Meditation on Violence (1949)

Chao-Li Chi shadow boxes indoors and practices with a sword outdoors. Theoretically, the film describes in a single continuous movement three degrees of traditional Chinese boxing, Wu-tang, Shao-lin, and Shao-lin with a sword. A long sequence of the ballet-like, sinuous Wu-tang becomes the more erratic Shao-lin; in the middle, there is an abrupt change to leaping sword movements, in the center of which, at the apogee of the leap, there is a long held freeze-frame.

Released

1949-04-24

Genres

Documentary

Runtime

12 min

Status

Released

Directed / written by

Maya Deren

TMDB rating

5.8/10 from 36 votes