Cosmic Ray

As the raw, sharp timbre of Ray Charles’s voice fills the room, the film begins to unfold rapidly. In this experimental montage composed of archival footage, Bruce Conner sets a brisk pace. Moments of nuclear explosions, cartoon frames, and female figures collide and flash by. As history’s most destructive moments merge with the music, fireworks appearing on screen tear through the darkness. This stream of consciousness, which leaves the viewer no room to breathe, conveys the tension of the era directly.