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Interpreting of social problems in Bowling For Columbine And Koyaanisqatsi
Why do people watch documentaries? Probably to obtain information visually. It is needed for documentaries to be informative and interesting to watch at the same time. Two interesting, informative documentaries Bowling for Columbine and Koyaanisqatsi. Yet, they are very different when it comes to conveying messages.
Bowling for Columbine reveals problems that are hidden in the states. In the movie he shows that he gets bullets from a market, a gun from a bank, and an interview with NRA. What Moore does well is that it is not objective. It does not feel distant, because he goes right in the core of the problem. He boldly asks sensitive questions and record real honest answers. For example, asking why not lock the door and focus showing their facial expression while listening to their answers. Another great example would be when Moore asks Heston if he is willing to apologize and showing back of Heston while he is leaving. This shows how Heston handles hardship and indirectly shows that Moore is correct. Also, after he asks Heston to take a look at the picture of the girl and ask not to leave, he does long take and zoom in to bring the clear view of Heston’s back, approving Moore’s point at secondhand. This not only helps approving his opinion but makes an excellent social documentary. Interviewing real people with no script and showing their feelings such as embarrassment makes the documentary more authentic. Also, their feelings are conveyed sincerer.
Moore shows the issue of the society such as fear and truth by showing poverty area and the school, Columbine. He applies contrastive juxtapositions to convey this idea. He shows the government that does not even care about the gap between rich and poor. Contrasting messages from news. Fear towards African American and white supremacist. This fear leads white people to purchase more guns and believe that they are doing this to protect themselves. However, showing the difference in point of view between United States and Canada regards of guns just approve Moore’s message. Then Rock version of a song ‘What a wonderful world’ comes out, showing deeper paradox and make the truth seems more repulsive.
On the other hand, Koyaanisqatsi flows different than Bowling for Columbine. Without any prologue, it continues to play videos and music. This was very extraordinary and revolutionary. Four parts of different themes and about 90 minutes of running time. The most awesome sequence is where 80’s city, life and people filmed at fast film speed like a fast motion. This helps conveying the message of the director, unbalanced life of cities and surplus population. And the film sound is magnificent and enhances its experimental function. Comparably quiet beginning then expands and speed up the music, this makes the film more expositional, bringing audience to the climax through music, develops arrangement of adrenaline.
On the contrast, Koyaanisqatsi is a more unfriendly movie to audience because the movie is more abstract. The movie has no dialogue, the appreciation of the movie is completely depending on audience’s thoughts and sight to interpret and analyze. The movie starts with an ancient wall painting and elegant, primitive music. Then the scene fades out and rocket launches scene fade in. It is structured with montage shots.
I personally interpret Koyaanisqatsi’s message was that human’s civilization was too fast and the nature and primitive life circles might break into pieces like ruins coming from a rocket launch. I believe that is why the movie shows admiration towards beauty of Mother Nature then the exact reverse artificial sides of city life. Smokes coming from factories and nuclear bomb, a section of ‘civilized society’. However, Koyaanisqatsi also shows ample sides of civilization. Movies, computers, televisions and landing on Moon show revolutionary development and it is strong impression. Koyaanisqatsi also shows civilization’s inconsistency. Terrors, surplus population, and patients – social problems. The director uses slow motion, and this helps to maximize feeling moderns’ senses of alienation and depression.
Charm of Koyaanisqatsi is that it uses wide shot to convey the nature’s beauty. Reveals a vast expanse of landscapes and give more experimental options to audience. Also, different usage of camera speed to create refreshing and creative portraits of the world. These features like camera speed, variety of different shot technique and film sounds stimulates different sense of viewers; make the movie more experimental and appealing.
Both movies are informative and make viewers think about what the directors are trying to convey. However, Bowling for Columbine is more structured and has no nonsense, direct message, while Koyaanisgatsi is more indirect and abstract. However, both movies are bold, expressive on their own, give information to viewers and help them to see issues of our society that is hidden and need to be revealed. Have one similar message that is to stop creating internal threats.
