Really a beautifully shot film, full of symbolism. The first shot is of a woman washing ashore on land. She climbs up a piece of drift wood, only to find herself crawling horizontally across a table at a house party, unnoticed by the guests. As she reaches the end she observes a chess game being played. She is transfixed as the pieces begin to move themselves, and a piece falls from the board, and gets lost. She desperately tries to find it journeying to find this missing piece. Eventually, she ends up back at the beach, where two woman are playing chess. This scene is very reminiscent of the game with death in 'The Seventh Seal'. It's a great film, which seems to want to say a lot. I can't say I understand every part of it, but it at least makes me think. On top of it, its a gorgeous film to look at.
3/10
The first Deren-film I longed for it to end. A bit boring.
Especially boring without sound - is it supposed to be that way? I mean in 1944 sound within the movies had been there for 15 years. Or is it a way of getting a more "dreamish" landscape?
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BlueVoid
Really a beautifully shot film, full of symbolism. The first shot is of a woman washing ashore on land. She climbs up a piece of drift wood, only to find herself crawling horizontally across a table at a house party, unnoticed by the guests. As she reaches the end she observes a chess game being played. She is transfixed as the pieces begin to move themselves, and a piece falls from the board, and gets lost. She desperately tries to find it journeying to find this missing piece. Eventually, she ends up back at the beach, where two woman are playing chess. This scene is very reminiscent of the game with death in 'The Seventh Seal'. It's a great film, which seems to want to say a lot. I can't say I understand every part of it, but it at least makes me think. On top of it, its a gorgeous film to look at.Ralf
Some of it really is reminiscent of The Seventh Seal. This is much better than Meshes of the Afternoon.bfgirl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvafmE3Lel0sideburnz
also apart of the DVD Maya Deren: Experimental Films and is on netflix instant watch.TalkingElvish
I find playing Vaughn Williams' The Lark Ascending matches the action of this film really well. Their lengths are almost identical.bramgeenen
Part 1: (mod-edit: dead link removed)Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAoMgT5-tJo
Emiam
3/10The first Deren-film I longed for it to end. A bit boring.
Especially boring without sound - is it supposed to be that way? I mean in 1944 sound within the movies had been there for 15 years. Or is it a way of getting a more "dreamish" landscape?
devilsadvocado
I had no idea artists were getting this freaky in the 1940s.