Analyzing the reflections on human condition in the essay films

Koyaanisqatsi and Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream.

Viktor Németh & Manna Duk

Contemporary Documentary

DocNomads 10, Semester 3

Pascal Vandelanoitte

4436 words

Content:

1. Introduction
2. Koyaanisqatsi
3. Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
Introduction

The writing of this essay started from a common interest we share for essay films. More
specifically, Viktor has a strong interest for visual essay films, whereas Manna is intrigued by
personal essay films that rely more on voice-over narration. Since ‘the essay film’ is a broad
term that includes many different characteristics, we decided to each focus on a single film
that was inspiring and interesting to us and which we would like to analyze further. An
important aspect of essay films is that the filmmaker often shares a reflection on something
with the viewer, and aims for the viewer to reflect on this matter themselves as well. We
decided to make this the starting point of our analyses, and dive deeper into the way that
both of the films we are analyzing relate to this aspect of the essay film.

For this essay, Viktor is writing about the film Koyaanisqatsi (1982) by Godfrey Reggio, and
Manna is writing about Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream (2019) by Frank Beauvois. We will
analyze how two different essay films reflect on human condition mainly through the use of
visual storytelling in the visual essay Koyaanisqatsi, and mainly through the use of voice-over
narration in the personal essay Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream. Following this, we will go over
the way the films invite the viewer to reflect on the human conditions covered in the film as
well. In the end, this will hopefully give us a better understanding on how the essay films we
chose both convey their reflections and invite for reflection.

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Koyaanisqatsi - by Viktor

Essay films, also known as documentary essays or cinematic essays, are a type of film that
uses a personal, often poetic, approach to explore and interpret a specific topic or theme.
Essay films often use a wide range of techniques, including voiceover narration, imagery, and
music, to convey their ideas and themes, and are known for their ability to explore complex
and nuanced subjects in a creative and engaging way. The essay film invites the viewer as an
individual to think along with the director of the movie. There are different ways and tools
that the director can use in order to achieve this common thinking.

One way in which essay films can reflect on the human condition is through their use of
visual imagery and techniques to convey themes and ideas about the human experience. For
example, an essay film might use slow motion or time-lapse techniques to highlight the
frenetic pace of modern life or to show the contrast between the natural world and the
constructed world of humans. It might also use aerial footage or other perspectives to offer
a sense of the larger context in which humans live and to explore themes of connection and
disconnection with the natural world.

One of the films that use such methods is "Koyaanisqatsi" which is a non-narrated “trip” on
the relationship between humans and the modern world and one of my favorite films that
had a huge impact on me as an aspiring filmmaker. When I first watched it I was completely
amazed at how the film works and I wanted to know what tools the director of the film used
in order to achieve such a result. In the following, I will make an analysis of the film to help
me better understand these tools and techniques. I am especially interested in how
powerful a film can be without using any voiceover or text. It has been a long time since I
first watched this film and I have some critics and notions on why the film may not be
engaging for somebody and what are the possibilities to further develop the techniques that
Reggio used in his film in order to achieve a film that can have an extra layer.

Before diving into the analysis of the film I would like to make a short “(self-)justification” of
why I think that Koyaanisqatsi can be considered an essay film. Just understanding how
Montaigne defined the “Essai” could support the idea that the film can be considered an
essay.

“Perhaps the most commonly agreed-on origin of the essay is the work of Montaigne
(1533–1592). For him, the word “essays'' emphasizes their provisional and explorative nature
as “attempts,” “tries,” or “tests” that produce views of, comments on, and judgments of his
faltering memory, love, friendship, lying, a “monstrous child,” and a plethora of other
common and uncommon questions picked almost haphazardly from a mind observing the
world passing before and through it. Imagined, to some extent, as an active intellectual

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exchange with his deceased friend Étienne de La Boétie, Montaigne’s essays describe not
only the constant changes and adjustments of a mind as it defers to experience but also the
transformation of the essayistic self as part of that process.” (Alter and Corrigan 14)

For Montaigne, an essay is a form of experimentation to find a new form of expression in

order to convey his idea which is highly related to Godfrey’s movie. But to investigate further
I think it is necessary to also mention Hans Richter's definition of what is an essay film. As he
writes:

