Average Rating: 
Rating:  - A gentle and profound film.
Writing comments about Baraka is hard. After viewing it, I reverently handled the video cassette like a sacred object (with a new depth of mystical feeling I never knew in church). 50,000 dormant brain cells were lit up by this landmark of cinematic art. A priceless epic poem, this film will be treasured for centuries to come. The awesome meanings of Baraka are best discovered by individual viewers, so I will simply mention some technical matters to help interested buyers.I have the VHS version. It is not letterboxed. It looks perfectly clear on a 30" and 13" tv screen, even in wide-angle shots. The original print was very clean. Sound was excellent, but there was some distortion in a few places (sudden drumbeats and one choral crescendo). Some have raised concerns about the "new agey" music, but I found it excellent. The music, images, and editing achieved stunning unity.
Rating: - VASTLY IMPROVED VIDEO AND SOUND QUALITY!
I will not attempt to extol the virtues film itself (what more can I say than has already been said?), but of the new collector's edition: I too have the original DVD release, and the VHS release. This new transfer is AMAZING, and is exactly what the first DVD release should have been... PRISTINE video (very few artifacts, little or no pixelation), and IMMACULATE audio (crisp, clean, and great presence without sounding "over-processed"). If you have both versions and can't tell the difference, then it's time to watch it on a large screen TV, and clean yer ears out! The improvements are painfully obvious. This is a truly incredible film, and finally justice has been done with the fantastic quality of the consumer version. Like someone else said, give your old copy away, and BUY THIS VERSION now! I'm glad I picked it up, and you will be too.
Rating: - The Watchers
I bought the VHS version of this film first, but I have an old VCR and seeing the quality of the film, I had to buy the DVD, it was amazing.The film is totally based on live shots, taken at appropriate times. The camera work is excellent, which is just rightly complimented by the amazing music in this film. It is a more of a journey, than just a two hour watch. The deep philosophy enrooted is really enlightening. As time goes by happiness turns to suffering, then the circle restores, the cruelty and the suffering now, the damage we cause, all would change. We only just watch and watch as time flows by. Seeing this film one would be touched by the amount of damage we have caused to our planet, and to ourselves. The beginning symbolically shows the origin of man, watching. The film shows ethnic tribes in the exotic places around the world, our cities, our ruins, our future. A wordless film that has more meaning than the better part of the movies I have seen, and the images with stay with you for sometime, realy an experience.
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