(Play with Reflections and Speed)
In the 1920s, young filmmakers of the French avant-garde experimented with abstraction, as they also became interested in documentary material and the city. Jeux des reflets et de la vitesse by Henri Chomette (1896–1941), René Clair’s brother, is a variation on the city symphony format that predates Ruttmann’s Berlin (1927). Similar to his Cinq minutes de cinéma pur (1926), the short starts and ends as a purely abstract film with kaleidoscopic shots, optically distorted forms, spinning objects, and the play of movement, light, and shadow. In so doing, Chomette sets the tone for his playful exploration of the urban structures and cityscape of Paris in the main portion of the film.
Indeed, in this experiment in cinéma pur, Chomette treats the French capital according to the rules of abstract film. The viewer becomes immersed in a fast, rollercoaster-like métro ride through tunnels and across viaducts, constantly alternating between darkness and light, between electric lights dancing on the walls in the dark tunnels and architectural structures, telephone poles, and trees along the rails in daylight. The trip continues by boat on the river, revealing views of Paris and the Seine, including famous sights such as Notre-Dame Cathedral in addition to industrial landmarks and factory chimneys. Chomette makes extensive use of experimental techniques such as acceleration and multiple exposures. Finally, the subway trains, the Seine, and the Eiffel Tower start to rotate, recalling the dizzying effect of a rapidly moving merry-go-round ride and evoking the experience of the overwhelming multiplicity of sensations in the modern metropolis. As Chomette situates his abstract study in the urban environment of Paris, reality becomes absorbed in the play of light and movement, forms and speed.
Eva Hielscher
further reading
Ghali, Noureddine, L’Avant-garde cinématographique en France dans les années vingt: idées, conceptions, theories (Paris: Éditions Paris expérimental, 1995).
Hillairet, Prosper, Lebrat, Christian and Rollet, Patrice (eds.), Paris vu par le cinéma d’avant-garde 1923–1983 (Paris: Paris Expérimental, 1985).
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