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An Optical Poem movie poster

An Optical Poem

6.7/ 10IMDb7.037
19387m

Overview

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.

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Crew

Production
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Frequently asked questions

What is An Optical Poem rated?

An Optical Poem has an audience rating of 6.7 out of 10 from 37 votes.

Who directed An Optical Poem?

An Optical Poem was directed by Oskar Fischinger.

When was An Optical Poem released?

An Optical Poem was released in 1938.