Crossroads (1976)

The 1945 atomic-bomb explosion at Bikini Atoll becomes a thing of terrible beauty and haunting visual poetry when shown in extreme slow motion, shown from 27 different angles, and ... See full summary »

Director:

Bruce Conner

Storyline

The 1945 atomic-bomb explosion at Bikini Atoll becomes a thing of terrible beauty and haunting visual poetry when shown in extreme slow motion, shown from 27 different angles, and accompanied by avant-garde Western classical music composed for electric organ by Terry Riley.

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Plot Keywords:

atomic bomb | montage | underground film | experimental film | independent film

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Genres:

Short

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 October 1976 (USA)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

36 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

The only known 35mm print of the film was taken out of circulation in June 2005 after being shown as part of the Eye and Ear Controlled festival that took place at Anthology Film Archives, a renowned venue for avant-garde films, in New York City.

User Reviews

a very meditative movie about an underwater atom bomb test.

This is a very meditative movie by bruce conner about an underwater atom bomb test. probably not everyone's cup of tea.

music by terry riley and patrick gleeson.

The film is based on government footage of the first underwater Atomic-bomb test in July 25, 1946, at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific. Recorded at varing speeds -- from normal to super slow motion. The same explosion is seen 27 different times -- from the air, sea and various landbased cameras.

The opening segment centers on the awesome grandeur of the explosion - the destructiveness, as well as the dramatic spectacle and beauty. As the repetition builds, the explosion is gradually removed from the realm of historic phenomena, assuming the dimensions of a universal, cosmic force. In the film's second half this force is brought into a kind of cosmic harmony, part of the lyrically indifferent ebb and flow of life that one sees in a lingering, elegaic view of the ocean.