The film-makers' names are proudly displayed no fewer than 3 times during the credits of this one (the card prepared by Kino before each short on the DVDs included); the end result, however, is nothing to write home about – its principal value nowadays is as a time-capsule, and a dull one at that! It is yet another 'film poem' devoted to the nerve centre of New York City, teeming with people (as witnessed by shiploads of arriving passengers!) and activity. Still, as already intimated, very little of interest is actually captured on celluloid – and the photography is pretty ordinary to boot! The literal translation of "avant-garde" is something that is "forward-looking": tellingly, the one thing I was looking forward to as I lay watching this was its conclusion!
Review of Manhatta
