Critical Mass (1/3)

A film by Hollis Frampton. Made in 1971. “Critical mass shows a young New York couple arguing about their relationship. The film starts on the soundtrack; the screen is blank. Initially the dialogue is cut up in such a way that the couple seems to stutter as they talk (Frampton adds the stutter to such recent perceptual constructs as Warhol stares, Kubelka’s flicker and Makes’ glimpse). Lines of dialogue are cut into before they are finished, partially repeated, stopped again, repeated, until the phrase