Chariots of the Gods (1970): Heinz-Detlev Bock, Kalus Kindler,Christian Marshall, Hans Domnick, Thor Heyerdahl, Aleksandr Kazantsev, Hermann Oberth....Director Harald Reinl, Writers Harald Reinl, Wilhelm Roggersdof, From The Book By Erich Van Daniken.
"Chariots of the Gods" was a hit documentary when released in 1970. Based on the controversial and best-selling book by Swedish writer Erich Von Daniken, the film was shot in various world locations (Italy, Egypt, Africa, South America, Mexico, Easter Island) exploring "tell-tale" signs that aliens from outer space visited the earth in ancient times. The in-your-face theory is considered flawed, old-fashioned and has even been proved wrong. The documentary is more than 30 years old now and the book was released in 1968. At the time, it was typical sensational theory material and the subsequent documentary was made according to the standards and formula of documentaries at the time. The narration style, the slow pacing and constant change of locations is similar to the "Endless Summer" documentaries. The music by Peter Thomas and his Orchestra is gorgeous, full of exotic and beautifully wistful melodies. These components, together with the stunning cinematography by Ernst Wild make for a very enjoyable experience as if we are watching a documentary that can never fall into the realm of the bland and the boring. It is as artistically made as the primitive art depicted in the film. Curiously, Erich Von Daniken himself did not take any part in the making of this documentary; but it is a faithful adaptation of his book into documentary form. A generation of science fiction movies like Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters" and "E.T." Ron Howard's "Cacoon" and TV series like "Stargate" are clearly influenced by Chariots of the Gods. The ancient astronaut theory claims that beings from other planets visited the earth when it was in early stages of civilization. This is shown in the film as exemplified by the curious "Martians" depicted on the high walls of the canyons in Tassili in the Sahara desert, the alien-like beings in the cave paintings in Australia, the mysterious Easter Island statues and the pyramids of both Aztec Mexico and ancient Egypt at the time of the Pharaohs. History's mysteries seem to be the theme but Daniken is fully convinced that aliens had been around since ancient times. The most striking visuals for me are the faded chalk-like drawings in Italy depicting two astronauts, the flying rockets piloted by men just above the sight of the Crucifixion of Jesus in a church in Da Sani, Yugoslavia and of course the most fascinating of them all - the Nazca lines in Peru. For the film maker and for Daniken this is the trump card as he believes the Nazca lines are an abandoned airport made for flying saucers. Those enigmatic lines, the forms of birds, monkey, insects, a human pointing downward and looking at the heavens and the little martian-like entities, all seen from the air and yet being made on the ground in mysterious precision. Time and again, this documentary has fascinated many scientists, theologians and the general public. It may be a bunch of B.S. hoax or just possibly the grandest and most flamboyant evidence of extraterrestrial life and its communion with humans over centuries' time. Enjoy this fascinating film, keep an open mind and come to your own conclusions but we can all be sure of one thing, this one is a classic.
"Chariots of the Gods" was a hit documentary when released in 1970. Based on the controversial and best-selling book by Swedish writer Erich Von Daniken, the film was shot in various world locations (Italy, Egypt, Africa, South America, Mexico, Easter Island) exploring "tell-tale" signs that aliens from outer space visited the earth in ancient times. The in-your-face theory is considered flawed, old-fashioned and has even been proved wrong. The documentary is more than 30 years old now and the book was released in 1968. At the time, it was typical sensational theory material and the subsequent documentary was made according to the standards and formula of documentaries at the time. The narration style, the slow pacing and constant change of locations is similar to the "Endless Summer" documentaries. The music by Peter Thomas and his Orchestra is gorgeous, full of exotic and beautifully wistful melodies. These components, together with the stunning cinematography by Ernst Wild make for a very enjoyable experience as if we are watching a documentary that can never fall into the realm of the bland and the boring. It is as artistically made as the primitive art depicted in the film. Curiously, Erich Von Daniken himself did not take any part in the making of this documentary; but it is a faithful adaptation of his book into documentary form. A generation of science fiction movies like Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters" and "E.T." Ron Howard's "Cacoon" and TV series like "Stargate" are clearly influenced by Chariots of the Gods. The ancient astronaut theory claims that beings from other planets visited the earth when it was in early stages of civilization. This is shown in the film as exemplified by the curious "Martians" depicted on the high walls of the canyons in Tassili in the Sahara desert, the alien-like beings in the cave paintings in Australia, the mysterious Easter Island statues and the pyramids of both Aztec Mexico and ancient Egypt at the time of the Pharaohs. History's mysteries seem to be the theme but Daniken is fully convinced that aliens had been around since ancient times. The most striking visuals for me are the faded chalk-like drawings in Italy depicting two astronauts, the flying rockets piloted by men just above the sight of the Crucifixion of Jesus in a church in Da Sani, Yugoslavia and of course the most fascinating of them all - the Nazca lines in Peru. For the film maker and for Daniken this is the trump card as he believes the Nazca lines are an abandoned airport made for flying saucers. Those enigmatic lines, the forms of birds, monkey, insects, a human pointing downward and looking at the heavens and the little martian-like entities, all seen from the air and yet being made on the ground in mysterious precision. Time and again, this documentary has fascinated many scientists, theologians and the general public. It may be a bunch of B.S. hoax or just possibly the grandest and most flamboyant evidence of extraterrestrial life and its communion with humans over centuries' time. Enjoy this fascinating film, keep an open mind and come to your own conclusions but we can all be sure of one thing, this one is a classic.