Samsara

I have no idea what the intended purpose of this film is....neither did I have any preconceived notions going into it or coming out of the experience....but what i took from it is that mankind is screwed....we've reached that point that nothing is sacred, and all things that make up the nature of our existence, sustenance and life are served to us via conveyor belts of many shapes and sizes and purposes....we are on that conveyor ourselves or are the conveyor. Spoiler, nothing said it more than the one asian girl in that slaughterhouse who's eyes, as she looked down at her labors, bespoke a sadness, frustration, looking for meaning in all this, and when she looked up at the camera for that one raw moment there was a terror in her eyes, terror mixed with sadness....there were flashes to ancient wonders and ancient cultures, the sand paintings, the rituals of prayer, dance were on display, things that were infinitely beautiful, cohesive and grand but not so messy, not so destructive to nature to our surroundings... so I don't know draw your own conclusion....it's very well done, the imaging, the film, the music...over before you know it and worth your time

What an incredible movie, If you've seen the previous two Chonos and Baraka made by the same people you'll like this one. It is kind of like a meditational DVD, Samsara like the other two there is no talking just music and scenes of the world. Samsara if a movie of the world, birth life and death. It is beautiful movie but as life is there are a sew scenes that are disturbing because life sometimes is disturbing. In a lot of it they use I think it's called stop motion where you'll see a location and see hours in minutes. I bought Samsara because I had upgraded my Baraka to blu-ray and watching the documentary they mention Chronos and Samsara. I love Baraka so of course I wanted the other two but Samsara was the only one availible and I'm so glad I bought it. I can watch the two movies and see the beauty of the world.

One of the most stunning pieces of cinematography I've ever seen. Test your new TV with the scenes from this stunning movie! No narrative, no plot, no agenda other than taking you on a feast for the eyes world tour while making everything visually beautiful- even the sad parts (of which there were few). Seriously worth your time! Where my history, travel and movie people at? How about my cultured herb aficionados- here's a gift. Get your mind right, sit back and be amazed with the beauty around us- if you're by yourself wear headphones, otherwise use your best sound system.

Overindulgence with no weight gain unless you eat popcorn and drink beer while watching this extraordinary Blu-ray. Your eyes and ears will thank you, particularly if you have a home theater system that can do the incredible video and DTS HD MA 7.1 96 kHz audio the justice it deserves. I purchased Samsara because of my ethusiasm for Baraka which I purchased years ago. The primary difference between the two is that the audio for Baraka was taken on location, while the audio for Samsara was added after the Video was editied. The quality of the audio is spectacular in both cases. Most of the music for Samsara was composed for the video. While both Samsara and Baraka are documentaries, Samsara elicits a visceral response and is thought provoking, while Baraka is more organic with a primitive religious tone. I found myself contemplating the enigmatic visages of the people photographed, wondering what was in their minds given the vast cultural and geographical gaps between us. Both are visual and auditory wonders and belong in your film collection.

Stunning and thought provoking.

Another stunning installment of this kind of film making. Surprisingly this kind of artistic work is quite commonplace among the internet these days, i.e. Youtube, Vimeo to name a few. Even more so with the advent of new digital cinema cameras and drones, you can not account for the amazing composition and editing these film makers took to make this film. Amazing attention to detail and pacing. Highly recommend this if you're a fan these kinds of films. Disclaimer here as well, if you so happen to stumble across this and it bores you within the first few minutes, I would recommend watching something else. This isn't a Fast & Furious movie. There is a far deeper story to tell with this and the reality of our world may be too much for some people. Which is okay, but I would hesitate to turn this off and really challenge yourself into checking this out. Just for the experience. Enjoy watching.

