cin•atlas every frame has a place
An Optical Poem poster
Now showing

An Optical Poem 1938

★ 6.8 7m AnimationMusic
IMDB ↗

A dance of shapes. A title card tells us this is an experiment in conveying the mental images of music in a visual form. Liszt's "Second Hungarian Rhapsody" is the music. The shapes, all two-dimensional, are circles primarily, with some squares and rectangles, and a few triangles. The shapes move rhythmically to the music: receding from view or moving across the screen. Red circles on a blue background; light blue squares; white rectangles. Then, a red background of many circles with a few in the foreground. Red gives way to blue then to white. Shapes reappear as Liszt's themes re-occur. Then, with a few staccato notes and images, it's over.

Where to watch US

Which of these do you already pay for? Type your streaming services and the ones your subscription covers turn green below.

Comma-separated. Saved only in this browser, never sent anywhere.

Included in a subscription

  • Kanopy free ✓ you have this
All watch options ↗

On location

More like this