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Documentary, Music  •  1983  •  86 min

Koyaanisqatsi (1983)

Koyaanisqatsi poster

Koyaanisqatsi (1983)

Rating & Dimensions

Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Moderate
Family Values: Mixed
Viewer Rating
8.1

Overview

Koyaanisqatsi is a 1983 experimental documentary with no dialogue, no characters, and no plot. It is pure visual argument: time-lapse footage of American landscapes and cities, scored by Philip Glass, building a case that industrial civilization is degrading both the natural world and human experience. The Hopi word in the title translates roughly to 'life out of balance,' and the film never lets you forget it. That anti-industrial, pro-nature framing sits squarely in progressive environmental thought. The critique is aesthetic rather than explicitly political, but the underlying worldview, unchecked technology as a destructive force, aligns consistently with that tradition, earning the Leans Progressive label.

Starring Cast

Edward Asner  •   Pat Benatar  •   Jerry Brown

Where to watch

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Detailed Bias Analysis

Analyzing...
Leans Progressive

Primary

Political: Strong Left
Confidence: Medium

The film's central thesis is a profound, non-narrative critique of modern industrial civilization, highlighting environmental degradation and the dehumanizing effects of unchecked technological progress, which are core progressive concerns.

Diversity: Moderate
Confidence: High

This non-narrative, observational film documents human activity and the environment, rather than featuring traditional characters or a plot. Consequently, conventional casting and character diversity metrics are not applicable. The film's critique focuses on modern industrial society and its impact on the planet, without explicitly targeting specific traditional identities or incorporating explicit DEI themes.

Secondary

Family Values: Mixed
Confidence: High

The film is a non-narrative documentary that focuses on humanity's relationship with technology and nature, and it does not depict specific family structures, roles, or values in a way that allows for evaluation on the provided scale.

LGBTQ: N/A
Confidence: High

Koyaanisqatsi is an experimental, non-narrative film composed of time-lapse and slow-motion footage exploring the relationship between humanity and nature. Lacking identifiable characters or dialogue, the film does not present any LGBTQ+ characters or themes.

Trans: N/A
Confidence: High

Koyaanisqatsi is a non-narrative, experimental film that explores the relationship between humanity, technology, and nature through visual imagery and music. It does not feature individual characters or a traditional plot, and consequently, there are no identifiable transsexual characters or themes present within its scope.

Female Combat: N/R

The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.

Gender Swap: No
Confidence: High

Koyaanisqatsi is a non-narrative documentary film without traditional characters or a plot. It does not adapt existing source material or portray specific historical figures, thus precluding any instance of a gender swap.

Race Swap: No
Confidence: High

Koyaanisqatsi is a non-narrative documentary film that does not feature named characters, historical figures, or adaptations of existing source material with established character races. The film primarily depicts anonymous individuals and landscapes.

Hinduism: N/A
Confidence: High

Not depicted in the film.

Viewer Rating Breakdown

8.1

Viewer Rating

Combines user and critic ratings from four sources

User Ratings

IMDB logo
8.2
The Movie Database logo
7.9

Critic Ratings

Rotten Tomatoes logo
9.1
Metacritic logo
7.2

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