"Ballet Mécanique" (1924) By Fernand Léger & Dudley Murphy

[Ferdinand Von Galitzien]

Since the beginning of the invention of cinema, Europe was a good
place
for the most innovative filmmakers to do their work, crazed youngsters
who weren't satisfied with conventional film narratives, so they
needed
to try new and avant-garde film experiments full of images too bizarre
and incomprehensible for a conservative German count. Many times these
films were influenced or had connections with other Arts, as is the
case with "Ballet Mécanique" (1924), a milestone in avant-garde silent
film which is influenced by cubism and directed by a painter, Herr
Fernand Léger.

The film is an unconventional and unique film experience, a kind of an
essay about movement, in which whirling, dazzling galleries of
machines
images ( pistons, gears ) and deconstructing humans ( female cubist
portraits, syncopated images of different persons ) are intertwined ,
composing together a bizarre, surreal symphony of motion, an
extravagant and experimental kaleidoscope. Such avant-garde madness
wasn't exclusive to Europe because Herr Léger had the help of two
Amerikan madmen, the technical assistance of Herr Dudley Murphy,
director and producer and the founder of the New York Dada movement
and
Herr Man Ray photographer, painter and avant-garde filmmaker, who did
the cinematography.

Obviously this German count is accustomed to watch classical and
conventional ballets as for example Herr Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake"
full
of elegant movements as "pas de deux", "plié", "sautés"… so the first
time that this Herr Graf watched Herr Léger's "Ballet Mécanique" with
its organized and meaningless symphonic chaos, the soirée at the
Schloss theatre was left in a state of absolute shock. Fortunately
many
years have passed since then and this Herr Von had the chance to know
and watch more bizarre avant-garde silent films, varied and
unclassifiable oeuvres that belonged to strange and different cultural
movements of the last century so the second time that "Ballet
Mécanique" was shown in the Schloss theatre and with such background
information digested, this German count still couldn't understand the
damn thing… the same thing happened the third, the forth, the fifth
time…

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because
this German Count must dance a•"pas de deux" with the Schloss' boiler.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien
http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

[StormChaser]

On Oct 24, 1:36 am, Ferdinand Von Galitzien

My theory on BALLET MECANIQUE:

The dance presented here is a dance of
shots of mechanical imagery (as well as
Kiki's mechanical mouth and eyes).

Don't try to understand it.

Enjoy it in the moment.

There is not always a reason to dance.