Ballet mécanique (1924) | MoMA FILM VAULT SUMMER CAMP

Ballet mécanique, conceived by painter Fernand Léger and photographed by filmmaker Dudley Murphy (possibly with some involvement from Man Ray), is a rhythmic interplay between human and object. Affected by his experience of fighting in World War I, and in particular by the mustard gas attack that left him hospitalized for a year, Léger became fascinated with mechanical technology, which would feature heavily in his post-1917 art. Ballet mécanique, his only film, is an example of this juxtaposition of man and machine: gears and pendulums vs. eyes and mouths, pistons pumping vs. a woman’s endless climb up the stairs, clocks vs. legs. A kaleidoscopic combination of faces and kitchen utensils, Ballet mécanique was completely unlike contemporary commercial movies, and would pave the way for other revolutionary films like Metropolis and Limite.
If you were to see Ballet mécanique installed in one of our galleries or projected in one of our theaters, it would look a little different than it does here-the frameline would be stabilized and the edges of the picture would either be cropped or camouflaged with masking around the screen. However, we are presenting this version the way a scholar visiting the Film Study Center would see it on a flatbed viewing machine, with a slight bounce to the image and the sprocket holes visible, and without live musical accompaniment. (The score, composed by George Antheil and usually performed as a separate concert piece, was finished several years after Ballet mécanique premiered and is significantly longer than the film.)
Watch this week's other films:
Rhythmus 21 (1921)
• Rhythmus 21 (1921) | M...
Anémic Cinéma (1926)
• Marcel Duchamp's "Aném...
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The comments and opinions expressed in this video are those of the speaker alone, and do not represent the views of The Museum of Modern Art, its personnel, or any artist.
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[@lindagomez7460]

People who know about art: beautiful, way ahead of its time!
Me, who is here because her Film professor made her watch this video: 👁👄👁I am terrified

[@froggo7215]

Im obsessed with these early artistic cinema movies. Thank you for sharing.

[@ladyliberty417]

Love this series!
I miss MOMA, it helped me grow up and is forever a part of my life❣️

[@klee_of_c8082]

Kiki was so beautiful, so talented.

[@ericjosserand4179]

Yes's Machine Messiah plays well along with this. Begin the song 1:07 into the video.

[@l.baughman1445]

Someone send this to David Lynch. Clearly the deleted scenes from Twin Peaks: The Return. 😷👍

[@TanyaPetrova-m9g]

Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin perfectly fits this film

[@francielemeiradesiqueira8051]

very good

[@tatoloperas.7748]

Hermosísimo.

[@ShrimpBarbarian]

But wheres the music!? The music is the best part!!! Way ahead of its time

[@cog592]

Reminds me of Berenice Abbott's photography (the ones she made for science books)

[@thebutcher1996]

Why is it cut tho?...

[@Gentleman_Songster]

It seems to have more in common with surrealism than cubism to my misty eye. Which would be Man Ray's influence perhaps -- if hew WAS involved. A touch of Eisenstein too?

[@salehelsileni3665]

😍😍👌👍

[@svgbnj]

no sound？

[@FilmAcademyOfStyleAndArt]

can you see the piano music?

[@susprime7018]

Her eye makeup is gummy and the same dress and shots as another video, hope it's not deja vu.

[@BrianMcInnis87]

Get rid of the goddamn watermark.

[@debranchelowtone]

frame rate