Concerto For the Earth

Originally shown at the 1992 World's Fair in Seville, Spain, this non-narrative environmental music video--shot in 70mm and presented in the letterboxed format--boasts superb cinematography and an original soundtrack composed by Philippe Sarde and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. Opening with shots of pristine nature--waterfalls, majestic mountains, and wildlife--the program continues with the entrance of man, first as a hunter/gatherer, then as an agrarian tender of the land, and finally as the conqueror of the industrial age. Moving ahead to modern times, the film offers a semi-comic skit of a modern family on an outing: father driving frantically, mother looking nervous, teenage son tossing a pop bottle out of the car. Screeching to a halt at the edge of a precipice, the family disembark, gaze out on an ugly clear-cut and put on their sunglasses (a symbol for distancing themselves from the destruction, perhaps). The last section shows the possibilities for the planet if we choose sustainable development--solar cars, alternative energy, reforestation, etc. Obviously inspired by the Godfrey Reggio/Philip Glass collaborative films Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi, Bayley Silleck's Concerto for the Earth lacks the subtlety and inherent tension of its predecessors (Reggio obviously has very mixed feelings about modern society's achievements). Too, the music is almost a parody of the type of music that was heard in "kitchen of the future" commercials during the 1950s. Ultimately, one has to ask: who is the audience for this film? Kids will find the music funny. Adults, who are not accustomed to pure cinematic essays, will be puzzled. Still, it's very beautiful (I'm sure it was fantastic on the big screen), and those with larger collections may want to add. (R. Pitman)