Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Baraka (Blu-ray)


Made in 1992 and shot in 24 countries around the world, Baraka is a dialogue free, visual interpretation of man's relationship with nature, technology, spirituality, and each other. Or something like that. Its themes are explored through a series of stunning images, some beautiful and some disturbing, with frequent use of breathtaking time lapse photography. Though difficult to describe in words, it is a truly moving experience.

When people speak of reference quality Blu-ray, this is what they're talking about. I expected Baraka to look spectacular and it does, every single frame of it. From the deeply saturated colour to the ultra fine detail and spot on contrast, Baraka is a visual delight. What I hadn't expected, though, was an audio track this good. The global music and sound effects not only provide a perfect backdrop to the visuals, they are delivered in a very forceful and active surround mix. Also much appreciated is the excellent 75 min. documentary on the making of Baraka. They are no overlays on the film itself to indicate the location of each shot (though it's easy to make educated guesses), so it's nice to find out where many were taken and to get some insight into the subjects as well.

Quite simply, I cannot recommend Baraka highly enough. It is one of a small handful of films that belongs in every Blu-ray collection.

1 comment:

Jim Schmaltz said...

Hmmm. You have my attention. Bring this with you when you come to visit!

Nice review on Last Temptation as well. Been a while since I have seen that one.