Powqqatsi Examples Of Industrialization

Industrialization is defined as the improvement of an economy from primarily man-structured labor toward that of a mechanized and efficient system. Throughout history, technology has shaped society as people know it to be; however, contrary to popular belief, the ways in which technology affects the groundwork of society is extremely limited. The film Powaqqatsi directed by Godfrey Reggio and the painting “Alley By The Lake” by Leonid Afremov both illustrate that, while technology does influence minor cultural characteristics and the “appearance” of a society, the foundations and major precedents including religion, positive interaction, and hard work remain uniform across time.
The movie Powaqqatsi starts with the simple depiction of gold …show more content…
Before the appearance of industrialization in Powaqqatsi, diverse cultures throughout the world each had their own unique ways and methods of doing certain tasks. For example, there is a scene in the beginning of Powaqqatsi where men are in fishing boats with nets that they are using for casting. The men all use a unique method of casting the net into the ocean in order to catch fish. Another example of individualism within a culture exists in the scene with numerous vendors selling various products at a local market. There are a wide variety of products being sold ranging from a spectra of multi-colored fruits and vegetables. Each individual is dressed in their own, unique style and color in the clothing is vibrant and diverse. Many people are conversing with each other and the environment is bustling. When industrialization comes along in Powaqqatsi, many cultures start to become dull as they start to conform with the homogeneous western society. There is a scene in Powaqqatsi where many people are walking down the street in an urban city. Nearly all people are wearing the same type of clothing with plain colors. The people start to all look the same and there is no variety as there was before industrialization and western culture appeared. There is another scene in Powaqqatsi that illustrates dullness and conformity very well. The scene shows men working at a factory. The men are filthy and look beaten down. Their solemn faces represent the graveness of industrialization. The environment around them is very dirty and the men’s shirts are the same as they are covered in mud. While the effects of industrialization are illustrated in Powaqqatsi, they are also evident in the painting “Alley by the Lake”. This painting depicts two people together walking down the street under an umbrella while it is