“Images of Houdini bound in chains flicker and spin amid laceration marks created through hand-processing.” - Vanessa O’Neill, San Francisco Int. Film Festival
The images of Houdini chained and attempting to free himself: the stop-and-start (interruption-repetition) of his actions; the high-contrast of the images; the stroboscopic effect created by the rhythm of the shutter; the gashes in the emulsion from the hand-processing - combined with the layers of sound, all evoke the violence of a tortured soul in search of escape.
NB: View in total darkness to appreciate full flicker effect.
Selected screenings: San Francisco International Film Festival, 2011