Master Hands (1936)
Featured Nonfiction
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31m
1936 film Master Hands glorifies Chevrolet factory workers in dramatic, music-driven documentary.
Master Hands, though a sponsored industrial film, is an early example of documentary filmmaking. While showcasing the Chevrolet assembly line in Flint, Michigan, the film utilizes unexpected techniques.
Grand orchestral music composed by Samuel Benavie, inspired by Wagner's operas, creates a dramatic atmosphere. Negative and positive film are layered together, giving the scenes a dreamlike quality. These elements elevate the film from a simple informational piece to a work of visual art.
Further blurring the line between documentary and experiment, Master Hands avoids narration for most of its runtime. Instead, the focus is on the rhythmic sounds of the factory and the balletic movements of the workers.
The film seems to suggest an inherent beauty in the industrial process, a perspective not often explored in documentaries. Through its innovative approach, Master Hands demonstrates the potential of industrial films to be not just informative, but also artistically expressive.
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