Baraka

Baraka movie review

Baraka

In the DVD extras for Baraka, both the director Ron Fricke and the producer, Mark Magidson refer to the term "Baraka" as being a general word from the Sufis, the Islamic mystical sect, meaning "blessing".

With that in mind, Baraka, the movie, is certainly a blessing. Sumptuously photographed, shot over 13 months in 24 countries it's an aesthetic pleasing and often moving experience, daring the open-minded viewer to disagree with its one and only point, that Man, in all his manifestations...and Nature are one.

"It's Humanity's relationship to the Eternal" says Fricke "It's not about who you are, or why you're there, it's what's there."

How Baraka does this is by presenting a breathtaking with a World Music Orchestra soundtrack seamlessly integrating strange instruments from many cultures with a montage of:

Indian sadhus
Turkish twirling dervishes
Greek Orthodox monks
Catholic priests performing Benediction
A Tibetan monk illuminated by hundreds of candles
An old Japanese monk seated in a Zen garden

...counterpointed against Nature in its many guises.

Baraka trailer

Then men & women:

laborers
prostitutes
beggars
children
untouchables sorting through a rubbish pit

Many types of Men, many shades of Nature, many glimpses of present day Civilization, then remnants of war:

burning oil fields from the first Gulf War
Auschwitz
a room full of skulls (Cambodia?)

...images all begging the same questions:

Are we not all the same, really?
Are not all our differences, ultimately superficial?
Are not all religions really, only different paths to reaching the same goal?

So if you're the type of person who see the glass of Life as half full, rather than half-empty and if you believe in Man's possibilities, then Baraka could be unforgettable for you. I'd recommend it unhesitatingly as an intense meditational exercise for:

New Agers
Pacifists
Humanists
Greenies
Stoners etc.

...but Baraka will probably make Jerry Bruckenheimer fans puke! It's intense, it's "difficult" and there are no car crashes or fart jokes. At the time of writing, there were over 330 Amazon reviews with an average 4½ stars. Impressive.

Baraka DVD

"...Flawless. Simply incredible, and terrifying too...." youtuber vanessanost

"...I...have the original DVD release and the VHS release. This new transfer is amazing, and is exactly what the first DVD release should have been...pristine video (very few artifacts, little or no pixellation), and immaculate audio (crisp, clean, and great presence without sounding "over-processed") Amazon reviewe P. Kowalsky

"...If I could only own one dvd in the world, this would be it. No words can describe the emotions and feelings that run through you when you see the film. The closest description would be a cerebral journey through the subconsciousness. I am a better person for having viewed the film..." Amazon reviewer David Lee

"...I did LSD and watched this movie and the next day I ate an eggroll AND a taco. Explain that my comrades..." youtuber Patypus 3

Just recently remastered, this edited soundtrack is a seldom-heard New Age classic. Unfortunately there is only one review on Amazon at present but make up your own mind from the samples. Wonderful!

Baraka soundtrack

"...Organic... natural... warm... ambient..."

"...Although a couple of cues from the film are not included, most of the beautiful, varied pieces are. My personal favourite, and sole reason for buying this CD is the piece Organics, featured in tracks 1 and 10. Stearns has created a fantastically warm and dreamy synth piece that comes as close to making you feel like you're floating as any music ever could..." Amazon reviewer Mr.Ghostface