Summary: Samsara tries to provide closure to a trilogy over decades of work and learnings from director Ron Fricke. Unfortunately, some errors after more than a decade of waiting overshadow the director's work. This feature film, in its final product, presents no novelty and even seems to reuse some previous shots used in Chronos. Moreover, some of the locations used in his previous films are also present here. This wears the novelty, considering the excellent work done by its composers in some of these scenes. Format: Samsara was released on Blu-Ray in 2011. It could be said that at a visual level, it is even more elaborate than Baraka. Filmed in 70mm and scanned at 8k, Quality leaves nothing to envy, surpassing even its predecessor. From the analyzed extras - a very good documentary that compensates for the lack of comments from the director - it is possible to understand more the vision of the work. Fricke considers it a guided meditation work. Direction: Samsara seems on paper, as the director explains it, to have the most mature vision of his three films. A guided meditation channeled through music that complements the selected scenes frame by frame. The latter is remarkable since both Baraka and Chronos were worked in reverse, which means that photography had to fit previously composed music. It is a shame to see the director reuse shots and locations having enough material that he could have used. Another situation that is not clear in the direction goes hand in hand with the first act of the film. During the first thirty or forty minutes of the movie, it seems some scenes are disconnected from each other. We could even say, this makes it feel a little forced in its development towards the second act. Their cuts and transitions are abrupt and do not generate the same impact as the ones in the second half. The positive fact is that Fricke performs a third act that wraps it properly giving closure in a way that it leaves the viewer satisfied. The latter is learning embodied in the film because it culminates in a better way when compared to his two previous movies. At a direction level, Samsara is a film that surpasses his previous works in concept but not in execution. It's a very mature film in relation to Baraka, it offers an excellent conclusion for the viewer, but it also brings some failures that discolor its achievements. Photography: One of the highest points of this film is photography. It was filmed in multiple locations in the world and the variety between them and similarities that portrays raises a criticism of society itself that Fricke exploits greatly. To say that it is more of the same is to give less credit to the work of this director because it visually demonstrates his own evolution in a very safe environment. Thus, his portraits are more elaborate, shorter time-lapses shine away but there's no risk-taking. The transition in moments of accelerated music is the best the film presents. The first part as previously mentioned is weak and does not convey the same coherence as the rest of the film. Opposite case the third act, where the director manages to tie all the emotions transmitted in his scenes to conclude the film masterfully. Soundtrack: Samsara's soundtrack is the highest point of the film. Subtle, with beautiful transitions that do not feel abrupt to the ear, the accompaniment he makes of photography is exquisite beat by beat. Unlike the criticism carried out in Baraka, the crescendo of the composition ends in a better way and allows the viewer to be better directed to reinforce the feeling that the director has sought. The originality of the music is also very promising. By not remind the viewer of Baraka, the music stands in its own. Probably, the change in the composition strategy had an impact on this, but the truth is that whatever the reason had been, it was for good. Narrative: The director takes us on a trip that he himself calls a guided meditation. However, unlike his previous works, the criticism, the symbolism, and meanings of many of his shots are not so clear. This does not mean that the work is not profound or relevant for analysis. On the contrary, some shots alone pose strong social criticism in our current society. The problem lies here in the fact that the shots cannot be reviewed alone. They do not cohesively tie-in and certainly this is a big miss compared to their previous work. The director should not guide the viewer completely, that is true, however, at the very least he must ensure that his work cohesively conveys the vision that he shares. This is where the main flaw of this film lies. It must be analyzed on its own and by doing so, the viewer could feel disoriented or simply satisfied to see "beautiful shots" but bored. The work, I am sure, was designed for much more, but fails to be consistent throughout its 100 minutes. Uniqueness: Samsara is a beautiful return to the genre that Fricke explored decades ago, but it's just that. It is a great advance in terms of editing where the film flows more harmoniously with the soundtrack. It's a very safe formula that the director repeats but even so, the narrative escapes through the tiles of its very foundation. It is a work of art that every cinephile should observe, and of course, anyone who appreciates photography should see the Fricke trilogy. However, moving from that to saying that the work poses a sociological-philosophical critique similar to what Baraka proposed and what's been done by Reggio, or stating that its narrative complements the auditory and visual part is an achievement this film cannot receive as it is.

One of the most difficult reviews I will ever write: This is the most enigmatic piece of cinematography I have ever laid eyes on. The film transcends religion, language, ethnicity, nationality, and individual differences, opening the floodgates of higher thinking. I am a very analytical personality type, and this film is so many things to me. This film is beautiful, inspiring, uplifting, disturbing, upsetting, and agonizing all at once. Overall, the film left me feeling so far removed from the comfortable, routine of the daily grind I have been living in, and had me asking myself some very difficult questions, mostly, why am I here. The last time I felt this way was after a 3-month trip to Uganda for volunteer work in rural jungle villages when I was a junior in college. If you take the film seriously and really ponder it, it will shake you up and leave you feeling a little lied to by your own culture. You forget how wildly biased we all are, and how focused on ourselves we really have become. Considering recent events with the Zimmerman/Martin trial, the Boston Marathon bombings, and school shootings, this film really highlights how we fail to see how interconnected we are, and that we are all in this thing called life together. I could go on and on for pages about the many meanings that I derived from this film, but I won't. The important thing is that you watch it and find out what is says to you, what it means to you. I mean, wow, I just felt kind of blind-sided after I watched it, I really wasn't prepared for such a deep experience, and I think about it quite often, even though I watched it over 3 months ago. Definitely worth owning. Best, -Ben

リージョン対応のプレイヤーでないとみれません。 わざわざプレステ３を引っ張ってくるのもめんどくさいので購入しました。 映像自体は素晴らしいです。 叙事詩的というか、安っぽいメッセージもプロパガンダもなく、被写体が持つ豊かな味わいをそのまま伝えてくれます。

Samsara è inserito in diverse liste sul web come uno tra i più bei film di sempre e ciò aveva attratto la mia curiosità, considerato il ruolo marginale attribuito spesso ai documentari nella storia del cinema. In realtà è un film molto bello che mostra vari aspetti della società umana, nel bene e nel male. Bellissima la fotografia, gradevoli ed adatte alle varie scene le musiche. In Italia, stranamente, il blu ray è introvabile (si trova il DVD, ma la bella fotografia merita una qualità nettamente superiore). Quindi ho dovuto acquistarlo in Germania, con tempi di consegna un po' più lunghi del solito. Al riguardo devo però dire che il venditore si è rivelato molto serio ed efficace.

Muy buena experiencia, muy buena calidad, llegó inpecable el producto.

ovviamente l'ho acquistato per il prezzo, considerando che 'artista crea questi video senza il "parlato", ma solo con il suono.. Quindi l'ho acquistato ad un prezzo inferiore e poi perché in Italia non si vende.

It took 20 years to await the sequel to Baraka, but it was worth it. A beautiful, moving snapshot of our world and our place within it by director Ron Fricke. As per his last film, Samsara was presented at the highest resolution available for blu-ray which is about double the resolution of the next best film. At time it felt like I was actually there witnessing the scenes. Excellent soundtrack and mixing. Beautiful picture traveling to so many places in the world I'd probably never have seen otherwise. Highly recommend this to anyone who admires the visual treats of Chronos or Koyaaniqatsi.