It’s not by accident that one of Samsara’s earliest sequences, captured from the floating heights of a hot air balloon, lingers over a sprawling series of ornate temples littering the Myanmar countryside. More than any other excerpt from this wordless documentary, this majestic scene encapsulates the film’s underlying intent, encouraging viewers to pause, reflect,and ruminate upon the meaning of the sumptuous vision presented.
In the expansive 102 minutes that follow, writer, director, editor and cinematographer Ron Fricke constructs a wealth of striking images designed to elicit just such a reaction. In his pseudo-sequel to lauded 1992 effort Baraka and contemplative 1985 short Chronos before it, his lens drifts from the streets of Ghana to the penitentiaries of the Philippines; the falls of Angola to the highways of Los Angeles; and the factories of Japan to the food processing plants of Denmark, all in aid of asking the audience to consider the broader web of humanity.
That the meditative film derives its title from the Sanskrit term for ‘the cycle of life’ is fitting, as is the carefully composed study in contrasts it employs to enunciate its message. Flitting between the developed and developing worlds – sometimes with subtlety, at other times with purposeful severity – Samsara contrasts the extremities of existence. The stark division between opulence and poverty, modernity and tradition, nature and technology are uncovered in the process.
The aesthetic and emotional influence of Fricke’s efforts cannot be underestimated, nor can the trance-like serenity that the rhythmic film invokes. Accompanied by a contemplative score from returning composer Michael Stearns, Samsara demands complete immersion in its illuminating imagery as shapes, forms, people and countries morph across the screen. A remarkable technical achievement, the feature was shot in 25 countries over 5 years on 70mm film stock. Such painstaking artistry and passionate commitment shows in every pristine frame.
Yet, the staged nature is always evident, more so when the film’s human subjects gaze intently into the camera. For those moments, the otherwise transcendent spell is broken and the feature’s manufacture is all too evident. Similarly, some juxtapositions and connections are too obvious, even whilst employed to heartbreaking effect. Artifice, however, is a part of life, and an awareness of the film’s few pretences do not blunt Samsara’s powerful and pensive impact.
Rating: 4
Samsara
Director: Ron Fricke
USA, 2011, 102 min
In cinemas 26 December
Previews in selected Palace cinemas on 15 December
Distributor: Hopscotch
Rated PG
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