Baraka (1992)
Baraka (1992) is a Todd-AO (70 mm) purely cinematic visual film directed by Ron Fricke, cinematographer for Koyaanisqatsi, the first of the Qatsi films by Godfrey Reggio.
Often compared to Koyaanisqatsi, Baraka's subject matter has some similarities—including footage of various landscapes, churches, ruins, religious ceremonies, and cities thrumming with life, filmed using time-lapse photography in order to capture the great pulse of humanity as it flocks and swarms in daily activity. The film also features a number of long tracking shots through various settings, including one through former concentration camps at Auschwitz (in Nazi-occupied Poland) and Tuol Sleng (in Cambodia) turned into museums honoring their victims: over photos of the people involved, past skulls stacked in a room, to a spread of bones. In addition to making comparisons between natural and technological phenomena, such as in Koyaanisqatsi, Baraka searches for a universal cultural perspective: for instance, following a shot of an elaborate tattoo on a bathing Japanese yakuza mobster with one of Native Australian tribal paint.
The movie was filmed at 152 locations of 24 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Nepal, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States. It contains no dialogue. Instead of a story or plot, the film uses themes to present new perspectives and evoke emotion purely through cinema. The film was the first in over twenty years to be photographed in the 70mm Todd-AO format.
The title Baraka is a word that means blessing in many different languages. The score provided by Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard (from Dead Can Dance) and Michael Stearns is noticeably different from the minimalist one provided by Philip Glass for Koyaanisqatsi. Notable music was also contributed by the band Brother. The film was produced by Mark Magidson, who also produced and directed the film Toward the Within, a live concert performance by Dead Can Dance. A sequel to Baraka, Samsara, is currently in production and expected to be released in 2008.
Without words, cameras show us the world, with an emphasis not on "where," but on "what's there." It begins with morning, natural landscapes and people at prayer: volcanoes, water falls, veldts, and forests; several hundred monks do a monkey chant. Indigenous peoples apply body paint; whole villages dance. The film moves to destruction of nature via logging, blasting, and strip mining. Images of poverty, rapid urban life, and factories give way to war, concentration camps, and mass graves. Ancient ruins come into view, and then a sacred river where pilgrims bathe and funeral pyres burn. Prayer and nature return. A monk rings a huge bell; stars wheel across the sky. Open the inner eye.
Directed by Ron Fricke
Produced by Mark Magidson
Written by Constantine Nicholas
Genevieve Nicholas
Music by Michael Stearns, Dead Can Dance
Release date(s) 1992
Running time 96 min
Language None
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103767/
http://www.amazon.com/Baraka-Blu-ray-Ron-Fricke/dp/B001CDLATE/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1338442171&sr=1-1-fkmr1
***KmCrct
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 2
File size : 2.61 GiB
Duration : 1h 37mn
Overall bit rate : 3 817 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2012-05-31 06:44:01
Writing application : mkvmerge v5.6.0 ('Kenya Kane') built on May 27 2012 16:44:04
Writing library : libebml v1.2.3 + libmatroska v1.3.0
Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : [email protected]
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Muxing mode : zlib
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 1h 37mn
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Title : Baraka (1992)
Default : Yes
Forced : No
Audio #1
ID : 2
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Muxing mode : zlib
Codec ID : A_AC3
Duration : 1h 37mn
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : 33ms
Title : AC3 6 Channel
Default : Yes
Forced : No
***********AC3 (Dolby Digital) is the true digital fuller encompassing sound to be used for true 5.1 or greater systems***********
***********AC3 has greater range, clarity, seperation of sound, accuracy of channel and overall frequency range of each channel*******
***********The resulting sound is re-produced as the original score intends with every sound coming from the right area********
Audio #2
ID : 3
Format : DTS
Format/Info : Digital Theater Systems
Muxing mode : zlib
Codec ID : A_DTS
Duration : 1h 37mn
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : 33ms
Title : DTS 6 Channel
Default : No
Forced : No
************DTS is a higher bit-rate encoding of the 5.1 audio. Which means more robust higher fidelity sound *********
************but the digital encoding is at a lower bit depth. Requiring more bits to achieve the same level of clarity (as AC3) to each channel.**********
************The result is a digital Enhancement that accurately produces a full surround sound experience on virtually any audio set up.***********
************Use this if your system is less than true 5.1. *************
In the end the choice is yours, accuracy and clarity of sound or larger than life full representation equally across all channels.
Regardless the 5.1 channel sound makes this film an epic and really immerses you into it.
If you choose to DL a copy without 5.1 sound you will be missing the experience.
Also the remastered version of the film is at 8K it says so right on the box. The intent (as always) was to have the highest quality picture and lowest file size so the bit rate is set to average of 4000 kbps and the picture size is 1280x720p.
The Full HD 8000 kbps 1080p release is also available the file size is approximately double
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
***KmCrct
