Imagine taking a trip to 25 countries on 5 continents, seeing natural wonders to questionable man made structures, without the intrusion of the Transportation Security Administration and no need of a passport. All of this can be done from the comfort of your seat in your favorite movie theater. Five years in the making and 20 years since his incredible film Baraka; director Ron Fricke brought another absolutely gorgeous movie to the big screen. There was no dialog as the audience was transported to sights most of us will never see in our lifetime. And what I would like to think of as a gentle slap to the digital world, this movie was shot in 70 mm film. The results were massive and impressive to me. Where some movies depend on their musical score to distract from the lack of acting or story, the original music used in this great film was the ideal accompaniment; the perfect blend of spices to the visual stew of images that welled up before our eyes. Do you think I liked this movie? I loved this movie! The word samsara is sanskrit for “continuous flow.” Think of it as birth, life, death and rebirth. What I got out of seeing this movie was how ancient cultures/structures have been reincarnated over and over again. What is that saying that goes “Everything old becomes new again,” or something like it? I found it fascinating the way scenes from opposite spectrums were paired up to show, in essence, their similarities. This was truly a remarkable film. Walking out of the theater, I looked at the buildings around me in a different way; wondering where in a past time were these structures born before.

4 stars