Free Radicals (1958)

04/23/1958 (US) • 5m

Animation, Music

Overview

In this powerful abstract film with a soundtrack of African drum music, Lye scratched "white ziggle-zag-splutter scratches" on to black leader, using a variety of tools from saw teeth to arrow heads. The first version of the film won a major award at the International Experimental Film Festival Held in Brussels in 1958 in association with the World's Fair. Stan Brakhage described the film as "an almost unbelievably immense masterpiece".

Top Billed Cast


Recommendations

Breathless

75%

Waves '98

63%

Wasteland No. 1: Ardent Verdant

58%

Scherzo

62%

Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar

63%

A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding

64%

Star!

69%

Alex Strangelove

66%

The Suicide Squad

75%

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

63%

Return of the Hero

63%

Test

67%

The Return

65%

The Princess Switch: Switched Again

68%

Status Update

73%

Rolling to You

65%

Sink or Swim

69%

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

78%

Secret Magic Control Agency

70%

Mr. Jones

68%

Status

Released

Original Language

No Language

Budget

-

Revenue

-

Keywords

abstract

short film

© All Rights Reserved 2025