Every day until March 31, 2024 I will be watching and reviewing a movie that is 90 minutes or less.
Title: Wavelength
Release Date: March 17, 1967
Director: Michael Snow
Production Company: Michael Snow
Summary/Review:
In this avant-garde film from the 1960s, a camera in a fixed location films the interior of a New York City apartment over several days. The camera slowly zooms in toward the windows while various focus and filter effects take place. Human actors occasionally enter the scene: two women listening to “Strawberry Fields Forever” (a brand new song at the time that Michael Snow probably didn’t get clearance for), a man keels over and apparently dies, and a woman calls the police to report finding a dead body. But mostly you’re just watching the windows as we zoom ever closer. The changes in light, the growing frequency of a buzzing in the soundtrack, and the time it takes for the camera to settle on a photography of a choppy ocean are all “wavelengths.”
This is definitely a movie that leaves a lot of time for contemplation. This film had divided audiences. You might find yourself admiring the artistry in glowing terms. You might consider it an endurance test and one of the worst movies ever made. I’m going right down the middle, because I get a kick out of silly, avant-garde stuff although I make no pretense at understanding the meaning of the art.
Rating: ***
Panorama of the Mountains 