The Mystery of the Chateau Dice

After watching Man Ray's Les Mysteres de Chateau du de I believe that this film is to symbolize the modernization of society and the world ahead. Basically, the film consists of two men who travel to search the world over, and begin noticing items that are seemingly out of the ordinary, or rather baffling to them. The items that they encounter are things which include sculptures, a castle with modern luxuries, modernized angles in the building structures, various works of art, and more. Though these may not seem like great finds, when this film first came out, which was in 1929, these items were rare, and generally were only owned by people who could afford them. The other reason this film was so popular was due to the fact that the film itself was shot from first person viewing. For example, up until now, most of Man Ray's films had been shot as if a third party were watching everything that was happening, yet in this film you, the viewer, are seeing exactly what the camera man is seeing, at exactly the same time. Below is the link to this film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqGZ21WRd3A

Emak - Bakia (Leave Me Alone)

The first thing that captures my attention about Man Ray's Emak Bakia is the music. I am assuming that the instruments that are playing include that of a violin and a Cello.  For me, this type of music is quite relaxing, yet at the same time, the dissonance that these two instruments are making is rather ominous as well. Having said that, the next emotion that I feel is a sense of loneliness, or longing.  A few times throughout the film, I feel as though I, the viewer, should be searching for something that may never be found. The other reaction to this film that I have would be that of retreating back into myself. For some reason, watching the rhythmic and repetitive motions, it feels as though I am forced to withdraw, and take a closer look at myself. I rather enjoy this piece, because of the feeling of being transported. The film, in a sense, is allowing my mind to travel at it's own pace, to places that may have otherwise been left untraveled. Below are the two links for the first and second parts of this film.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=411H8xReAAM
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aZSrpMRKeQ

The Star Fish

In May Ray's The Star Fish I am quite drawn to the fact that the camera appears to have a filter placed over the lens.  The blurred shapes and almost disfigurement of the subject leads to the fact that this piece is surreal, and some what of a memory, rather than viewing it as if it was happening in the present. The other aspect of this video that I find rather intriguing is the fact that, though the images are blurred and there is little to no dialogue the viewer can still sense the story line, and the fact that there is built up tension as well. Though there is building tension, because the film revolves around the idea of love, there is also a sense of sexuality and sensuality.  Another aspect that eludes to the sexuality are the written words that appear on the screen. For me, I can hear these words being spoken softly by a lover, which aids in making this film seem a bit more real than it might have otherwise been. To continue following the idea that this video is about love, and the potential loss of love, the "glass" effect applied to the lens also helps, because it could be viewed with the idea that the witnesses eyes are becoming watery as they are realizing that they have lost their true love. Though I would not say that this style of filming is quite my favorite, I do appreciate the fact that this style leaves so much up to the viewer to put together for themselves. Below I have pasted the link, so that you can make your own ideals about this video for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DKREHb5QfA&feature=related