Film as art

A century ago the premiere of Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, a new ballet performed by a Russian ballet company, caused a riot among its Parisian audience. The combination of graceless dance movements and unrefined music had shocked patrons comfortably familiar with centuries of arabesques, pirouettes and beautifully melodious classical music. The evening is often cited to illustrate the early twentieth century's commitment to breaking down tradition, an assault akin to anarchy that in politics had produced revolution and terrorism, and was now infiltrating the world of the arts.