Crop Circles: Quest for Truth

Complex geometric linear and circular patterns in which vegetation is squeezed flat against the ground have appeared overnight in wheat and cornfields in 70 countries worldwide over the last 25 years. These designs, generically referred to as crop circles, seem to be created out of nothing and originate from nowhere. They are exquisite works of art but who is the artist? In his documentary, Crop Circles: Quest for Truth, Oscar nominee William Gazecki (WACO, The Rules of Engagement) interviews researchers, scientists, philosophers, and laymen in an attempt to unravel the mystery of their origin and nature. Gazecki does not approach his subject from a journalistic framework, presenting pros and cons in a conventional matter, but as a filmmaker who is telling a story with astounding implications. There are no easy answers. The formations seem to reflect a Sacred Geometry incorporating the Phi or Golden ratio that exists in ancient architecture and art and throughout terrestrial biology including human body structure. As one researcher states, "there is a force or energy at work that is governed by principles that are beyond the capacity of human beings".

Crop Circles: Quest for Truth begins with archival footage of single circles from the 1980s, and then continues through the next decade, showing the deepening intricacy of the pictograms. The patterns have now evolved to the point where in August 2001 a formation appeared at Milk Hill, Wiltshire containing 409 circles making up a wheel design that is larger than two football fields. The film displays the largest collection of crop formations ever seen on screen and includes footage of strange balls of light hovering above the ground in areas where crop circles later appear. Though the documentary is a bit academic in places, tending toward the scientific and technical, the formations themselves are so breathtakingly beautiful that the film becomes an awesome experience.

Gazecki interviews scientists who look at changes in the plants or soil that are both physical and molecular, characteristics that have yet to be reproduced by man-made designs. They also discuss germination anomalies, cellular anomalies, intricate and well-structured lengthening of the nodes, exploded nodes, burn marks, and even unnatural radioactivity, all of which cannot be the result of simple mechanical flattening. The documentary considers alternative theories such as plasma vortex, the circles as three-dimensional shadows of a four-dimensional object, and electromagnetic energy from the Earth but does not spend much time with them. Also mentioned but not probed is the possibility that the patterns are man-made. It would have been interesting to hear from those who openly create circles and see how and why they do what they do. One researcher mentions that if crop circles were to be hoaxed, they would all have to be done night after night without any mistakes or partial designs and completed in five hours. This is without being discovered, leaving footprints, or being detected in any way.

Gazecki is not in doubt that some kind of conscious intelligence is at work, dancing with us, playing with us, allowing us to confront what is possible in the universe. The film, however, does not support oversimplified hypotheses like ETs or UFOs but prefers to view the phenomenon as simply an unknown. As one researcher explains, whether or not we ever succeed in unraveling the code, the very act of asking "why" allows us to expand our consciousness, and this may be the real purpose behind it. The crop circles may indeed be "mandalas of the mind", a term that Buddhists describe as "a representation of the universe, a consecrated area that serves as…a collection point of universal forces guiding man towards a state of enlightenment or awakening".

Whatever its ultimate source, the appearance of the formations has made us aware that we live in a universe that is full of mystery and wonder, that science and conventional religion may not have all the answers, and that we all have a cosmic source that is now beckoning to us. Crop Circles: Quest for Truth is not a slick entertainment package and it does not flow smoothly, but it is an intelligent and probing look at one of the most intriguing mysteries facing our planet. If you see this film and I recommend that you do, please watch it with an open mind. It may be the most important film you ever see.

Unlike most modern documentaries, Crop Circles: Quest For Truth does not attempt to provide viewers with a balanced look at both sides of a controversial issue. Instead, it focuses almost exclusively on the side you will never see in the mass media, and that is perfectly appropriate in this case. For the evidence provided is so overwhelmingly compelling that any attempt to balance it with the mass media "hoax" theory would have been an utter waste of time.

Crop Circles is everything a great documentary ought to be: it annihilates your pre-conceived notions of the subject under consideration and leaves you faced with the indisputable truth whether you like it or not. Even if no scientists or researchers had been interviewed, and if no history of crop circle appearances were presented, the sheer volume and complexity of the crop circle images themselves make it obvious to any thinking person that these are not hoaxes. Unless you assume that these images and, indeed, the film itself were a hoax, the viewer simply cannot deny that something we don't understand it as work here. This is not a fuzzy 16mm film of Bigfoot walking through the woods. What William Gazecki gives us is a comprehensive visual catalog of every type of crop circle geometry that has been found over the past 30 years. Every time you think you've seen it all, the patterns become even more intricate and beautiful. An absolutely stunning display of natural--or perhaps supernatural--phenomena.

