Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance, is an acclaimed 1982 film - a so-called "experimental film" - directed by Godfrey Reggio, with amazing cinematography by Ron Fricke. For five years, from 1983-1988, this film held a box office record as the highest-grossing documentary / experimental film of all time, with a total gross of nearly $2 million. (Source: documentary stats @ boxofficemojo.com)
I think people enjoyed this film so much because it was so different, so mind-blowing; the combined use of slow- and fast-motion visuals throughout made for a hypnotic big screen experience, affecting viewers much like Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" did a generation earlier.
Produced by Francis Ford Coppola, it has been called "an art film, a musical, and a cult film all wrapped together": There is no drama. No dialogue. No narration. Just a series of filmed images of nature, technology, and people all set to music composed by "minimalist extraordinaire" Phillip Glass (The Think Blue Line, A Brief History of Time, The Truman Show, The Hours). His brilliant score for this film is fun and whimsical at times, at other times very solemn, such as the opening and closing credit sequences with its haunting (and sometimes parodied) chant.
Visually, we first see breathtaking, bird's-eye-view shots of desert landscapes, ocean waves, and cloud formations. Then - we move away from nature to the city. Traffic, traffic, and more traffic. Then, my favorite part, the streets of New York City, circa 1982. It was at that point that I felt like I was watching a video time capsule of the early 1980s. We see shots of people bowling, and playing video games (including Pac-Man), and everyone is in the early-80s fashions of the day.
The film itself, which is like poetry on screen, is worthy of discussion, and can be interpreted different ways, as was the intent. I was reminded of how chaotic our busy, technologically-filled lives are, and how peaceful and relaxing it is to just enjoy nature for awhile. You get to experience both in this film, well worth seeing!