MOVIE REVIEW: Jesse Lerner's The Atomic Sublime

At 72 minutes, The Atomic Sublime depicts the rise of abstract expressionism in the U.S. and its role as an instrument of propaganda during the Cold War.

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MOVIE REVIEW: Jesse Lerner's The Atomic Sublime

POSTED: Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 2:00 PM

The International House recently kicked off its series of archival film screenings — “Archive Fever!” — with Jesse Lerner’s documentary The Atomic Sublime.

At 72 minutes, the film depicts the rise of abstract expressionism in the U.S. and its role as an instrument of propaganda during the Cold War. The New York School of Abstract Expressionism — with its representation of nondescript shapes alongside bold colors and patterns — was sharply divergent from socialist realism, the only form of art permitted to exist in the Soviet Union. The contrast between the art forms was not seen as coincidental in the age of the atomic bomb. Like everything else, art was swept up in the culture war between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. Abstract expressionism was even elevated to the level of a national art form in the United States, despite the fact that it was never overtly political. In all, The Atomic Sublime offers a shining example of the role art played in the social and political context of its time.

The message may not be novel, but the production of the film is. Relying entirely on “found footage,” Lerner pieced together the documentary with clips from newsreels and educational programming from the 1940s, 50s and 60s. As a result, The Atomic Sublime comes across as a patchwork of images and ideas. The film, however, does not provide a cohesive storyline. Instead, the narrative unfolds in fits and starts. But for Lerner, making sense of it all is part of the fun. He created The Atomic Sublime using a technique called “assemblage” — a form of art production where the artist re-purposes found material to create something new. The finished product is esoteric in parts, but will undoubtedly appeal to anyone appreciative of avant-garde cinema.

(clare.foran@citypaper.net)

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