Ballet Mécanique is an experimental film, made in 1923 as a collaboration Fernand Léger, Dudley Murphey and Man Ray. It often referred to as a key example of early experimental film and is considered by some to be a masterpiece of the genre.
Title sequence from Ballet Mécanique
The film is somewhat abstract in nature, as it contains a lot of extreme close-ups of functioning machinery. The deliberate choice of shots and subject matter work wonderfully together, with the strange and often reflective surfaces providing content that is constantly peculiar and interesting to watch. The juxtaposition of mechanics and nature is a powerful one that resonates well with the audience, and is potentially reflective of a thematic concept: the technological domination of man.
Still of machinery close-up in Ballet Mécanique
I am very inspired by this piece. I am particularly interested in the way the piece concentrates on small, abstract elements of a bigger whole (achieved through close-up), as I feel this creates very interesting textures on the screen. It gives the audience the opportunity to analyse what they are being shown and makes them wonder what they are being presented with. I am also inspired by the way the piece interacts with the music, and I feel that utilising rhythm and sound motif in my own piece could be very effective.
Overall, this film has proven very inspirational and has also prompted me to look into other examples of Dadaist film for further inspiration.
No comments:
Post a Comment