Spheres

To the music of Bach, Norman McLaren has animated a set of constantly moving and splitting spheres against a never-ending and moving sky. To me it sounded like it must be a beautiful thing to see but sadly the limitations of the animation mean that it is just interesting more than beautiful. The main barrier for me was the spheres themselves because I wanted them to move smoothly with a flow to them. Instead they jutter around in a way that I found a touch difficult to watch and in contrast with both the sky and music. The sky effects were good and I do think that had the spheres not been distracting me in the foreground, more could have been brought from that to further compliment the music – which needless to say is quite beautiful.

It is a shame because not only was I looking forward to seeing this animated short but also, lets be honest, one always likes to be seen "appreciating" art – particularly when that appreciation is on the net for all to see and marvel at one's intelligence. Sadly I can't be that guy (on this occasion) because to say I loved it would not be true. I can see what might have been at the time but the same animation that raises the potential also undoes it by being too clunky when smoothness was called for.

Norman McLaren was a very prolific Canadian animator who was born in the UK. Most of his films would be described as 'arty' and are pretty much unknown here in the States. However, I've seen several of his films on various DVD collections and I like these sorts of shorts--and was thrilled to see a seven disk set of his work. This particular short is from the first disk.

This is clearly intended as an art film and it was apparently an incomplete one for a couple decades until McLaren decided to pair this animation with a composition by Bach. It consists of lots of spheres (balls) that move about over a rather simplistic background of sky and clouds that McLaren (or someone else) painted. It's somewhat hypnotic but clearly NOT a film for the general public--more like something you'd see in a modern art museum or avant-garde show. Interesting to few, nevertheless it is well made for what it is.

Beautiful intentions. and beautiful result. a fragile equilibrium between music, balls and skies. and almost hypnotic show. nothing surprising. but, in few scenes, the film seems reduced at a game without end. an aesthetic delight, like in Oriental gardens for young woman from harem.