Although some researchers offer their opinions as to the origin of crop circles, none seem particularly dogmatic, and all seem open to new ideas. I was actually quite surprised by the credibility and sensibility of these researchers. The mass media would have you believe these people are kooks, like the UFO landing site researcher in Waiting For Guffman. Yet another reason to avoid the mass media when you're interested in truth.

The DVD special features add even more to the intrigue with film footage of military helicopters harassing researchers. Why would the government want to stop people from researching a hoax?

As a film, Crop Circles: Quest For Truth has several flaws, from interviews filled with distractions to lengthy scene transitions that repeatedly make you wonder whether your DVD player has frozen. Most frustrating of all, the sound level is very low, and I had to connect a different amplifier to get a comfortable volume. But the content here is so extraordinary that none of this matters. Gazecki's film is a masterpiece because it completely unravels in less than two hours a "hoax" theory that has taken the mass media/government/skeptics years to foist upon the masses.

Watch it and be changed.

This is the definitive DVD on Crop Circles. For those with an open mind this excellent documentary will surely convince you of this magnificent phenomenon. Along with excellent images of the various circles, they give all the facts about what makes these circles so special, right down to the molecular structure of the plants. There is no WAY in this World that a couple of old men are creating the intricate images in the fields, without being caught after 30 or more years. Just look at the images and there sizes. I'm not sure about the US version DVD, but the Australian version has nearly 2 hours of extra interviews and images of Crop Circles. Highly recommended.

This is by far the best and most complete compilation of crop circles in a movie that can be found - OK, when there were over thousand crop circles out there it becomes obvious that even this represents only a little part of it, but the different figures are in it - even if there will always remain people discussing the scientific aspect of those 'over-night-happenings' and losing all senses for the circles themselves there cannot be much doubt that they are not human made, even if there was 'dad & son' claiming they had done all the crop circles, as well in the United Kingdom and probably all over the rest of the world and this for the last 25 years now...but why did all the media stop at almost the same time to report about it? Even if some of them were hoaxes, or even if they ALL were hoaxes, the media often don't know anymore about what to report to fill up the 'summer hole' - so why not at least once a year report about the newest circles, to show how wonderful they are? why not make calendars with it? everything is commercialized, so why not the circles ( i don't talk about the local store...)? I remember having seen this on TV-news some 20 years ago and was convinced that this had only happened at that time...after doing some research i was astonished to see that this happened ALL the time over and over again and nobody talks or even knows about it. At least strange, isn't it?

If you liked Spinal Tap you'll love this, very similar in style. It plays like a documentary, presenting the most ludicrous opinions and over the top exaggerations of academics, yet plays it serious and with a straight face the whole time.

One of my favorite bits is when describing how folks in the "olden days" would have attributed these to the devil or supernatural evil out of ignorance, people today do the same by assuming it is... wait for it... a hoax! Brilliant timing in the delivery.

Some of the dialog is a little over the top and drags out a but, but still funny.

The caricatures are brilliant, they hit all the classics. The smoking, gravely voice lady spouting pretend science about unrelated minutia with her boxes of "evidence". The British 'philosopher' who continually spouts 'deep' thoughts in what he clearly thinks profound, (kind of plays it like a Hugh Laurie creation from A Bit of Fry & Laurie), but utter nonsense. The 'Glickman' character at the beginning and end who is a classic stereotypical paranoid/ delusional who at home pushing a shopping cart around a downtown area asking for change and complaining about the transmitters in his teeth. (his bit at the start about being affronted by thing represented by initials). And last but not least the computer geek, with his talk about 5 dimensional space and silly animations. All the talk about the "advanced math" is just great. All these apparently educated, academic types who are just amazed and astounded by grade school geometry. Almost a Monty Python feel at that point.

And ironic fun with title is brilliant as well, "quest for the truth". I don't think once they ever mention or bring up or dismiss the simple truth, but instead have 5 dimension crafts flying through the earth and every other crazy other explanation they can dream up.

It also reminds be a bit of Comic Book : The Movie. In the sense that while they are completely mocking the crop circle nuts, they never really get mean about it. It is funny and light hearted.

Definitely a fun watch. My only minor complaint is that is a little long in parts.