and created a negative of the film in 65 mm. This high-quality film lead to the filmmakers being able to produce a DVD of Blu-Ray quality. This is one of the last, if not the last, films that was made in 70 mm.
Baraka is less a film and more an experience. Like visiting an art museum, each person who views it is moved for their own reasons. It truly transcends all culture, all language and is able to reach every person. Baraka is an experience that will not be forgotten.
I touched on it a little in the review because it’s such a rare quality of a film, but since the movie was filmed in 70 mm (TODD-AO 70 mm to be exact), this is the highest quality DVD I have ever seen in my life. I’ve watched Blu-Ray films before but don’t own one of my own (yet) and this is exactly the same quality on my HDTV. You have your choice of watching the movie in the original theatrical 1.33:1 aspect ratio, or in 2.21:1. The disc is mastered in 8K UltraDigital HD. The sound is also spectacular. The soundtrack was remixed and remastered at 96k/24 bits and is absolutely flawless. This is a DVD to showcase your home theater system for sure.
The extras are featured on the second disc.
Baraka: A Closer Look – This is the longest extra I have ever seen on a DVD. Clocking in at 1 hour and 17 minutes, this is an extensive look at the painstaking process the director and crew went through to make this film. Several great stories are told including one where they encountered flies of Biblical plague proportions while trying to film in Australia. The flies were so dense, that they had to rig a vacuum cleaner to hang next to the camera lens to get them off.
Restoration – A seven-minute feature showcasing the labor intensive restoration technique used to create this DVD. Fascinating.
If you’re looking for something truly different, something you’ve never seen before, this is the DVD for you. It will showcase your system, no matter what you have at home, giving you the highest possible quality. It’s a breathtaking and moving film. I’m so glad I was able to experience it and have it in my collection.
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MPI Home Video presents Baraka: 2 Disc Special Edition. Directed by Ron Fricke. Starring n/a. Written by n/a. Running time: 97 minutes. Rated Not Rated. Released on DVD: October 28, 2008. Available at Amazon.
