Samsara. wow. A documentary filmed over the course of five years in 25 different countries. It's essentially an hour and 42 minutes of some really impressive shots. It's almost something that you would expect someone to be narrating over top of, giving you explanations on purpose, culture and origin, but instead, this documentary chooses to let you observe and interpret for yourself, and it becomes educational as you make it out to be. Putting any interpretations aside, you're still left with some breathtaking shots and emotionally powerful music. But despite there being zero narration, I do believe that there are points being made throughout the film. Now, it shows quite a few different cultures in the movie, and we're able to witness a variety of style, art, and rituals that are completely normal within their culture. And it's when they include similar images of cultures that are more akin to our own, that we're able to see a really interesting parallel. When shown in close proximity to these odd and foreign customs, it's able to show a certain level of ridiculousness in the customs we're already used to. It also shows a healthy variety of what each culture determines to be an art form, ranging all the way from standard theatrical performances, to an edited version of a French performance artist piece called Transfiguration. It's a documentary that allows you to observe, and surprisingly, it is not one that tests your patience. It never lingers on any one shot long enough for you to feel bored, and everything they show is interesting in its own unique way. This is not just a film, it's an experience,and I'd highly recommend watching this on the biggest screen with the best resolution and best sound possible. And let yourself get sucked into the crazy world we call Earth.
Review by DeletedBlockedParent2015-12-14T16:15:18Z
Samsara. wow. A documentary filmed over the course of five years in 25 different countries. It's essentially an hour and 42 minutes of some really impressive shots. It's almost something that you would expect someone to be narrating over top of, giving you explanations on purpose, culture and origin, but instead, this documentary chooses to let you observe and interpret for yourself, and it becomes educational as you make it out to be. Putting any interpretations aside, you're still left with some breathtaking shots and emotionally powerful music. But despite there being zero narration, I do believe that there are points being made throughout the film. Now, it shows quite a few different cultures in the movie, and we're able to witness a variety of style, art, and rituals that are completely normal within their culture. And it's when they include similar images of cultures that are more akin to our own, that we're able to see a really interesting parallel. When shown in close proximity to these odd and foreign customs, it's able to show a certain level of ridiculousness in the customs we're already used to. It also shows a healthy variety of what each culture determines to be an art form, ranging all the way from standard theatrical performances, to an edited version of a French performance artist piece called Transfiguration. It's a documentary that allows you to observe, and surprisingly, it is not one that tests your patience. It never lingers on any one shot long enough for you to feel bored, and everything they show is interesting in its own unique way. This is not just a film, it's an experience,and I'd highly recommend watching this on the biggest screen with the best resolution and best sound possible. And let yourself get sucked into the crazy world we call Earth.