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An Optical Poem

1938Oskar Fischinger
IMDb: 7.0/10
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Synopsis

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.

AnimationMusicShort
Classical MusicShapes

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Frequently asked questions

What is An Optical Poem (1938) about?

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…

Who stars in An Optical Poem?

An Optical Poem stars N/A. The film was directed by Oskar Fischinger.

How long is An Optical Poem?

An Optical Poem has a runtime of 7 min and premiered in 1938. It is rated Not Rated.

Is An Optical Poem worth watching?

An Optical Poem holds an IMDb rating of 7.0/10. Fans of Animation, Music, Short are most likely to enjoy it — TasteRay can tell you how well it matches your personal taste.

Where can I watch An Optical Poem?

Streaming availability for An Optical Poem changes by country and service. TasteRay tracks where it is available across Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Max, Apple TV+ and 50+ other platforms — the current options for your country are shown on this page.