“The essay film, in its attempt to make the invisible world of imagination, thoughts, and
ideas visible, can draw from an incomparably larger reservoir of expressive means than can
the pure documentary film. Since in the essay film the filmmaker is not bound by the
depiction of external phenomena and the constraints of chronological sequences, but, on the
contrary, has to enlist material from everywhere, the filmmaker can bounce around freely in
space and time. For example, he can switch from objective representation to fantastic
allegory and from there to a staged scene; the filmmaker can portray dead as well as living
things, and artificial as well as natural objects—the filmmaker can use everything that exists
and what can be invented—as long as they serve the purpose of making visible the
fundamental idea. With this abundance of means, even prosaic thoughts and difficult ideas
can provide color and entertainment, which the public needs in order to enjoy the subject
matter.” (Alter and Corrigan 91-92)

I can highly relate to Hans’s definition of what the essay film is and what tools can be used to
convey one’s idea. And that is what Godfrey did with his film. He had a point of view of the
1982’s world and he made a cinematic - somewhat - experimental essay that let the viewer
think along with the director as an individual. Now that I justified my argument on the
classification of the film I will continue with the analysis of the film.

"Koyaanisqatsi," a film directed by Godfrey Reggio in 1982, employs a combination of visual

sequences and a musical score to examine the relationship between humanity and the
modern world. The title of the film, "Koyaanisqatsi," is a word in the Hopi language,
denoting "life out of balance." This is the main message of the film, and in order to convey
this message the director uses different kinds of techniques (slow motion, time-lapse, and
aerial footage, strange camera angles) which I will further analyze in the next parts of the
essay. These techniques help Godfrey to investigate the ways in which contemporary society
has become disconnected from nature, from each other and traditional ways of living.

One of the main themes of "Koyaanisqatsi" is the idea that the modern world has become
increasingly complex and fast-paced, leading to a sense of disconnection not just from each
other but also disconnection from the natural world. The film uses the imagery of cities,
highways, and other man-made structures to convey this idea, highlighting the contrast

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between the natural world and the constructed world of humans. The film also suggests that
this disconnection from nature has led to a sense of emptiness and meaninglessness in
modern society, as evidenced by the use of images of people in crowds and alone in their
daily lives. The film's use of slow motion and time-lapse techniques serve to heighten this
sense of disconnection, as they show the frenetic pace of modern life in contrast to the slow,
natural rhythms of the world.

Another important aspect of the film is the idea that technology has become a dominant
force in modern society, shaping the way we live and interact with the world. The film uses
the imagery of machines and technology, such as computers, airplanes, and factories, to
convey this idea and highlights the ways in which technology has become intertwined with
our daily lives. The film also suggests that this reliance on technology has led to a loss of
connection with the natural world and with each other, as evidenced by the use of images of
people isolated in their homes and cars. The film's use of music, composed by Philip Glass,
also serves to convey this sense of alienation, as the repetitive and mechanical nature of the
score mirrors the repetitive and mechanical nature of modern life.

Despite its bleak portrayal of the modern world, the movie does offer moments of hope and
beauty, particularly in its use of imagery of the natural world. The film's use of aerial
footage, in particular, serves to highlight the beauty and majesty of the natural world,
reminding viewers of the ways in which humans are connected to the earth and the larger
cosmos. These moments serve as a counterpoint to the film's depiction of the modern world
and offer a glimpse of the possibilities for renewal and connection that still exist in our
world.

Regardless of being made almost 40 years ago, "Koyaanisqatsi" remains a relevant and
thought-provoking film that speaks to many of the challenges and issues faced by
contemporary society. One of the main themes of the film is the idea that modern society
has become increasingly complex and fast-paced, leading to a sense of disconnection and
disconnection from the natural world. This theme is still very much relevant today, as many
people continue to experience a sense of disconnection and alienation in the face of the
fast-paced and complex nature of modern life.

The film also explores the idea that technology has become a dominant force in modern
society, shaping the way we live and interact with the world. This theme is also still very
much relevant today, as technology continues to play a central role in our daily lives and has
the potential to both connect and disconnect us from each other and the world around us.

