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Textual Analysis Of Baraka

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In Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell calls the movie theater “a special temple where the hero has moved into the sphere of being mythologized” (Campbell). Watching the movie Baraka, the audience can connect to Campbell’s description of the didactic nature of movies. According to its co-director Fricke, Baraka was intended to be "a journey of rediscovery that plunges into nature, into history, into the human spirit and finally into the realm of the infinite" (Fricke). Furthermore, Baraka dives into the didactic elements of archetypes and images that instruct the soul. Although Baraka does not use words, there is a clear message of humans and their world that Campbell says gives “relevance to something happening in your own life. It gives you …show more content…

To multiple people, this purpose exists in religion. In the film, a moment shows where a group of people gathers together and spin around the room while wearing large brown hats. The important thing to realize about this scene is the placement it has in the timeline of the movie. The scene abides near the end, which is where there are numerous calming images such as people praying and an eclipse slowly overtaking the moon. The spinners within this scene are so at peace with life that all they do is spin around the room seeming to not have a care in the world. Religious people follow the rules, beliefs, and lifestyles that are considered correct according to what they believe in. For example, in Christianity one of the teachings is to not practice selfishness. The same concept inhabits Buddhism, whose belief is to attain peace and content, must first put aside of all life’s selfish desires. There even prevails a known saying that when you fully accept and devote your life to a religion, your soul becomes relieved and your heart cleansed of all evil. Everyone and everything is naturally born with innocence, until wrong desires take over them and burden their …show more content…

In reality, simplicity is all the world needs, and selfish desires are not necessary. An image that appears in the movie shows three women dancing perhaps a traditional dance of their culture. The way they carry themselves and the expressions of their faces truly give the viewer a sense of a serene environment where nothing can go wrong. The women are surrounded by darkness with no light, technology, or anything else that society takes for granted , yet they are happy. Enlightenment provides a life purpose. The movie as a whole explores the different cultures and how they live out their life, whether centered around a belief, a god, or just nature itself. No matter the location in the world, different cultures are practiced by the sole reason of living a magnificent life and not having any guilt or regret. If greed dominates someone’s life, then it is highly likely that their life will face more difficulty and complication than someone who dedicates their life to becoming one with the earth and living a simple life. An important lesson in the movie is to not take advantage of anything. There were images of third world countries where the children were struggling to drink clean water and live in a house that was not one small step from crumbling to the ground. The most heart-wrenching thing about those scenes is that the children probably did not know that anything better than that

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