Zorns Lemma (1970)

In the innovative and transformative film, "Zorns Lemma" (1970), an initial voiceover echoes the verses of the Bay State Primer, acting as the prelude to a mesmerizing visual journey. The film embarks on a rhythmic exploration of a vibrant visual alphabet, meticulously constructed from the street and shop signs of New York City. Each cycle of this alphabet evolves, introducing new signs and words in a mesmerizing loop that challenges the boundaries of traditional film narrative. As the film unfolds, the alphabet undergoes a metamorphosis as each letter is gradually substituted by a fresh image, sweeping the viewer into an array of captivating scenes. This includes a man diligently painting a wall, a woman engaged in conversation, and the delicate peeling of a clementine. The film progresses in parallel with these scenes, evolving as the man's wall reaches completion, and the clementine reveals its succulent interior. The film's climax sees viewers taken on a tranquil journey with a couple and their dog, wandering into the depths of a forest in an extended, unbroken shot. This serene image is enriched by the rhythmic chant of six women, each reciting a different word every second from Grosseteste's "On Light, or the Ingression of Forms." Their voices weave together to create a melody that marks the culmination of this groundbreaking structuralist film. "Zorns Lemma" invites viewers to experience film through a different lens, offering a unique blend of the everyday and the abstract, and redefining the language of cinema.

Zorns Lemma is a documentary movie.

Zorns Lemma is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.