Sonbert's vivid color palette enhances the ritualistic nature of each action observed. Set against this lush panorama, Sonbert subverts the expectation of classic cinematography with a liberal sprinkling of avant-garde techniques. The incorporation of the materiality of film, the treatment of light, and the use of a hand-held camera, all suggest the influence of Stan Brakhage (Sonbert's "hero"). Sonbert's use of the shot as the foundation of his silent montage works parallels the use of the frame as the basic filmmaking unit in the films of Gregory Markopoulos (Sonbert's "mentor"). -- Jon Gartenberg. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 1998.
Warren Sonbert
Director
A Night in the Show62%
The New Janitor62%
The Finishing Touch69%
Leave 'Em Laughing60%
The Chaplin Revue73%
Liberty68%
Big Business66%
The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin66%
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story69%
The Live Ghost72%
The Cut59%
The Fixer Uppers68%
Visions of Light70%
His New Profession59%
Haunted Spooks63%
A Jitney Elopement58%
One Good Turn69%
The Hoose-Gow66%
Men O' War68%