René Clair’s first film was originally conceived as an interlude for the Swedish ballet Relâche by the Dada artist Francis Picabia, performed in Paris in 1924. The aim was to force the audience to leave their seats by way of a perfectly orchestrated provocation. Picabia wrote the broad outline of the scenario, whilst Erik Satie composed the music for both the ballet and the film. Celebrities such as the artists Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray appear in the film. Using experimental techniques such as slow motion and double exposures, Clair celebrates pure movement and sheer absurdity.
