Response for Wednesday Nov. 14th

One of the other films viewed on Wednesday was an unconventional film of the 60s/70s; Shirley Clarke's short film "Bridges-Go-Round." To me, what made this film unique and original in it's own right was a few different elements...most notably the rythm, continuity, and lyrical editing. In the beginning of the piece, we see a city (presumably San Francisco) from many different shots. The array of colors and manipulations that are presented are very effective. The bridges and skyscrapers are seen at first in a motion as if one was looking out of the passenger seat of a passing vehicle. Then as the film continues on, we see these giant bridges and skyscrapers travel from side to side like the traffic itself. There is a rythm involved, the lines of each subject crosses through and the colors fade and expand in contrast. The use of jazz music in the first portion really gives us a documentary-like view of the city and the images move is similar style and pattern. The mood and flow are articulated with each note and continuous movement of every image adds a bit of lyrical tone. Following the same motion and image effect, the second portion inhibits more freedom in its movement. Although both portions are essentially the same shots manipulated in different styles, the freedom of movement appears more evident in the second portion. This is mostly due to the bubbly music found behind each shift. This adds a bit of a roller-coaster feeling to the piece that was missing in portion one and as we continue on the ride come to the end of the bridge and the ride is over. Two interesting styles displayed from very different perspectives. Works quite well.