Baraka (1992) Movie Review

In every Baraka movie review, you will find a mention of the fact that the film has no story, plot, dialogues or voice over. My Baraka movie review is going to be more than that. Buy or watch Baraka if you’re game for watching a film with an unprecedented style. Watch Baraka to experience moments, images and views of our planet that will take you to a transcendental and a spiritual level you've never experienced before.

Director of Baraka: Ron Fricke

Cast of Baraka: Baraka has no formal cast. It films people across nations and cultures 'as they are'.

Genre: Documentary (Non-narrative)

Awards: Montreal World Film Festival FIPRESCI Prize 1992

Baraka Trivia: My Baraka movie review would be incomplete without telling you the name of the curious word 'Baraka'. In the Sufi language and many other cultures around the world, it means 'breath of life', 'blessings' or 'the essence of life'.

The movie Baraka is a must watch for many reasons. Some are even too hard to put in words. Baraka will touch a tender part of your imagination which will leave you thinking for days to come. Here are top 5 reasons why you should watch Baraka.

1. Explore a fantastic new genre

How many possible genres have you explored? Drama, thrillers, action, documentary, guerrilla style films, social impact films or sci-fi movies? The real reason why I was motivated to do a Baraka movie review was talk about a totally mesmerizing and dramatically innovative style of filmmaking that many would have not seen before. Replete with eerie images of the grandeur of nature juxtaposed with somber ones, Baraka constantly reminds us of the sadness we have tucked away behind our glass skyscrapers. Will humankind go back to faith, religion and hope like the baboon sitting along the lakeside in the opening of the film?

2. The beauty of images

From Indonesian monkey chants, slowly churning clouds, images on tribal and modern body art, a run down cigarette factory, assembly line food production, Chinese soldiers at the Tiananmen Square to the Muslim pilgrims praying at Mecca. Baraka reminds us of themes like war and destruction, futility of modern life, reconnecting to nature, geographical and spiritual expanse of the world, ethical introspection and much more. All this has been done through moving images or videos that virtually have no plot or dialogues. Don’t think that just because the film has such exotic locations, it's all eye candy and soothing to the mind. There are some portions that are extremely disturbing without being visually explicit. There are some landscapes that are so solace-giving that you will be sucked into a lull.

3. Baraka will change the way you think

A Baraka movie review is incomplete without a cautionary warning that you will be never be able to see the world with the same eyes again. Every person who watches, buys or downloads Baraka will see something different in it. The whole movie is about perception. Some see religious chaos, some see inner tranquility, some see natural destruction, some see university in diversity and some see the universality of the human spirit though Baraka.

4. See exotic locations around the world

Baraka is a film which is a string of moving images placed one after the other. Baraka is shot across 24 countries in 6 continents at 152 locations. Baraka will take you on a journey to some very exotic locations and places on the face of this planet which will blow your mind away. Here are some of the mysterious corners of the world that have been captured in this epic visual journey.

• Lake Natron in Tanzania
• Iguazu Falls, Misiones in Argentina
• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Haleakala National Park, Maui, Kona in Hawaii
• Galata Mevlevi Temple, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul in Turkey

• Kunwarde Hwarde Valley, Bathurst Island, Cocinda, Jim Jim Falls, Northern Territory, Kakadu National Park in Australia

5. Worldwide viewer admiration

The film has been given the most number of informal titles by viewers: a cinematic essay, a poetic journey, a National Geographic tale with a twist, a rediscovery of life and an epic poem of images. The great part about Baraka is that this movie is able to draw audiences regardless of gender, race or nationality. Every human being on this planet will be able to relate to Baraka in one way or other. That fact itself is quite unnerving as a viewer. If you are a movie fan who likes to do think and assess a movie while watching it, Baraka will give you much food for thought. Maybe even more than what you asked for.

Roger Ebert's Baraka movie review

"It is claimed that the great age of travel is dead - that there are no longer amazing, exotic, beautiful and fearsome places for the traveler to discover. A movie like Baraka gives hope" He has even included Baraka in his list of Great Movies.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes