SAMSARA
There's something soothing and hypnotic about the films of Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson (BARAKA, CHRONOS) as they parade a series of beautifully shot (in 70mm, although projected in 35mm in digital formats approved by the filmmakers) images and swelling music by the likes of Lisa Gerrard (of Dead Can Dance), Michael Stearns and Marcello de Francisci (as well as the filmed musicians) before us like so many elegant snapshots of the earth's great natural and man-made wonders. The filmmakers don't explicitly draw the connections between hordes of people in crowded cities and massive factories making household appliances (somewhere in Asia), since they are smart enough to leave that to the viewer.
While I'm certainly not beyond appreciating the stunning imagery shot across 25 countries over the course of five years, that's pretty much all there is to recommend about SAMSARA. I will admit, the filmmakers found a new way to show the toll of Hurricane Katrina's destructive force that I have not seen, and some of the more exotic temples, statues and art are extraordinary, and this is probably the closest I'll ever get to seeing these wonders up close. But I can't imagine returning to any of these films for repeat viewings (except perhaps CHRONOS, the best of the bunch).
SAMSARA is certainly a lovely exercise in brilliant cinematography, time-lapse photography, and reminding us there there are people and places outside of our corner of this silly little planet. More a moving encyclopedia than a proper documentary, I can't imagine this film appealing to anyone beyond visual purists and people contemplating an exotic vacation in the near future. The rest of you might declare it boring; it depends on how long your attention span is, I suppose.
CALIFORNIA STATE OF MIND: THE LEGACY OF PAT BROWN
One of the many reasons I love documentaries is for the historical perspective they offer to our present-day life. Case in point, the highly informative work from director Sascha Rice on her grandfather, the late California governor, Pat Brown, whose policies and direction are still guiding a great deal of what California has to offer today in terms of water availability, highway infrastructure, immigration, integration, and the state university system.
Since Rice is related to the subject, as well as many of those interviewed?including current governor Jerry Brown and one-time gubernatorial candidate Kathleen Brown, both of whom are Pat's children?I can't exactly say the film is unbiased. But Rice does an admirable job of giving voice to Brown's critics and showing the governor (who eventually lost to Ronald Reagan, who used the position as a stepping stone to the presidency) at moments in his career where he may have been on the wrong side of an issue, or worse, when he may have appeared uncertain of his positions. A wavering moment on California's stance on capital punishment almost cost him his job.
And while CALIFORNIA STATE OF MIND spends a great deal of time on Brown's worthy efforts to bring water from northern California down to the south and building around 1,000 miles of new highways, some other interesting areas like his stance on the unionization of migrant workers are blown through a little too quickly. He also seemed torn when his sacred cow university at Berkeley was nearly shut down due to protestors exercising their free speech rights.
Still, it's a fascinating personal profile, which includes great interviews from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Brokaw, Nancy Pelosi and Gray Davis, among others. And it's a more-than-surface look at a liberal Democrat who still knew how to play old-school politics with big business. It comes across as something you might see on PBS, but that's not at all a bad thing. The personal touches make it unique among many docs on other statesmen.
-- Steve Prokopy
"Capone"
capone@aintitcool.com
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Source: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/58191
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