Experimental Class Review: Week 5

This is actually from Week 6 according to blackboard. So I will be counting it as Week 5 for consistencies sake in the blog. Below are the films that have been covered from that week.

La Retour de Raison (Man Ray, 1923)

This short film I thought was really cool and innovative as to how it used its animations and visual effects. The way that I interpreted this video was just the construction and time it took to fabricate which I can only assume is life. The imagery of the dials which could represent time, and the nails of construction that fall combined with the white noise imagery which could be interrupted as the universe. This eventually gives birth to what look like cells which then cuts to amusement rides.

The danger still with light transitioning into all of the shapes and movement were interesting as there were a lot of cool designs. The way Man Ray made use of of light and exposure in this short was really interesting, the female body at the end almost looked like she was in an X-Ray with how the patterns moved around her skin.

Ballet Mechanique (Fernand Leger/Dudley Moore, 1924)

This video was extremely interesting in how it used its special effects for transitions between everything. I think that my favourite effect that I seen in this short was the woman facial expressions transitioning between the movement of the gears. This was impressive when backed up with use of the reflections, it truly made that sequence really cool and I would love to know how it was pulled off.

The use of shapes, mechanical engine parts whirring and working created some interesting visuals with how they were presented. The one thing that I found interesting was how they worked in the visuals of the woman throughout, in some visuals she is happy and smiling but then as the video progresses we see all sides of her psyche almost being displayed.

The dancing legs sequence I thought was interesting as it literally seemed like a mechanical ballerina preforming, at least with how they were animated in my opinion.

This was definitely strange but I thought it had a lot of interesting sequences within the short film.

Anemic Cinema (Marcel Duchamp, 1926)

Anemic Cinema, was a really interesting experience to sit through. At first I thought that the on screen statements that appeared were using the spiral to transition between them. Then I realised as the video went on that what the statements were cutting to was a void, an endless void that was constantly changing.

Each statement seems to be varying with weird puns and statements as the video goes on, they warp the characteristics of the spinning background when it transitions to them making the void like circle spin in different ways and appear with a variety of different characteristics. Such as the starting spinning background starts off looking like a hypnotic illusion you would see at an old circus, something like a magician would use. Then by the end of the video the audience has seen a variety of spinning wormhole/void/illusions it almost seems to try and give you some psychedelic like experience.

It was strange but I thought it was interesting how Duchamp created such a variety of spinning masses with just cardboard disks, it is really impressive.

The Terror: We Are Gone! (Tim Mielants, 2018)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pNgL1FSR-Q

As I do not have access to watch the whole series at this time, I decided to watch a variety of clips on YouTube. From what I have seen there are elements of Avant-Garde, the use of abstract shots for example. Some sequences they have the camera move in unorthodox ways to reveal reflection. In the last 5o seconds of the video linked above we see one of the characters that was in hiding from the two in the screen shot, sit alone in the artic waste embarking on and embracing his new way of life.

The camera in the sequences when it does move, moves well with the score and I find that it adds a lot more dramatic flare to a scene, the tension in the tent as they are trying to ascertain if the natives of that land have seen any of the men in the photos presented. The use of close ups here and use of objects in the scene made it feel like the time period it was shot in, it contrasts well that these men aren't from the artic environment. However, the photographs they have would be something that sailors would have taken with them back during that era especially naval crews.

Wrapping Up

This week had a lot of variety. Even though the silent films at the start had similar qualities to them they were all quite unique in what they had made use of and presented to the audience.

Ballet Mechanique was probably my favourite just because of the sequences that it had were visually stunning and very engaging to the eye. That being said I think I will watch The Terror, upon reading up and watching the few clips I was able to see, it definitely seems like something I would watch and enjoy. Whenever I have the money to pay to see it I will be sure to watch it.

Thanks for reading!