History Film / Koyaanisqatsi

* Montage: An old-school example

** The credits sequence is made up of audio-blipverts that sounds like [=TVs=], radios and telephones all playing at the same time.

* GreenAesop: Though the film itself doesn't make it explicit, the translation of the title gives it away.

!!! "Tropes out of balance":
* {{Bookends}}: At the very beginning of the movie we see a rocket take off, and at the end of the movie, [[spoiler:it explodes]].
** More subtly, the rocket first seen taking off cuts to a Saturn V successfully launching an Apollo mission; the rocket leaving the launch pad at the end is also a Saturn V, but this is then replaced by the original, doomed rocket.
* {{Blipvert}}: There is a section where a television screen shows various adverts and programmes but shown in time-lapse. Blink and you'll miss a couple of frames of Thomas Dolby in his famous "She Blinded Me With Science" video.

* CreatorCameo: Producer Creator/FrancisFordCoppola makes an appearance in "Prophecies" as an extra entering an elevator, although this is downplayed by his [[WolverinePublicity nomial contribution to the movie]].
* DeathGlare: One scene has people pass the camera in slow motion. Some people give the camera a nasty look.

* {{Documentary}}

*** In an interview on the Criterion Blu-ray, cinematographer Ron Fricke says he believes Reggio intended ''Koyaanisqatsi'' to present a GreenAesop: whereas '''he''' [=[Fricke]=] strove to reveal beauty in ''all'' of the images, regardless of their content. WordOfGod suggests Fricke's opinion presumes CreativeDifferences which did not actually exist.

* LostAesop: the film ''doesn't'' make it explicit, but that's part of the point.

* PopCultureOsmosis: For example, in the "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder" episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' reference has a high-speed time lapse of a day in Homer's bedroom when he oversleeps.
** Recent episodes of ''The Simpsons'' have seen more vivid references, including a full parody of Itchy and Scratchy with several images taken directly from the film.
*** All of these images are present in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97rakGU8DDM this]] official trailer.
* SceneryPorn
** SceneryGorn: Pruitt-Igoe, in particular.

* SilenceIsGolden, a very rare modern instance.

* StockFootage: Used for the demolition scenes; also nuclear tests, UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, and and the rocket launch(es).
** The film also had a influence on the look of stock footage as seen in TV documentaries and commercials. [[https://vimeo.com/162039610 This video]] recreated the film's trailer using nothing ''but'' watermarked stock footage!

* FollowTheLeader: ''{{Microcosmos}}'' and ''WingedMigration'' are both heavily influenced by the films.

* CreatorCameo: Creator/FrancisFordCoppola makes an appearance in "Prophecies" as an extra entering an elevator, although this is downplayed by his [[WolverinePublicity nomial contribution to the movie]].

* PopCultureOsmosis: For example, in ''Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder'' episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' reference has a high-speed time lapse of a day in Homer's bedroom when he oversleeps.

* StockFootage: Used for the demolition scenes; also nuclear tests, UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, and and the rocket destruction at the end.
** TV documentaries and commercials sometimes use the movie as a ''source'' of stock footage.

* CreatorCameo: Creator/FrancisFordCoppola appears in "Prophecies", although this is downplayed by his [[WolverinePublicity nomial contribution to the movie]].

'''''Koyaanisqatsi''''' is a 1983 Godfrey Reggio film. There is no obvious plot or story, there are no actors, there is no dialog. The whole film is just time lapse footage of nature, people, and machines with music composed by PhilipGlass. Despite the synopsis sounding dull, the film is mesmerizing. The film starts with beautiful footage of the desert and natural rock formations. From there human work is more and more evident. The middle section of the film is about the hustle and bustle of modern life. Towards the end, the film focuses on people of different walks of life. The last sequence is a failed rocket launch in slow motion.

'''''Koyaanisqatsi''''' is a 1983 Godfrey Reggio film. There is no obvious plot or story, there are no actors, there is no dialog. The whole film is just time lapse footage of nature, people, and machines with music composed by PhilipGlass. Despite the synopsis sounding dull, the film is mesmerizing. The film starts with beautiful footage of the desert and natural rock formations. From there human work is more and more evident. The middle section of the film is about the hustle and bustle of modern life. Towards the end, the film focuses on people of different walks of life. The last sequence is [[spoiler:a failed rocket launch in slow motion]].

Reggio's cinematographer Ron Fricke went on to make ''Chronos'' (in IMAX), ''Baraka'', and ''Samsara'', all of which have obvious similarities to the "qatsi" films.

* TheTropelessTale: The page refutes that, of course, but ''Koyaanisqatsi'' is technically not a documentary, nor is it a traditionally narrative film either. The only label that it might possibly wear is Experimental Film.

If the name sounds familiar, the title song is used whenever [[Series/{{Scrubs}} the Janitor]] delivers a DeathGlare. The pieces "Pruitt-Igoe" and "Prophecies" that were written for this film are probably better known to the current flock of 20-to-30-somethings as the accompaniment to Jon Osterman's [[TransformationSequence transformation]] into [[EldritchAbomination Dr. Manhattan]] in the ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' [[Film/{{Watchmen}} film adaptation]], or from the first ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'' trailer. "The Grid", however, is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvZ3DBI1tO8 the best]] known piece, both visually and aurally. Fans of ''Film/TheTrumanShow'' will instantly recognize [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZXa5id8FXk The Anthem]] from ''Powaqqatsi''.

** The credits sequence is made up of audio-blipverts that sounds like of TVs, radios and telephones all playing at the same time.

* HumansAreBastards: Again, it's more of a subliminal feeling you get watching it.

* PopCultureOsmosis: For example, in ''Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder'' episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' reference has a high speed time lapse of a day in Homer's bedroom when he oversleeps.

* TetrisEffect: When the film was first released in 1983, people who left the theater after seeing it on the towering screen of the Zeigfeld Theater in NYC - ''and'' with Philip Glass jacked up on the speakers - walking out into the NYC streets was a trippy thing, since the viewers had just seen what the traffic and pedestrians were like on a meta-scale. Said viewers were forever changed by the experience.

* {{Undercrank}}: The factory assembly lines and masses of people are sped up, as are clouds in most of the nature shots.

* TheTropelessTale: The page refutes that, of course, but ''Koyaanisqatsi'' is technically not a documentary, nor is it a traditionally narrative film either. The only label that it might possibly wear is ExperimentalFilm.

* SpiritualSuccessor: ''Film/{{Microcosmos}}''.

* TechnologyMarchesOn: Believe it or not, time lapse photography was relatively ''new'' and few people ever experienced it at this scale.

* {{Undercrank}}: The factory assembly lines and masses of people are sped up, as are clouds in most of the nature shots.
* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: And all the better for it.

* DOesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Watch the opening "Serra Pelada" sequence of ''Powaqqatsi'' and try ''not'' to see the people at the gold mine as ants.
* DoingItForTheArt: Aside from Reggio, Creator/FrancisFordCoppola was one of the major backers of the experimental film. While Creator/GeorgeLucas and Golan & Globus backed ''Powaqqatsi''.

Reggio's cinematographer Ron Fricke went on to make ''Chronos'' (in IMAX) and ''Baraka'', both of which have obvious similarities to the "qatsi" films.

* Blipvert: There is a section where a television screen shows various adverts and programmes but shown in time-lapse. Blink and you'll miss a couple of frames of Thomas Dolby in his famous "She Blinded Me With Science" video.