[Frameworks] Films composed to music

[Christian Gosvig Olesen]

Of classic films Jean Mitry's *Pacific 231* (1949) is perhaps a
good/obvious example?

Best,
Christian

2013/1/9 Herb Shellenberger <HerbS at ihphilly.org>

> ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
>
> Hello Frameworkers. There have been a few really great
> looking-for-this-type-of-film threads recently, so I thought I would throw
> my query out there.****
>
> ** **
>
> A colleague and I were discussing experimental films that were composed to
> music. In general we think of film scores being added after the fact, but
> there are few films that I can think of that are composed specifically to
> fit a piece of music:****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> *Studies for the Decay of the West* (dir. Klaus Wyborny)****
>
> *In Wyborny's "musical film," every new sound triggers a new image: 6,299
> shots, all directly edited within his Super-8 camera.* An intoxicating,
> stroboscopic trip to industrial, natural and urban landscapes in East
> Africa, **New York**, the Ruhr region and ****Rimini****. This
> experimental music film refers to Oswald Spengler’s world-famous 1918
> philosophical work *The Decay of the West*. Culture pessimist Spengler
> argues that progress is an illusion and that the modern era brings little
> good. People are no longer able to understand the rationality of the world.
> Wyborny does not set out to make a film version of Spengler's theories, but
> rather a visual reflection on the modern age; a stroboscopic journey in
> five parts to industrial, natural and urban landscapes. *He uses 6,299
> shots, edited directly in a Super-8 camera. Each piano note and violin
> vibrato evokes a new image: demolished buildings, rubble, destruction and
> nature.* This film forms a counterpart to Wyborny’s previous films series
> *Eine andere Welt. Lieder der Erde II*(2004/2005). [Film Society of ****
> Lincoln** **Center****]****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> *Passage Through: A Ritual *(dir. Stan Brakahge)****
>
> *When I received the tape of Philip Corner's “Through the Mysterious
> Barricade, Lumen 1 (after F. Couperin),” he included a note that thanked me
> for my film, “The Riddle of Lumen,” he'd just seen and which had in some
> way inspired this music. I, in turn, was so moved by the tape he sent I
> immediately asked his permission to "set it to film."* It required the
> most exacting editing process ever; and in the course of that work it
> occurred to me that I'd originally made “The Riddle of Lumen” hoping
> someone would make an "answering" film and entertain my visual riddle in
> the manner of the riddling poets of yore. I most expected Hollis Frampton
> (because of Zorn's “Lemma”) to pick up the challenge; but he never did. In
> some sense I think composer Corner has - and now we have this dance of
> riddles as music and film combine to make "passage," in every sense of the
> word, further possible. (To be absolutely "true to" the ritual of this
> passage, the two reels of the film should be shown on one projector, taking
> the normal amount of time, without rewinding reel #1 or showing the finish
> and start leaders of either - especially without changing the sound dials -
> between reels.) [Stan Brakhage, via CFMDC]****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> These are both films that use film to “play” music in a sense, or use
> music to generate images or structures. While some filmmakers may have used
> music in this way in a portion of a larger film, I’m more interested in
> films that exclusively use this method, whether it is with one complete
> piece or a few. Also, I’m trying to focus on films that integrate music
> more deeply than just cutting on specific beats. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Any ideas would be much appreciated! ****
>
> ** **
>
>  ***Herb Shellenberger*******
>
> *Programs Office Manager*****
>
>  ****
>
> ****3701 CHESTNUT STREET**** | ****PHILADELPHIA**, **PA** **19104********
>
> phone: 215.895.6575   |  fax: 215.895.6562****
>
> email: herbs at ihphilly.org | web: www.ihousephilly.org****
>
> ** **
>
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