Synopsis: Samsara casts a
beautiful light on 25 countries and the stories and landscapes of each.
Nearing the first hour of Samsara director Ron Fricke shows us a
series of assembly-lines. Disturbing in some senses (the sheer monotony of the
job or the slaughter of chickens, cows and pigs), they are also hypnotic sequences.
They are followed with an ironic look at supermarket shopping and fast-food
consumerism and subsequently by presentations on the body, surgery, air-dolls
and then strippers. It highlights the structure of the documentary in its
awareness of universal parallels. Furthermore, from shining a light on the minutiae
of life, it implores you to look at the art of it.
In its entirety, Samsara is a glorified screensaver (by
no means a negative) – a series of moving pictures that are there purely to be
looked at. If cinema is based on the notion of watching, this film embodies
that concept better than most. For one hour and forty minutes Fricke presents
the most striking features about the world around us. Some shots come and go
without you taking much notice but the majority of what has been shot on the
75mm camera warrants every bit of your attention.
There are too many to list
although special mention must go to the Chinese formations and synchronised
prayer rituals photographed with as much meticulous detail as the group
movements themselves. Much like the assembly lines, there is an allure to the
uniformity. Some parts are quite disturbing, like one showing a man transform
himself into a creature closely resembling that of the Pale Man in Pan’s Labyrinth. On the whole, however,
it is a suitable feature for families – an educational and eye-opening depiction
of life.
Some viewers may switch off after only a few
minutes, realising there is no narration or narrative and only the image and
soundtrack to dictate any emotion/impetus. Nevertheless, ignore for a brief
amount of time the conventions of regular cinema and you will be transported
into numerous cultures, all with their own eccentricities and beauties. There
would also be many reasons for revisiting the documentary after its initial
viewing; trying to work out the locations for each segment is not an easy task
but certainly an interesting one.
***
By Piers McCarthy. Also posted on Flickering Myth
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