As I mentioned earlier, it has been a long time since I watched this movie and throughout
these years my taste and style have somewhat changed. I am still a huge fan of the movie
but when I rewatched it lately I had the feeling that it misses something. Although it is still a
captivating movie nowadays, I feel like I have to wait too much until the end and I get the

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idea quickly, thus it feels like a repetition of ideas without adding extra layers to it. (The
reason also could be that I watched it on a small screen without proper sound equipment.)
Now that I am working on my own film which merits inspiration from Koyaanisqatsi, I want
to understand how I can make a movie that adds extra layers. That brings me to the
criticisms that I have about the films that were not obvious before I started to write this
essay but formed during researching and thinking about the movie more deeply. The first
one is related to the fact that the film does not have second thoughts, which could be the
limitation of this kind of style of filmmaking. By this kind of filmmaking, I mean the use of
aesthetically beautiful pictures and music. The lack of voiceover, additional text, or scenes
where something “real” happens has a potential downside in Koyaanisqatsi that can make it
more difficult for the viewer to understand the specific ideas and messages that the film is
trying to convey. Without any verbal context or explanations, the viewer is left to interpret
the film's meaning and message based on their own experiences and perspectives. This can
make it more challenging for the film to effectively communicate its ideas to a wider
audience, as some viewers may not be able to relate to or understand the film's message
without any additional context or explanation.

Additionally, the lack of voiceover or additional text in Koyaanisqatsi means that the film
relies solely on visuals and music to convey its ideas. This can make it more challenging for
the film to communicate complex or nuanced ideas, as it does not have the ability to provide
verbal explanations or examples to help illustrate its points. It resonates with Roger Ebert’s
critique of the film when he writes “This film has one idea, a simplistic one. It contrasts the
glory of nature with the mess made by man. But man is a messy beast, given to leaving
reminders of his presence all over the surface of planet Earth. Although a Hopi word is used
to evoke unspoiled nature, no Hopis are seen, and the contrast in the movie doesn't seem to
be between American Indian society and Los Angeles expressways, but between expressways
and a beautiful world empty of man. Thanks, but no thanks.” (R. Ebert)

Overall, "Koyaanisqatsi" is a visually stunning film that uses a range of techniques to explore
the relationship between humans and the modern world. Through its appraisal of the ways
in which modern society has become disconnected from nature and traditional ways of life,
and its exploration of the role of technology in shaping our lives, the film offers a powerful
reflection on the human condition and the challenges and opportunities of living in the
modern world. But in the end, it works as an audiovisual experience - and it is nailing it in a
way that the film is still relevant today and will be relevant forever - but it lacks deeper
thoughts.

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Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream - by Manna

‘I don’t see the outside world. I try to think of it through the films that I see day and night.’
(F. Beauvais, 2019)

This is one of the sentences from the voice-over narration by Frank Beauvais in his personal
essay documentary film ‘Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream’ (2019). A striking sentence which
manages to convey the emotional/mental state of the filmmaker during the time he made
the film. At the same time, it also describes the lens through which Beauvais makes us, the
viewers, look at the world he talks about in his film.

Between April and October of 2016, Beauvais watched approximately 400 films. After a
break-up in April, he finds himself alone in a small and rural Alsatian village, where he and
his ex-partner moved a few years earlier to be closer to nature, without a driver’s license
and far away from the city. Falling into a state of depression, he spends his time watching an
average of 5 films a day in his isolated living room.

The film itself consists of hundreds of short clips taken from the 400 films he has watched
during this six-month period and of his voice-over monologue which resembles a diaristic
account. Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream is a documentation of Beauvais’ difficult 6-month
period and a personal reflection on his situation and the state of the world at the time. In a
direct yet poetical way, he describes his internal and external world to us.

Around a year ago, when I was doing research into personal essay films, I stumbled upon
‘Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream’. I was immediately captivated by the title, and the more I read
about the film, the more I wanted to see it. The personal nature of the film and the fact that
it is more of an ‘editing-film’, since the filmmaker didn’t shoot any of the material himself,
attracted me. Recently, I finally had the chance to watch it. I am not sure anymore what my
expectations were before I watched the film, but I do remember very well how
overwhelmed I was once the 75 minutes of the film were finished. Beauvais takes you on an
intense ride, during which he immerses you in different cinematic worlds and talks for 75
minutes straight about different facets of his personal life and current global events. My
interest in essay films mainly lies with personal essay films, as I find it intriguing how
someone’s personal voice-over narration can resonate with a wider audience and always
manages to find universal human conditions in the personal as well. This is exactly what Just
Don’t Think I’ll Scream succeeds in, which is what I will take a closer look at in this essay.

