With this movie, Eggeling found a new way of artistic expression that was followed later by Hans Richter, Oskar Fishinger, Walter Ruttmann and Norman McLaren.
Eggeling was trying to explore new paths, new manners, and he really did it. This new media, cinema, brought something that painters such as Eggeling himself could never reach with their paintings: time. Including a new dimension in their artwork was something very challenging for them. It was like mobile paintings. And this is exactly what Eggeling built up in this Symphonie Diagonale.
Eggeling uses *only* images (some geometrical animation) to make music! Yes!, that's it! I know it sound rare but he did it! Just try to imagine how, without any sound, just by showing us moving drawings, Eggeling makes us feel rhythm, musical patterns and figures. I would say that, even if the viewer is not a musical expert, he/she will surely discover, at least, the basics of music (rhythm, for instance).
Eggeling's masterpiece is a trip into music, a magical illusion and a sensible picture of music through a different language. Something nobody should miss.
Eggeling was trying to explore new paths, new manners, and he really did it. This new media, cinema, brought something that painters such as Eggeling himself could never reach with their paintings: time. Including a new dimension in their artwork was something very challenging for them. It was like mobile paintings. And this is exactly what Eggeling built up in this Symphonie Diagonale.
Eggeling uses *only* images (some geometrical animation) to make music! Yes!, that's it! I know it sound rare but he did it! Just try to imagine how, without any sound, just by showing us moving drawings, Eggeling makes us feel rhythm, musical patterns and figures. I would say that, even if the viewer is not a musical expert, he/she will surely discover, at least, the basics of music (rhythm, for instance).
Eggeling's masterpiece is a trip into music, a magical illusion and a sensible picture of music through a different language. Something nobody should miss.