Avant Garde Cinema

Ballet mécanique (1924) by Fernand Léger and Dudley Murphy

In this first session of alternate films, we explore the world of Avant-garde. “The Avant-garde is an artisanal or personal mode” (p.2, Michael O Pray’s Avant-Garde Film. Forms, Themes, Passions, 2003). This term is applicable to all art that pushes the boundaries of ideas and creativity and is used to describe art that is radical or reflects originality of vision. "One of the key characteristics of avant-garde art is its self-reflexivity - its tendency to draw attention to the materials and techniques of art itself, and to foreground the process of artistic creation" (p.23, David Cottington's The Avant-garde: A Very Short Introduction, 2013). Avant-garde movement emerged in Europe in the early 20th century. It was about challenging traditional art forms and embracing experimentation, innovation, and nonconformity. This was a period of intense creativity, where artists explored new possibilities and broke away from the confines of traditional art. I found it very interesting that avant-garde enshrines the idea that art should be judged primarily on the quality and originality of the artist’s vision and ideas, providing artists more control over their work. One of the most important aspects of avant-garde art was its interdisciplinary nature, which is why the use of film as a medium was so revolutionary.

An example of this is, Ballet Mécanique (1924), conceived by painter Fernand Léger and photographed by filmmaker Dudley Murphy. The film explores a rhythmic interplay between human and machines. I could see the focus on characteristics and abstractness, attaching an aesthetic value to it. It surprised me that this film was created by a painter. The film's imagery of gears, motors, and other mechanical parts reflects an interest in the machine aesthetic, I could sense the rapid editing and abstract imagery, create a sense of chaos and disorientation that reflects the anxiety of modernity. The film’s score by composer George Antheil includes a range of sounds, including airplane propellers and car horns, creating a sense of industrialization and modernity.

Anémic cinéma (1929) by Marcel Duchamp

The other concept which intrigued me was, 'Dadaism', which rejected established norms of art and culture and celebrated the absurd and the irrational. Dadaist artists sought to shock and provoke their audiences, and their works often incorporated found objects and everyday materials. Looking at Marcel Duchamp's Anemic Cinema (1926), I could see that they were characterized by their use of montage and juxtaposition, creating a disorienting and fragmented visual experience. This film is a play on words and typography, with rotating discs of letters and puns creating a surreal and nonsensical experience for the viewer, reflecting Dadaist movement's rejection of traditional art forms and embrace of randomness and absurdity.

Another concept very close to my heart, 'Surrealism' was briefly touched upon in the reading. Surrealist paintings like Salvador Dali's Persistence of Memory (1931), inspired films which would often feature non-linear narratives, bizarre imagery, and juxtapositions of seemingly unrelated objects, which I further noticed while watching Ballet Mécanique (1924). In particular, I identified the film's use of mechanical imagery and sounds, seen as a nod to the Surrealist interest in the merging of the human and the machine. This theme is also present in the film's depiction of a mechanical ballet, which features geometric shapes and patterns that move in a way that is both synchronized and chaotic.

The Mysteries of the Chateau of Dice (1929) by Man Ray

Two new concepts which I learnt were 'Futurism' and 'Cubism'. Futurism sought to capture the speed and movement of modern life in their art. I researched and watched the film, Les Mystères du Château du Dé (The Mysteries of the Chateau of Dice) (1929) by Man Ray which showed Futurism through featured images of machinery, speed, and technology, and experimented with new techniques such as slow-motion and time-lapse photography, included a haunting score by composer Erik Satie. On the other hand, Cubism used fragmented and multiple perspectives, as well as experimentation with abstraction and movement. I could observe that Ballet Mécanique (1924) from its focus on various shapes and structures and angles encapsulated Cubism, conveying the visual object through a surrealist manifestation, breaking the anti-humanist; the experimental film showcased a perception with solipsistic image at sensorimotor level.

It was also interesting to notice that these ‘Avant-Garde’ style films were unlike traditional mainstream films where the creative control would be influenced by producers from film companies as they would have an expensive production budget and their commercial value was more important than their creative aspect. These films were with sometimes no budget, focusing on filmmaker’s creative expression, their sound tracks also almost had their own narrative and their ways of distribution would also be different and could be used by all types of audiences.   

I conclude by quoting "Ultimately, the avant-garde is a paradoxical and multifaceted phenomenon that resists easy definition or categorization. It is both a historical movement and an ongoing process of artistic innovation, and its legacy can be seen in a wide range of contemporary art practices" (p. 98, David Cottington's The Avant-garde: A Very Short Introduction, 2013).

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Bibliography

Cottington, David. (2013). The Avant-garde. A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: OUP, 2013. [online]. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/70201022/The_Avant_Garde_A_Very_Short_Introduction. [Accessed February 27th 2023]

Dali, Salvador (1931). The Persistence of Memory [1931]. Website. Available at: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79018. [Accessed March 10th 2023]

Duchamp, Marcel (1926). Anemic Cinema (1926) [online]. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123380/. [Accessed March 1st 2023]

Murphy, Dudley (1924). Ballet mécanique (1924) [online]. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0014694/. [Accessed March 1st 2023]

Pray, O’ Michael (2012). Avant-Garde Film: Forms, Themes, and Passions.WallFlower Press, 2012. [online]. Available at: https://www.scribd.com/book/338696243/Avant-Garde-Film-Forms-Themes-and-Passions. [Accessed February 27th 2023]

Ray, Man (1929). Les Mystères du Château du Dé (The Mysteries of the Chateau of Dice) (1929). [online]. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0145923/. [Accessed March 3rd 2023]