In this essay we talk about the way essay films reflect on the human condition and in what
way they convey this. In the case of this film, how Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream reflects on the
human condition mainly through its first-person voice-over narration. As mentioned earlier,

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the film touches upon many subjects, both personal and universal. The human condition
that could be considered as the main one discussed in the film is mental health, connecting
to the state of depression the filmmaker found himself in and which is central in the film’s
narrative. This is also the starting point of the film, since all the films he consumed while
being in this state moved him to use his addiction as a tool to create a new creative work.
The entire 75-minute runtime of the movie shouts the aching self-absorption of depression,
even when Beauvoir doesn't explicitly mention it in his narration.

Another important human condition that the film reflects on is how we position ourselves in
the world, connecting to our morality and personal values. Asides from personal topics and
human conditions relating to him as an individual, Beauvais situates himself among various
political topics and relates these to the current state of the world. By doing this, he exposes
the individual, in this particular case himself, to the discomfort of the world that exists
outside of them. He expands the scope of his analysis to cover issues like democracy vs
autocracy, political movements, terrorist attacks, the deaths of famous artists, and more. His
eagerness to escape the monotonous, repetitive, and self-sufficient daily life becomes
entwined with all of these topics.

He mostly despairs about the tedium of conservative Alsace, where he resides, and against
capitalism and terrorism in his home country. The terrorist attack in Nice, the bombings in
Syria, the declaration of a state of emergency in France and many other events become
intertwined with his personal sorrow. An example of this is the witnessing of his father’s
passing while they were watching a movie together, which would alter his perspective on the
spectator's role in cinema forever. The intertwinement of these events shows how the
personal and the political come together in Beauvais’ work, which is well summarized in the
following citation from a text on this film in Filmmaker Magazine: ‘Personal hopelessness is
inextricable from political hopelessness, and the question of this film is how to exist in this
world. It’s situated firmly in the present tense; it captures, unlike any work I’ve seen, the
anxiety of our current era.’ (S. Pettengill, 2020)

In my opinion, it is accurate to say that Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream has a rather heavy feeling
to it. E. Balsom writes in a text on the film for Sight and Sound (2020) the following which
manages to point out the way Beauvais approaches his current personal state in the film:
‘From the very start of this diaristic chronicle of depression, cinephilia and solitude, the self is
in jeopardy, sapped and splintered.’ Human despair can be considered as the central theme
in the film and all the human conditions it reflects on circle back to this. Coming back to one
of the points of this essay: the diaristic narration of Beauvais is the main tool used to convey
this. In audio, the only thing we hear is the voice of Beauvais. The original sound of the film
fragments he uses has been removed, and there is no sound design added to the voice-over
narration. This makes that as a viewer, the focus goes solely to the narration of Beauvais and
the imagery. His voice-over is well structured, self-reflexive, honest and poetic at times. The

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combination of these characteristics makes the narration easy to follow and as a viewer you
can really immerse yourself in the filmmaker’s personal reflections.

Since the film is completely packed with words, the way it connects to the image is of
importance as well, especially when we are talking about the way the film conveys its
reflections on the human condition. The choice of images is interesting, as all the shots
refrain from showing faces and remain somewhat mysterious. The anonymous figures and
images lacking context give a sense of isolation, which is closely linked to the meaning
behind Beauvais’ words. The pace of the editing and atmosphere of the images come close
to capturing what depression feels like: the images change rapidly at a steady pace, but the
monotony of the feelings continue.

Because of the fast pacing of the film, you must pay close attention to what Beauvais is
displaying and narrating you as a viewer. This occasionally leaves little room for the viewer's
personal interpretation of the words. There isn't much space for introspection, but Beauvais
makes an effort to provide it by organizing his narration into "chapters" and interspersing
occasional cuts to black that give the viewer a moment to catch their breath before diving
back into the depths of his narrative.

