Textual Analysis Of Baraka

Baraka is a non-linear environmental documentary released in 1992, directed by Ron Fricke. The film is full of sweeping shots of breathtaking landscapes, intimate scenes of individuals in their environment, and time-lapse sequences of both natural and man-made structures. Without dialogue or a linear structure, it relies on visual context to convey its purpose. While Baraka doesn’t use traditional narrative, the film successfully tells the story of the “wholeness” of the world, the cyclical nature of the world, and the human experience as a part of (and apart from) that cycle. In this paper, I’ll discuss the ways in which the film succeeds at telling this story, as well as the film’s shortcomings in telling this story effectively. The film …show more content…
Religion and ritual are recurring motifs throughout the film, implying that these are central components of the human experience. Historically, humans have always attempted to provide meaning for existence through religion and rituals, and it is appropriate that the film begins with a look at our differing attempts to find meaning in our experience. Beginning with a group of indigenous men chanting and moving in unison, the film shows several different indigenous communities participating in dancing and chanting rituals. All the indigenous groups (Southeast Asian, South American, African, and Australian Aboriginal) have distinct rituals involving style of dress, body adornment, dance, and song. There is a sense that these rituals are almost natural occurrences; rituals are just what humans do in groups, no matter where they are. Baraka, in this sequence of indigenous rituals, is telling the story of humans as a part of nature. These groups live in the wilderness, as a part of the land, and their …show more content…
There is less focus on pristine landscapes and instead we are shown scenes of dirty, haphazardly built urban developments. Instead of living open and freely in community, humans are now boxed off from the cradle to the grave (as the film not so subtly shows). We again see scenes of humans engaged in repetitive movements, but this time they are not participating in spiritual rituals. Instead, they are working on an assembly line, creating products for people who are far removed from the process of production. Sped-up scenes of the organized chaos of city life and repetitive, mindless factory work are paired with frenetic, maddening music. This fast-paced segment feels endless, and when it finally ends, we hear the sound of labored breathing over a shot of the lights of city traffic (which parallels how exhausted the viewer feels at this point). Baraka is definitely intending to put urban life in a negative light, especially relative to the serene depictions of community life in indigenous cultures. It places indigenous peoples on a pedestal and condemns modern living as unnatural and ultimately horrific. If that segment doesn’t make that criticism clear, then the next one does. With one of the most memorable transitions in the film (the Silent Scream performed by a Japanese Butoh dancer), we begin to see the consequences of modern human life. Our fast-paced,

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