Review of Hapax Legomena I: (nostalgia) (1971) by Donovan D — 03 Mar 2008

Most people - or at least those aware of structural-materialist film - will remember Hollis Frampton from his memorable death scene in Michael Snow's Wavelength. What some may not be aware of is that Frampton was himself a most gifted filmmaker in his own right.

Of all his films, the one that has stayed most vivid in my mind is this film, Nostalgia, part 1 of his epic Hapax Legomena project. Here Frampton plays around with a disjunction of sound and image that highlights the nature of time and memory in constructing meaning.

A series of photographs are burnt on screen accompanied by a voice-over narration written by Frampton but read by Michael Snow. The twist; Snow talks about the next photograph that will appear after the current photo has finished burning.

Its a simple idea, but the complex formal qualities of this work cannot be overstated; few films work so well at highlighting the temporality of the cinematic medium. But what I admire most about Nostalgia more than just about any of the other Structural-Materialist films I've seen is how fascinating and accessible it is.

For viewers who are willing to work at listening to the narration, it is a rewarding experience putting the sound and image together - even with the film's cheeky tease of an ending. This is first rate cinema, and a masterpiece not just of the avant-garde but of cinema in general.