To come to an end of this analysis of the film, I’d like to share a citation from the text
‘Photographic Memory in Frank Beauvais’ ‘Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream’’ by P. Brubaker
(2019), which very nicely connects one of the characteristics of essay films to this work by
Beauvais: ‘Essay videos and films have traditionally used text instead of voiceover in tandem
with imagery, which I believe results in a quick “reading” of the image in order to stay afloat
with the fluidity of the editing. I imagine that French audiences have a drastically different
experience with Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream by not having to read the subtitles, and simply
taking in the narration and piecing it together with the images. But as an essay, there is still
pleasure in reading the text and absorbing the visuals along with it. Each image is paired
with one spoken or read thought that lasts only long enough to unite the visual with the
literary. (…) Beauvais does what the essay filmmaker ought to do: he appropriates film to his
own ends. The combination of words and pictures rings nary a false note.’

Personally, I find Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream an intriguing film with a lot of different
interesting aspects to analyze, since it’s so packed with images, words and reflections. The
way it reflects on personal conditions of the filmmaker, such as depression, and positions
this within a bigger political and human context is interestingly done through mainly the
narration. I would say that the high pace and the overload of images and words fit the style
of the film, but at the same time makes it a difficult film to watch and to reflect on by
yourself. I think this essay film is meant for a very select audience, perhaps mostly for
cinephiles like Beauvoir himself. For me as a filmmaker with an interest in personal essay
films, this was a refreshing film to watch. Beauvoir manages to make the personal universal

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and even existential, and keeps me invested in his film through his compelling words and
reflections, which is something I admire. The tone of his narration is quite pessimistic at
times and perhaps even lacks some fresh and opposing perspectives, but overall, it is a
gripping piece of work.

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Conclusion

In Koyaanisqatsi and Just Don't Think I'll Scream, we see two different but equally powerful
visions on the reflection on the human condition. Koyaanisqatsi portrays the hectic pace of
modern life and the ways in which humans have disrupted the natural world, while Just
Don't Think I'll Scream portrays the psychological toll that this pace can take on individuals.
The techniques used in both Koyaanisqatsi and Just Don't Think I'll Scream played a crucial
role in shaping the overall tone and message of the films. Where for Koyaanisqatsi this was
more through the visuals, for Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream the power of narration was used as
a tool. They helped to create a sense of urgency and immediacy, emphasizing the films'
themes and encouraging the viewer to think about and reflect on the human condition in a
new way. It is quite interesting to us how the two films use almost completely different
approaches to essay films and still both result in captivating pieces. In the end, this is the
beauty of essay films, we can use any kind of tool to share our observations with the
audience and invite them to reflect too.

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Bibliography / Webography

Alter, Nora M., and Timothy Corrigan, editors. Essays on the Essay Film. Columbia University
Press, 2017.

Balsom, E. (2020). Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream. Sight and Sound (London), 30(4), 19–20.

Brubaker, P. J. (2020, May 6). Photographic Memory in Frank Beauvais’ “Just Don’t Think I’ll
Scream.” Vague Visages.
https://vaguevisages.com/2019/11/11/photographic-memory-in-frank-beauvais-just-dont-th
ink-ill-scream/

Carson, D. (2021, January 29). ‘Just don’t think I’ll scream’ overwhelms with images and
information. KDHX.
https://kdhx.org/articles/film-reviews/2242-%E2%80%98just-don%E2%80%99t-think-i%E2%
80%99ll-scream%E2%80%99-overwhelms-with-images-and-information

Clarke, C. (2020, June 25). Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream review – strangely moving
movie-memoir. The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/24/just-dont-think-ill-scream-review

Ebert, Roger., (1983, September 26 ) “Koyaanisqatsi movie review & film summary (1983).”
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/koyaanisqatsi-1983

Pettengill, S. (2021, February 3). This Sweet Sickness: Frank Beauvais On His Obsessive,
Archival-Based Memoir, Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream. Filmmaker Magazine | Publication With
a Focus on Independent Film, Offering Articles, Links, and Resources.
https://filmmakermagazine.com/109365-this-sweet-sickness/

Rapold, N. (2021, January 28). ‘Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream’ Review: Writing With Movies. The
New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/28/movies/just-dont-think-ill-scream-review.html

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