8 X 8: A Chess Sonata in 8 Movements

Mar 15 1957 N/A 1h 20m
Music

8 x 8: A Chess-Sonata in 8 Movements is an American experimental film directed by Hans Richter, Marcel Duchamp, and Jean Cocteau. Described by Richter as "part Freud, part Lewis Carroll" and filmed partially on the lawn of Duchamp's summer house in Southbury, Connecticut.

Plot

Described by Marcel Duchamp as "a fairy tale for grown-ups", 8×8 resembles a portal leading to an exploration of the fantasy world while using the fixed rules of chess to stimulate our imagination. Written by Hans Richter, the grandfather of experimental film, who cites Lewis Carroll and Sigmund Freud in the opening crawl, the film is composed of narrative segments. Famous friends, including Jean Cocteau, Max Ernst, Paul Bowles, Jean Arp, Alexander Calder, and, in the Venetian episode, Peggy Guggenheim, complete the assemblage of exceptional personalities.

Written by

Hans Richter

Directed by

Jean Cocteau, Hans Richter

Cast

Jean Arp, Paul Bowles, Ceal Bryson

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United States of America

Languages

English, Français, Deutsch

Awards

1 nomination

Scores
# of Votes
292
Average Rating
5.7 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA