Film Review: Awaken (2018)

Few films exist intending to awaken the mind and the senses. It takes a sophisticated and artful approach for films like Koyaanisqatsi, Samsara, and Baraka to stir the soul—these films succeed because of their photographic prowess and a firm thematic direction. Tom Löwe (formerly the cinematographer that shot Visitors, with some experience behind Terrence Malick’s later works) attempted to create a stirring experience with a short piece called TimeScapes, stitched together from scenes shot all around the American Southwest. For a five-year period, Löwe embarked on a new project to piece together a new stirring experience with footage from around the world (shot in over 35 different countries). A film that promises to “awaken” your spirit.

As I noted with TimeScapes, I believe there is merit in art for art’s sake. I appreciated that film precisely because it was devoid of theme or meaning—the stunning landscapes alone had me enamored. Awaken is more of the same, but it expands the scope to include many scenes with exotic-looking people. This includes a ballerina dancing on a prairie. A group of women with torches and wreaths moving through a forest. Men throwing fishing nets into water. All of that in smooth slow-motion, plus time-lapsed shots of mountains, cities, oceans, and clouds. There’s a prolonged shot of a dolphin leaping out of the sea in slow motion. A swimming elephant, shot from underneath. Trees and rocks beneath moving stars, so vividly captured that you can clearly see the Milky Way. Towards the middle, there’s a colorful festival with fantastic costumes, dances, and flying candle-lit lanterns. Holy crap, this might be one of the most stunning films I’ve laid eyes on. Liv Tyler lends her voice to provide a few words of poetry (although it remains rather vague).

The question remains, of course, what is the point? I really want to say it’s fine to not have a point, as I felt with TimeScapes. The problem is, Awaken probably needs a point since so they staged many shots with models doing very specific actions. Why watch scenes of dancers, torch girls, fishermen, and elephants for 74 minutes? It’s one thing to appreciate the world’s unassuming beauty, but it’s another to select specific images and string them together. Alas, this film seems to have picked totally random scenes with no clear connective tissue. The issue is further convoluted since the film repeats all its key shots towards the end, serving as a coda before the credits. If the intent is on humanity, technology, nature, or other broad themes, the scenes aren’t really pointed enough to elicit deep thoughts.

As a fan of these types of films, however, I give this one much credit for the sheer quality of its photography, which is consistently beautiful to behold. Joseph Trapanese’s score is mesmerizing and sensuous, and it goes a long way to adding a more emotional tone to the imagery. Take it in as an audio-visual meditation experience, and I found it hypnotic, tranquil, and pleasant. In some scenes, it aims to be uplifting and motivational. On these surface-level merits, I find enough to admire, but there’s always a chance the mind will make its own meaning out of what’s shown.

Ironically, Awaken may put casual audiences to sleep with its frequent slow-motion and repeated shots. It may also dazzle with its sumptuous cinematography, and the music is a work of art on its own. I can’t really recommend it unless you’re already familiar with Tom Löwe, his producers (Terrence Malick and Godfrey Reggio), or Ron Fricke. Even then, it’s a little hard to grasp meaning out of what’s shown. But then, approaching it with an empty mind might be the best approach, and you might find at least some appreciation for such an ambitious project.

8/10